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Mum Puppettheatre presents its first guest company - internationally renowned Coad Canada Puppets - Being John Malkovich puppeteer Luman Coad performs solo

For Immediate Release: December 27, 2000

Philadelphia, PA - For the first time in its 15 year history, Mum Puppettheatre will present the work of another puppet company: the award winning Coad Canada Puppets of British Columbia. Mum's third production of the season, Mr. Whipple's Whims and The Box? A Show of Feelings moves into Mum Puppettheatre's newly renovated theatre at 115 Arch Street in Old City, Philadelphia, January 25th through February 11th, 2001. Public performances are Saturdays and Sundays at noon and 2 p.m. For the third year in a row, in conjunction with Creative Access, Mum offers American Sign Language interpreters at each public performance for its post-show behind-the-scenes question and answer sessions. General admission is $10.00. For reservations call 215.925.8686. Schools can schedule their own performances on weekday mornings by calling 215.925.8686.

Coad Canada co-founder and performer Luman Coad proves anything is possible in his imaginative and wordless one-man show. In seven separate story-sequences The Box? A Show of Feelings follows a child and dog as they encounter different experiences and come face-to-face with new feelings, emotions also felt by each member of the audience. In Mr. Whipple's Whims a seemingly ordinary man with an extraordinary imagination uses everyday objects as keys to open up worlds of possibilities.

Luman Coad most recently served as puppeteer, technical consultant and body double for John Cusack in the Academy Award nominated film Being John Malkovich. He has won over 14 awards for excellence in the art of puppetry and has toured throughout North America as well as seventeen countries across Europe, the Middle East, South America, and the Pacific Rim. His television and film credits include animatronic puppeteer work on Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Next Mutation, Stargate SG-1, and The Never Ending Story: Part III.

Mum Puppettheatre's Artistic Director Robert Smythe remembers first seeing Coad Canada perform at an international puppet festival in 1980: "The Coads non verbal performance style was an influence on me and an inspiration for the company I knew I wanted to create. Coad Canada was my first choice as Mum's first guest artists. We are proud to be able to present their wonderful work to Philadelphia audiences."

Founded in 1966 by Aryln & Luman Coad, Coad Canada Puppets has won numerous major puppetry awards including the Trustees Award and President's Award from the Puppeteers of America as well as five Citations of Excellence in the Art of Puppetry from the American Centre of l'Union Internationale de la Marionnette. In 1997 the Coads founded Charlemagne Press to publish books of advanced level puppetry and related topics. Each year Coad Canada Puppets create a new half-hour solo performer production for tour throughout British Columbia and Canada.

Mum Puppettheatre is the only theatre between Vermont and Atlanta dedicated solely to puppetry. Founded in 1985 as a wordless touring company using puppets and masks, Mum Puppettheatre combines powerful visual images with music and the imagination to create a unique theatrical experience for audiences of all ages and languages. To date, Mum Puppettheatre has earned three Citations of Excellence from Union Internationale de la Marionette and six Barrymore Awards for Excellence in Theatre. In 1999, Mum Puppettheatre won the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts and Pennsylvania Department of Education Best Practices Award for its education and residency programs in schools.

For more information please call 215.925.8686.

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