ABOUT SANDGLASS THEATER
Mission
Sandglass is dedicated to the arts of theater and puppetry as a means of exploring contemporary issues, inspiring dialogue, and sparking wonder. We create original ensemble performances and collaborations, present diverse theater artists, produce events that serve our communities, and teach our art.
Vision
Sandglass is a bridge in our local, national, and international communities for artistic and social development. We inspire new generations of diverse artists and audiences to further embrace puppetry and theater as thriving art forms that seek truth, a broader perspective, generate compassion, and celebrate the human spirit.
We Value
Puppetry as a unique theater form that affirms the human spirit through images, metaphors, and a sense of play.
The ensemble process, the artistic exchange of ideas, collaboration as a means of developing and sustaining our field, the responsibility of creating and teaching theater, and a respect for the culture and traditions of our art form.
Respect for our audiences, and the process of engaging them in civil dialogue, shared play, and critical response. This includes physical, economic, and social accessibility to all performances and events.
Justice and diversity in race, ethnicity, gender, and disability, and the safety of those fleeing violence in other countries and here in our own.
Team
Shoshana Bass, Artistic Director
Mackenzie Doss, Managing Director
Jana Zeller, Youth Programming Coordinator
Leslie Garziano, Administrator
Ensemble and Associate Artists
Eric Bass
Ines Zeller Bass
Shoshana Bass
Finn Campman
Mackenzie Doss
Ben Hemmendinger
Dey Hernández
Kalob Martinez
Kirk Murphy
Sarah Nolen
Maria Pugnetti
Raphael Sacks
Divyamaan Sahoo
Stoph Scheer
Kaitee Yaeko Tredway
Jana Zeller
Board Members
Virginia Scholl, President
Victoria Mitchell, Vice President
Rebecca Waxman, Secretary
Mark Baker, Treasurer
Eric Bass, Co-Founder
Ines Zeller Bass, Co-Founder
Shoshana Bass
Karen Boutelle
Maiana Noce
Leslie Turpin
History
Sandglass Theater was founded in 1982 in Munich, Germany by Eric Bass and Ines Zeller Bass. In 1986 the company and the Zeller Bass family moved to Putney, Vermont, USA, where in 1996 they officially opened their own performance venue and established themselves as a not-for-profit entity:
The Sandglass Center for Puppetry and Theater Research. The physical theater space launched the possibility of presenting other artists and led to the eventual creation of Sandglass’ staple festivals and series: Puppets in the Green Mountains, Puppets in Paradise, Winter Sunshine, and Voices of Community.
Sandglass’ original productions for both adult and young audiences, specialize in combining puppets with music, actors, and visual imagery. The company tours internationally, having visited over 30 countries, performing in theaters, festivals and cultural institutions and winning numerous international prizes.
Sandglass also teaches a 2-week intensive training program each summer in its own 60-seat renovated barn theater in Putney (formerly the S. L. Davis Livery Stables).
Sandglass Theater is a member of the Network of Ensemble Theaters (NET), the National Performance Network (NPN), Presenters United for Puppetry Arts (PUPA), and UNIMA international puppeteers union (official partner of UNESCO).
Sandglass Theater 990 available upon request.
Land Acknowledgement
Sandglass Theater acknowledges that we are located on the unceded land of the Pennacook, Wabanaki and Abenaki peoples. We invite you to join us in acknowledging the Pennacook, Wabanaki Confederacy and Abenaki community, their elders both past and present, as well as future generations.
Sandglass Theater also acknowledges that it was founded upon exclusions and erasures of many Indigenous peoples. This acknowledgement demonstrates a commitment to beginning the process of working to dismantle the ongoing legacies of settler colonialism.
Commitment to Social Justice, Diversity & Equity
Since its founding in 1982, Sandglass Theater has been a renowned theater company not only for the artistic creativity and quality of its productions but of equal importance, our social justice and human rights content. Recent race-related events, coupled with similar events that have been occurring since our country’s founding, have compelled us to take a thorough inventory of our organization’s commitment to addressing social justice issues, including those involving Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC).
This inventory included looking at our program content, venues, staffing, internal policies & procedures, vendor selection, and how we present ourselves to the public. Although much focus has been placed on safety issues involving the COVID pandemic, we believe priority must also be placed on these social justice issues, with equal vigor and commitment.
On June 9, 2020, our Board of Directors made the following commitments HERE
Awards
2020 Ruth and James Ewing Arts Award
SEVEN TIME WINNER of the Citation of Excellence - Union Internationale de la Marionette (UNIMA-USA), 1982, 1986, 1991, 1994, 1998, 1999, 2014
2015 Honoring exceptional artistry, mentorship and service - Paul Vincent Davis Award
2013 Best Direction (for D-Generation)- Puppeteers of America, Puppet Festival (r)Evolution
2010 Governor’s Award for Excellence in the Arts - Vermont Arts Council
2004 Citation of Merit Award - Vermont Arts Council
2004 Friend of the Arts Award - Arts Council of Windham County, VT
2000 Special Achievement Award - New England Theatre Conference
1998 President’s Award for Service to the Community- Brattleboro Museum and Art Center
1991 Figurentheater Prize - City of Erlangen, Germany
1983 First Prize Critics Award for Best Production -International Festival of Puppetry in Adelaide, Australia
1994 Robert and Adele Blank Jewish Arts Award - Stephen Wise Free Synagogue
1982 Diploma of Excellence- Pecs, Hungary
Statement of Belief
From Artistic Director Shoshana Bass and Founder Eric Bass
When was the last time you felt truly listened to? When was the last time you truly listened? Listening is perhaps one of the most demanding acts, and perhaps also one of the most transformative ones. Our theater work opens the doors to practice listening, and to commit ourselves fully and without distraction to the presence of a moment. For Sandglass, the puppet is the primary means by which (and through which) we listen. It is a holder of our attention. From the puppet, we stretch ourselves to hear its environment, its world. Perhaps we listen to its story, as it holds our focus. From there we understand what is asked of us as we listen to others, and to the stories that arise within us as we listen to ourselves. Sometimes we listen without understanding and that’s okay too.
At one of our work-in-progress showings, an audience member was asked if they were able to understand something we were trying to portray on stage. They responded, “Let us reach for it!” What a beautiful concept. Reach for it. Isn’t that what we are always doing when we are listening to someone else? We can never fully understand, but we can reach for it, and it is the reaching that permits us to grow. So, when we ask ourselves what our primary purpose is as performance makers, one of the most important capacities we nurture is the space for listening. And when we listen we reach for it, with our minds and with our spirits.
Accessibility and Inclusion
Sandglass Theater is a wheelchair accessible facility. We welcome people of all abilities and strive to provide programs that are inclusive and accessible. Sign interpretation, touch tours and social stories are available for certain shows. Please inquire. If you would like priority seating, parking, or any assistance when you arrive, be sure to let us know when making your reservations. info@sandglasstheater.org
