Honglan Huang is a puppeteer, book artist, and a theater artist/scholar. She is interested in the embodied practice of reading and performing and how they can help us understand other transformative processes such as trauma and growth. She also teaches classes about scrolls, shadows, pop-up books and the power of narratives in fostering communities.

Jessica Prioste is a Brazilian actress and producer, exploring storytelling based on an intentional investigation of her own life experience. Based in Chicago, she’s entering the puppetry community with her project, The Darkness Has Awakened.

Gretchen is a storyteller working in comics, writing, puppetry, and curation.

Los Logansitos is a youth theater group based in Logan Square, Chicago. They represent the community surrounding them—its dreams, struggles, and committed spirit. What you are about to see are their own stories, their own choreography, their own puppets, their own perspective. This summer's Los Logansitos cohort is unique in their resilience. 

Special thanks to Norma Rios-Sierra.

FLEECED is an improvised comedy puppet show that uses the basic tenets of children’s puppet TV and adds a hilarious adults only twist. Each performance our ridiculous cast of puppets will chat with the audience to find a letter and word of the day, and then go into a fully improvised piece based on the suggestion. Every show is a completely different experience that will leave the audience asking themselves, “why didn’t the puppets of my childhood teach me this?

Agnotti Cowie (they/she) grew up in Logan Square, Chicago and is passionate about the intersection of social justice, community dialogue, and performing arts. They facilitate workshops employing a variety of pedagogical techniques such as InterPlay, Theatre of the Oppressed, Clowning and Devising.

Jacqueline Wade’s goal is to create works of art as an activist artist that deal with the human condition, race, and social justice issues. She wants to make positive changes and actions through her work.   Jacqueline’s  18ft Mumia puppet has gone on marches and demonstrations in the streets for  Mumia Abu-Jamal freedom along with her Giant 20 ft Mother Earth Puppet that has been used for Veterans for Peace.  Jacqueline’  giant John  Africa puppet was recently on exhibition at Potential Energy at the Chicago Cultural Center. Jacqueline has published and lectured widely. She is a member of AEA and SAG-AFTRA and performed and directed extensively.   Jacqueline is the Founder and Artistic Director of  Women of Color Productions, Inc  and founder and creator of  the annual Chicago Women of Color Puppetry and Performing Arts Fringe Festival  Chicagowomenofcolorfest.com  Finally Jacqueline would like to thank all of the producers, collaborators, team members, artists and volunteers, who made this wonderful festival possible.

PRIMITIVE DESTRUCTION OF THE FUTURE is a musical project that uses puppets to bridge our songwriting with comedic puppet based improv and thematic sketches. Sydney Bourke, Aaron Hautala and Andrew Erikson are the core members but they have collaborated with The Congregation as well as Mr. Bonetangles in the past and enjoy the idea of more collaboration as we hopefully ingrain ourselves in the puppet scene.

Chih-Jou Cheng is a Taiwanese physical theatre creator, movement artist, and puppeteer currently based in Chicago. She has performed in productions such as the RHYNOCERON (by KT Shivak), The Dream King (Teatro Vista), The King and I (Drury Lane), and A Chorus Line (Metropolis), also worked with Chicago Shakespeare Theater and Chicago Puppet Studio. Her recent works, including "Above the Water," "Unfinished Island Songs," and "Arriving at Dawn," delve into themes of migration, identity, and healing, aiming to foster compassion and promote collective healing through innovative, interdisciplinary physical theatre. Her work has been supported by Chicago Cultural Center Dance Studio residencies, Ragdale residency, and DCASE. She has been awarded the Chicago Arts & Health Pilot for Creative Workers and the 2024 Princess Grace Honoraria. 

For more of Cheng’s work: http://www.chihjou-cheng.com/

I became mega into puppetry due to Chicago Puppet Lab 2023/24. Blame my friend, Eric for making such wonderfully expressive puppets. Before this I was heavily involved in the Chicago boardgaming community (I own well over 300 games). I love horror cinema. Love! I used to play Ultimate Frisbee a ton - and - I used to play multiple instruments, including being in several bands. My appreciation for music continues to remain fond. Current favourite hobby & focus: puppets. Puppetry is an art. It's amazing how many shining and experimental ideas I continue to experience...how many thoughtful minds & spectacular people I continue to meet. Can we please explore some ideas together?

El Show de las Preguntas (The Show of Questions) is Laura Torres, Carmen Kingsley, & Valeria Rosero, a trio of circus artists with decades of performing experience.

Carmen Kingsley (she/her) is a circus artist and educator. She currently teaches aerials and handstands at Aloft Circus Arts as well as her own Pilates and conditioning classes on Zoom. She collaborates with Opera-matic (bringing moving, music and art to the streets). She has participated in the Chicago International Puppet Lab residency and collaborated with Free Street Theater. Carmen loves creating interactive spaces where children and adults from diverse backgrounds can play together and share joy.

Laura Torres (she/her) is a multi-disciplinary artist based in Chicago, IL. She has produced work in sculpture, installation, film, and performance. Her current creative focus is in wirewalking, and was an artist in residence for The Chicago International Puppet Theater Festival Puppet Lab. She holds an MFA from School of the Museum of Fine Arts Boston at Tufts University.

Valeria Rosero (she/her) is an Ecuadorian-born, Chicago-based circus, dance, and theatre artist. She graduated from Northwestern University in 2016 as a Theatre major with a BA in Communication. Valeria is a graduate of the Actors Gymnasium Professional Circus Training Program (2021-2022), as well as the Aloft Circus Arts Professional Training Program (2022-2023). When she's not on stage, teaching, or working on commercials and voice-overs, Valeria loves painting and drawing. Valeria is represented by Shirley Hamilton Talent Agency.

Reverend Punchfizz, known on 13 galaxies in three quadrants, raised on zenith and rock & roll, the intergalactic performance legend continues to travel, spreading love, awareness, and badass-ness from planet to planet with The Congregation, the unmatched puppet rock group, opening minds and changing lives through era-altering appearance after era-altering appearance.

The cosmic shift that occurs when The Congregation enters a world’s orbit has been described as “a warm sense of inner peace” and “the feeling of being drawn toward your purpose in life”… with guitar chords.