{"id":200729,"date":"2026-04-17T14:25:39","date_gmt":"2026-04-17T14:25:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/200729\/"},"modified":"2026-04-17T14:25:39","modified_gmt":"2026-04-17T14:25:39","slug":"park-slopes-puppetworks-hunts-for-new-home","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/200729\/","title":{"rendered":"Park Slope’s Puppetworks Hunts for New Home"},"content":{"rendered":"

A developer purchased the four-story building on the corner of 6th Avenue and 4th Street.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\"a\"a <\/p>\n

Swing puppeteer Ronny Wasserstrom said the ensemble was heartened by the outpouring of community support.
\nPhoto by Gabriele Holtermann<\/p>\n

by Gabriele Holtermann, Brooklyn Paper<\/p>\n

The puppets and puppeteers at Puppetworks in Park Slope are preparing to take their final bow at the theater they have called home for the past 35 years.<\/p>\n

The four-story building on the corner of 6th Avenue and 4th Street that houses the puppet theater has been sold to a developer, and the ensemble is now searching for a new home, hoping to continue delighting children and adults alike.<\/p>\n

Puppetworks has been a neighborhood institution since 1991. During the week, its marionettes have mesmerized generations of elementary school students from across Brooklyn. On weekends, the theater, founded by artistic director Nicolas Coppola, hosts performances<\/a> for the general public, as well as birthday parties.<\/p>\n

\"puppetAfter decades in Park Slope, Puppetworks is seeking a new home as it looks to continue its longstanding tradition of puppetry in Brooklyn. Photo by Gabriele Holtermann<\/p>\n

Swing puppeteer Ronny Wasserstrom emphasized that the theater is not closing, but relocating. He told Brooklyn Paper it is a matter of finding the \u201cright\u201d space \u2014 one that meets the specific needs of running a theater, such as emergency exits, ample storage and access for school buses, but also feels \u201cheimish,\u201d a Yiddish word describing a place that is warm, cozy, and familiar.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have other options, and other people do want us, but we have to find the right space, because we\u2019ve been very lucky with this space,\u201d Wasserstrom said. \u201cBut the most important part is to find a place where we can continue all week long, where the school buses can come in and not disturb the neighbors, and be safe. So that is the biggest challenge.\u201d<\/p>\n

While the theater is typically busy, Wasserstrom said that since news of the impending move spread, it has been \u201cpandemonium,\u201d with the venue packed over the weekend with grandparents, parents, and children.<\/p>\n

\u201cEvery single one of them was saying they\u2019ve been coming since the 90s. So when I started here, it wasn\u2019t like that. Maybe it was parents and kids, but now it\u2019s multi-generational,\u201d Wasserstrom said, adding that the ensemble has been heartened by the outpouring of community support.<\/p>\n

\"puppetsPuppetworks, which has operated in Park Slope for more than three decades, is planning its next chapter in a new location. Photo by Gabriele Holtermann<\/p>\n

The marionettes\u2019 final curtain call is expected sometime this summer. Currently, \u201cPinocchio\u201d is running through August 9, 2026, and the theater also plans to host a nostalgia night before its move.<\/p>\n

One visitor who used to bring his daughter to the theater as a child told Wasserstrom that his favorite memory was not just the shows, but the introductions afterward, when children could meet the puppets.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe was like, \u2018I just want to relive that.\u2019 So then he came, and he was like, this one lone older guy, and he was just basking in it,\u201d Wasserstrom said. \u201cWe get lots of adults coming, like, let\u2019s say it\u2019s their birthday and they\u2019re like, 30-something years old, and they just want to relive it. And it\u2019s a very heartening moment, and now it\u2019s become more and more so, because I think now that people know we\u2019re leaving, we\u2019re going to get more and more of that.\u201d<\/p>\n

Wasserstrom, who had hoped the theater could remain at its current location a few more years so he could propose co-naming the street \u201cMarionette Way,\u201d said one reason for the theater\u2019s long success has been its affordability.<\/p>\n

\"aA staple of the Park Slope arts community since 1991, Puppetworks is seeking a new home to continue its performances. Photo by Gabriele Holtermann<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s the main thing. The prices are really so much better than other places,\u201d Wasserstrom said.<\/p>\n

For Lori Citron Knipel, visiting Puppetworks has become a family tradition. When her children were younger, they attended performances and celebrated birthdays at the theater.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd Rachel, my daughter, carried on the tradition by doing it for her daughter, because she loved it so much. And [my kids] were both very much into puppeteering. And my granddaughter is too. So it is definitely a tradition. They definitely loved the place,\u201d Citron Knipel said, noting that Puppetworks has played an important role in the lives of many children and their parents.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe truly will support them to continue. We think they have done great over the years, and we have loved their shows and their creativity, and we don\u2019t want to see them go; that\u2019s for sure,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

\"aFor the Citron Knipel family, visiting Puppetworks has become a family tradition. Photo by Gabriele Holtermann<\/p>\n

Her daughter, Rachel Knipel, added, \u201cWe love puppetworks! We had two of my daughter\u2019s birthday parties there. I am 40 now, but I remember having my own birthdays there as well. It was always such a unique spot and a step back in time.\u201d<\/p>\n

Editor\u2019s note: A version of this story originally ran in Brooklyn Paper. Click here<\/a> to see the original story.<\/p>\n

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