Paperhand opens 18th annual summer puppet show Friday

It features puppets of all kinds and sizes, live music and a new story. This year, the show is called "Of Wings and Feet."

Posted 12:38 a.m. Aug 1, 2017 — Updated 12:38 a.m. Aug 1, 2017

Paperhand Puppet Intervention opens its annual summer show this weekend at Forest Theatre in Chapel Hill.

The show, now in its 18th year, has become a tradition for many families around here. It features puppets of all kinds and sizes, live music and a new story. This year, the show is called "Of Wings and Feet."

Here's a description from Paperhand's website: "Spend an enchanted evening discovering what it means to be human … when you’re a bird. Or, a turtle. Or, in a circus of traveling revelers. Witness the living land and waters breathing and moving with the sky in an epic pageant of the ages. ... Using masks, big puppets, stilts, painted cardboard, shadows and illumination, Paperhand explores story, reflects on life’s mysteries, deepens our connection, and inspires young and old."

The shows run about 90 minutes and, according to Paperhand's website, are designed for all ages.

"Though each child is different, and we can’t guarantee, we feel our shows are less scary than the evil characters in Disney movies," its website says.

The show is planned first at Forest Theatre, then the N.C. Museum of Art and finally in Greensboro.

Here are the details:

Forest Theatre, 123 S. Boundary St., Chapel Hill

The show opens Friday and runs on select days through Labor Day. Most performances begin at 7 p.m., but there are a two matinees - one on Aug. 27 and another on Sept. 3. A tip: If you plan on attending a Saturday show, get there early. The shows at Forest Theatre usually sell out.

Tickets are only available at the door. No one is turned away because of a lack of funds for the Forest Theatre shows, but a suggested donation of $15 for adults and $8 for kids 14 and under is requested. Kids 3 and under are free.

N.C. Museum of Art, 2110 Blue Ridge Rd., Raleigh

The show runs 7 p.m., Sept. 8, Sept. 9 and Sept. 10. Tickets will be available at the door or through the museum's website. Tickets are $17 (or $12 for members) and $8.50 for kids ages 7 to 18. Kids 6 and under are free (but they will need a ticket).

The Carolina Theatre of Greensboro, 310 S. Green St., Greensboro

Shows are scheduled Sept. 16 and Sept. 17. Tickets are on sale now and cost between $10 and $20.

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