Helen Hayes nomination!
Outstanding Performance for Young Audiences Nomination for the Puppet Co. production of The Wizard of Oz
The Puppet Co.’s production of The Wizard of Oz was nominated as one of the five finalist for Outstanding Performance in the Category of Theatre for Young Audiences by Theatre Washington. Theatre Washington judges adjudicated 165 eligible 2024 productions in the DC Area in preparation for the award ceremony on May 19th, 2025. “It has been over ten years since the Puppet Co. received a nomination, making this a very special honor.” Executive Director Isabel Dawson stated, “It is important for puppetry and puppetry-based performances to receive recognition within the larger theatre community.”
Left to right: Lee Gerstenhaber as Tin Man, Matthew Pauli as Scarecrow, Brigid Wallace Harper as Dorothy, and Andrew Quilpa as the Cowardly Lion. Photo by Maggie Rocha.
The Wizard of Oz ran at the Puppet Co. from July 6th to August 4th in 2024. Directed by Mollie Greenberg, the production used many forms of puppetry to tell the great American fairy tale written by L. Frank Baum. The 2024 production starred Brigid Wallace Harper, Lee Gerstenhaber, Matthew Pauli, and Andrew Quilpa. The production was originally developed by Puppet Co. founders Allan Stevens, and Christopher and MayField Piper. In 2008, the production won a Citation of Excellence in the Art of Puppetry by the American Center of the Union Internationale de la Marionette, one of the highest honors in puppetry.
Other major contributors to the 2024 production include Maggie Rocha (Assistant Director, Music Director, and Dorothy Understudy), Amelia Talbot (Lighting & Sound Design, Technical Crew), Lee Gerstenhaber (Costumer & Wardrobe), Ingrid Bork (Technical Crew), and Andrea “Dre” Moore (Technical & Puppet Maintenance Crew).
Left to right: Matthew Pauli, and Dorothy, Puppeteered by Brigid Wallace Harper. Photo by Maggie Rocha.
