The Boston Area Guild of Puppetry is a chartered guild of the Puppeteers of America (Chapter #9) since 1961. We are an organization of professional puppeteers and puppet enthusiasts located throughout the upper New England area. We hold meetings several times a year at the Puppet Showplace Theatre, to share knowledge and ideas, and offer inspiration and support to professional and fledgling puppeteers alike. (See our meeting schedule here.)

The Guild offers workshops and consultations in many aspects of puppetry building and performance. Our group is diverse, with members having performed nationally and internationally in a dazzling variety of venues – at schools, colleges, concert halls, churches, community centers and in homes. Some of our members specialize in building custom-made puppets.

We hold meetings about every other month, which always include a special program or event. Past meeting programs have included puppet-making workshops, demonstrations, guest artists, panel discussions, puppet films, and discussions on the art of puppetry. We also talk about guild projects and festivals, have "Show and Tell," and share a potluck supper during the break.

BAGOP is also involved in Puppet Slams, cabaret-style evenings of adult puppetry, hosted by the Puppet Showplace Theatre; and also "Puppets: Education Magic," a conference held each summer on puppetry in education.

Benefits of membership include a bi-monthly newsletter The Control Stick, full of articles, news, and reviews of puppetry around New England and beyond. Members are also entitled to a listing on our guild web directory, an email discussion list, and other benefits such as the opportunity to apply for scholarship assistance to attend a P of A festival, discounted tickets to the Puppet Showplace Theatre, and assistance with mounting a peer review.

For information on how to become a member, come to one of our guild meetings, or contact the current webmaster John Lechner.

The Boston Area Guild of Puppetry was chartered in 1961 (Chapter #9) by the Puppeteers of America. The Puppeteers of America is a national organization of puppeteers which produces a journal, newsletter, and festivals each year. For more information visit their website.

Download a Membership Form to learn more!