Puppetry at Your Fingertips: Toy Theater I Online with Roberto Rossi
Aug 18–24, 2025 • 7–9 PM CDT • Live Online via Chicago International Puppet Theater Festival
The Chicago International Puppet Theater Festival, North America’s largest celebration of puppetry, is bringing the magic straight to your home this summer.
Join master puppeteer Roberto Rossi for Toy Theater I, a one-week online workshop where you’ll learn to craft miniature worlds and bring them to life. Using simple recyclable materials, you’ll design your own stage, create a cast of jointed 2D puppets, and explore the captivating storytelling language of Toy Theater.
Over five live sessions, you will:
Build a custom miniature stage from everyday materials
Create jointed puppets and movable set pieces
Learn foundational design and staging techniques
Conclude with a live online showing of your creation
Why Toy Theater?
This centuries-old form is intimate yet endlessly inventive—perfect for artists, educators, storytellers, or anyone ready to transform a tabletop into a stage for imagination.
📅 When: Aug 18–24, 2025 (Mon, Tues, Thurs, Sat, Sun)
🕖 Time: 7–9 PM CDT
💵 Cost: $250
💡 Make it a double feature:
The week after Toy Theater I, Roberto will lead Toy Theater II (Aug 25–31) for participants ready to deepen their skills—adding layered staging, lighting, and advanced puppet articulation.
🎟 Early Bird & Multi-Workshop Discount:
Register at least 2 weeks before or take both workshops to save 15% with promo code PUPPETLOVE.
✨ Hosted and run by the Chicago International Puppet Theater Festival, advancing the art of puppetry through performances, workshops, and artist training worldwide.
🔗 Register for Toy Theater I here