About The Paper Bag Players
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1971 |
The Paper Bag Players is a company of artists who create and perform original musical theater for young children (3-to-9). Our shows embody fun, poetry and fantasy that reflect our audience’s day-to-day experiences, sense of humor and way of playing, always respecting their intelligence, imagination and sensibilities. The visual presentation is decidedly low-tech, relying upon paper and cardboard props, sets and costumes.
Through creative repurposing of these simple materials, the Paper Bag Players inspire children by appealing to their spirit of play, which can mean anything from thinking differently about basic materials, to coming up with surprising and innovative solutions to a problem. Our playful and poetic approach invites active engagement and inspires children to create on their own.
Led by four actors and one musician, a typical show lasts roughly 55 minutes and consists of 10-12 sketches of varying length and style. Some pieces are lyrical, using dance, mime, movement, and creative use of paper to evoke different moods and feelings. Others tell stories with an inspiring message or spark wonder with visual surprises. Some are more high-energy, involving participation from the audience in the form of call-and-answer, singing, and dance. Once children understand that their participation is not merely allowed but encouraged, they invariably become active and vital parts of the action on stage, deeply engaged in a world they love to navigate and orchestrate.
Because our theater is playful, poetic and visually surprising, it can be just as entertaining and fun for parents, grandparents, teachers and chaperones as it is for kids. The world of the Paper Bag Players appeals to the child in all of us, the energetic spirit that can make a car, rocket or cave out of a box, or a telescope, map, superhero cape or sandwich from a sheet of paper.
In an era when high-tech screens dominate attention, our low-tech show, workshops and study guide emphasize imaginative use of simple materials, creative problem solving, prosocial behavior, active fun, and collaboration. We want our audiences – young and old, alike – to leave our shows feeling uplifted, inspired, and full of creativity, song, and joy for life.
The Paper Bag Players: A Creative Legacy for Children’s Theater
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2011 |
Now in our 66th year, The Paper Bag Players is one of the longest running children’s theater companies in the world. Founded in 1958 by Judith Martin, Shirley Kaplan, Sudie Bond, and Remy Charlip, the early ensemble drew from its roots in the worlds of modern dance, theater, literature, the visual arts and music. With its emphasis on imaginative use of simple materials and interactive theater, the company traveled nationally and internationally, reaching an audience of tens of millions over several generations of fans.
The Paper Bag Players have been awarded with an Obie, six American Theater Wing Awards, three awards for excellence from the American Association for Theater and Education, The Broadway Theater Institute Award for Theater and Education, and the Children’s Theater Foundation Medallion. The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, which houses the company’s archives, held an exhibition in 2008, The Paper Bag Players: 50 Years of Theater Art.
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1977 |
As founding artistic director, Judy Martin led The Paper Bag Players for over five decades, creating and performing in more than 35 shows, including beloved productions like HOT FEET, I WON’T TAKE A BATH, DANDELION, and WHEN MY COUSIN SLEPT OVER. Throughout her tenure, she collaborated with many talented theater artists and designers to craft the distinctive, vibrant world of The Paper Bag Players. Notable collaborators included Irving Burton, Betty Osgood, Jan Maxwell, scenic artists Molly O’Gorman and Allison Campbell, and composer/musical director Donald Ashwander, who wrote and played his catchy, lively ragtime music for the company from 1966 to 1994.
In 2010, a new creative ensemble emerged, featuring then-Artistic Director Ted Brackett, actors Kevin Richard Woodall and Laura Canty-Samuel, and Composer/Musical Director John Stone, all with yearslong, deep roots in the company under the leadership of Judith Martin. After the departure of Canty-Samuel in 2013 and retirement of Brackett in 2020, the creative vision has continued with Co-Artistic Directors Woodall and Stone.
The new creative ensemble has created 78 new works over the course of 13 seasons, all while maintaining the spirit of the original Paper Bag Players: the signature style (imaginative use of simple materials) and ethos (sketches that emphasize friendship, community, collaboration, and acceptance of outsiders, among other themes). Scenic artist Jonathan Peck played a key role in bringing these productions to life, contributing his artistic talents to sets, costumes, and props for more than a decade.
In March 2024, the New York Times published a feature article on the company entitled, “Paper Bag Players Celebrate 65 Years of Making Magic Out of the Ordinary.” You can read the full article here:
Click to read article