Events | Ages 13+ | Our Location
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Puppetry Now Special Exhibition
Join us as we open our latest Puppetry Now exhibition. Child of Wood is a captivating exhibition that honors the artistry and legacy of acclaimed puppeteer Tom Lee. The exhibition explores Lee’s work, and its name is inspired by Lee’s surname—comprised of the Chinese characters for “wood” and “child”—and how this symbolism resonates through his work.
The evening will feature:
• A special performance of sanbaso, a Japanese ritual dance purifying the space of performance. This performance was taught to Mr. Lee by his teacher Koryū Nishikawa V, and the puppet with which it is
performed is also a gift from his teacher.
• A sneak peek of the exhibition, including its centerpiece scroll, featuring original drawings, calligraphy, and
visual storytelling elements that trace the lineage of Tom’s puppetry through language and image.
• The opportunity to meet the artist before his show, The Mirrored Pool, opens the following night.
• Exhibition opening attendees will receive a special discount to attend one performance of The Mirrored Pool.
Meet the Artist
Director | Designer | Puppet Artist
Tom Lee
Tom Lee is a director, designer, and puppet artist, born in Korea and raised in Hawai’i. He began his career at La MaMa in New York and later worked with St. Ann’s Warehouse Puppet Lab. His work blends figures, film, and animation, creating original puppet theater while also performing and designing through Chicago Puppet Studio. Notable credits include Sounding the Resonant Path, Shank’s Mare, Akutagawa, and The Great Zodiac Animal Race, as well as performances in War Horse (Tony Award), Madama Butterfly at the Metropolitan Opera, and Petrushka with the New York Philharmonic. His design work spans theater, opera, dance, and film. He has taught at Sarah Lawrence College, the University of Chicago, and Lincoln Center Theater and co-founded the Chicago Puppet Lab in 2021.
