Performers

Presented by

Adam Francis Proulx

(Toronto, ON)

Adam Francis Proulx is a Dora Award-nominated theatre artist and one of Canada’s most sought-after puppeteers. As the founder of The Pucking Fuppet Co., Adam has created award-winning original shows that have toured North America, playing to sold-out crowds and earning critical acclaim, including a recent Off-Broadway run. Based in Toronto, The Pucking Fuppet Co. has built custom puppets for clients such as CBC, Young People’s Theatre, Neptune Theatre, and Nickelodeon. As a puppetry director and consultant Adam has worked with companies such as The Grand, the Capitol Theatre Port Hope, and Neptune Theatre. Adam recently starred as Olaf in the first Canadian company of Disney’s Frozen. He also appears as Fuzz the hamster on the Canadian Screen Award-winning The Fabulous Show with Fay & Fluffy on Family Jr., where he also writes for the series.

Alex and Olmsted

(Maryland, USA)

Alex and Olmsted (Alex Vernon and Sarah Olmsted Thomas) is an internationally acclaimed puppet theater and filmmaking company based in Baltimore, Maryland. They have toured original shows in France, Italy, South Korea, Germany, Denmark, and Canada. They have also performed at numerous theaters within the United States including the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., Symphony Space and HERE Arts in New York City, the Chicago International Puppet Theater Festival, the Detroit Institute of Arts, the Puppeteers of America Festival, and many stages in their beloved city of Baltimore, Maryland. Alex and Olmsted has been recognized by the New York Times and awarded 4 Jim Henson Foundation grants. In 2020, they received the Independent Artist Award from the Maryland State Arts Council, the highest honor for performing artists in the state of Maryland.

Alexander Mantia

(Toronto, ON)

Alexander Mantia is a puppeteer and theatre creator from Toronto, Ontario, who always knew he wanted to be a puppeteer when he grew up! He’s now making those dreams come true! Mantia has done puppetry for both theatre and film alike, and has been mentored by puppetry legend, Ronnie Burkett. Alexander Mantia is pleased to present his firsthand puppet show, “The Zucchini Club” here at Puppets Up! The show has previously played WTF (2024), Toronto Fringe (2025), Winnipeg Fringe (2026) and more!

Eldritch Theatre

(Toronto, ON)

Eldritch Theatre was formed in 1886 after an impertinent Ouija board informed Randolph Pomeranski that his soul would be devoured by The Great Old Ones That Were And Shall Be Again unless he produced a series of puppets plays exploring the dark and foreboding mysteries of the Dread Necronomicon of Abdul-Alhazred. Unfortunately, none of these plays were ever performed, because when it came time to write grant applications, the Ouija Board would only spell gibberish. One hundred years after Pomeranski’s blood-sopped demise in the knotting room of an unlicensed wig factory, Eldritch Theatre reformed to create, develop and produce plays that deal in themes of the horrific, supernatural and uncanny, often with a darkly comedic bent, which seek to scare, entertain and enlighten audiences in equal measure. These plays explore innovations in staging, including extensive incorporation of puppetry, mask, and a post-Brechtian approach to staging the fantastic.

Frogtown Mountain Puppeteers

(Maine, USA)

Frogtown Mountain Puppeteers is a puppetry troupe based in Bar Harbor, Maine, and comprised of three siblings – brothers Erik and Brian Torbeck and sister Robin (Torbeck) Erlandsen. Founded in 2000, Frogtown Mountain Puppeteers has performed at festivals, schools, libraries and theatres in the United States and Canada. They write and create all the shows they perform and have received three Citations of Excellence from UNIMA-USA, the highest national award in puppetry.

Hilarilar Marionetas

(Spain)

Laura Cortés, actress and puppeteer. Since 2006, she has worked as an actress with various theater companies in Granada, Spain. Since 2011, she has lived in Barcelona, where she discovered the captivating world of puppetry at Pepe Otal’s Puppet Workshop. There, she joined the puppet company Fills de Fusta (2016-2018), winner of the World Puppet Festival award in 2016 (San Sebastian), and toured Asia and Europe with their show. In 2019, she founded and directed her own company, Hilarilar Marionetas. The Bellhop has participated in the Sarmede International Theatre Festival (October 2019) and in the Titirijai Puppet Festival (November 2019).

Little Shadow Productions

(Iran via New York, USA)

Little Shadow Productions is a full service production company that specializes in boutique production needs including web, commercials, theater and more.

Known for our specialization in the art of puppetry, we offer a broad scope of services to the entertainment industry for any type of project. Whether it’s building a puppet for your next project or creating viral videos, short films, or specialized theater productions, Little Shadow can do it for you, “turn key”.

Little Spirit Bear Productions

(Shanty Bay, ON)

Chad Solomon is a member of the Henvey Inlet, First Nation. As a child, he and his family would visit with his late grandparents in the French River Ontario area. His grandfather Art Solomon, a traditional healer and justice activist would spend his time building wooden toys and playing with Chad and his siblings. Even in winter Art would go tobogganing with them. Learning from his grandfather, that no matter how old you become, you should always be young-at-heart and that laughter is the greatest medicine. This is the spirit behind the comical Adventures of Rabbit and Bear Paws series.

Puzzle Théâtre

(Montreal, QC)

Founded in 1996 in Bulgaria and established in Montreal since 2004, “Puzzle Théâtre ” has a unique style by combining various types in the traditional and the contemporary: drama theatre, object and puppet theatre. The company distinguishes itself by the colourful amalgam of styles and the great diversity of means of expression that it proposes. Leave the audience the freedom to interpret the unmentioned, to freely associate ideas and allow it to feel what is not explicitly told. This is what became the artistic characteristic of the company.

Rock the Arts Puppets

(Carp, ON)

Rock the Arts Puppets was created when Sarah Argue got bored with her 9 to 5 office job. She began puppet building and Creatureville was born. Her studio now houses over 100 puppets that tour across Canada with 6 original shows. Creatureville is a place that lives in Sarah’s imagination where all humans come to laugh, be themselves and be Pozzy!

Tanglewood Marionettes

(Massachusetts, USA)

Founded in 1993, Tanglewood Marionettes is a nationally touring marionette theater based in New England. Large, beautifully hand-crafted marionettes, colorful sets, and integrated lighting and sound create a fully immersive theatrical experience. Our highly skilled puppeteers have spent many years perfecting their art, delighting audiences of all ages as they bring our repertoire of classic tales to life. We are the recipients of two UNIMA awards, puppetry’s highest honor.

The Stop Mo Co.

(Ottawa, ON)

The Stop Mo Co. is an Ottawa-based animation studio creating handcrafted stop motion films and interactive workshops that inspire creativity through storytelling. Led by award-winning filmmaker and Aardman Academy alumna Missy Mark, the studio brings the magic of stop motion to festivals, schools, libraries, museums, and community events across Ontario. Through hands-on experiences, participants of all ages discover how everyday objects come to life—one frame at a time.

Théâtre de Deux Mains

(Montreal, QC)

Founded in 2001, Théâtre de Deux Mains is an artists’ collective centred around director and puppeteer Louis-Philippe Paulhus. The collective presents puppet shows for all ages by solo artists. Puss sing boots is Théâtre de Deux Mains 10th production. The company toured in Canada, USA, Mexico & Spain.

Théâtre des Petites Âmes

(Montreal, QC)

Théâtre des Petites Âmes is a Montreal-based puppet theatre company founded in 2007 by Isabelle Payant and Stéphane Guy. Renowned for its intimate, imaginative productions that blend puppetry, objects, masks, music, and visual storytelling, the company creates captivating experiences for audiences of all ages. Their award-winning productions have toured extensively across Canada and internationally, enchanting audiences in more than a dozen countries with their artistry and heartfelt storytelling.