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Over the next two decades, Puppet
Showplace grew. It went “from a few weekend shows to an internationally recognized puppetry center.” Churchill showcased performers from across the United States and around the world. She also offered meeting space for the Boston Area Guild of Puppetry.
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Churchill started reading books about puppets and making them. In 1972, she joined her local puppetry guild and took workshops. Then she attended an international puppetry festival in France. She returned determined to be a puppeteer and to have her own theater.
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In 2007, Puppet
Showplace created the Mary Churchill Memorial Fund. It honors "her legacy of generosity and her commitment to making arts accessible to all." The fund brings schoolchildren from low-income neighborhoods to see puppetry at Showplace.
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and create her own puppet shows. In 1973, she founded The
Cranberry Puppets and performed plays for children. She named her signature puppet "Betsy."
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171:. Churchill became a regular performer with The Cranberry Puppets. She also served as the theater’s principal administrator and benefactor.
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Churchill saw puppetry as a powerful medium. It could teach children, stimulate their creativity, and introduce them to live theater.
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Her adaptations featured strong female protagonists. In
Churchill's versions, female characters were the heroes. Her version of “
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In 1976, Churchill attended an international puppetry conference in Moscow, Russia. There, she met puppeteer
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troupe, The
Cranberry Puppets, entertained children for 25 years with witty feminist adaptations of
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Churchill taught elementary grades in the Boston school system. She taught third grade in
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136:." She also performed "Devil in the Pumpkin Patch" and "The Witch Who Hates Birthdays."
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90:. There, she began using puppets to teach students who had trouble learning to read.
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627:"The Little Theatre That Could: Celebrating 35 Years of the Puppet Showplace Theatre"
187:, Lynda Morgenroth wrote, "The Puppet Showplace is the house Mary Churchill built."
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506:"Life On a Tabletop: An ancient art form thrives at the Puppet Showplace Theater"
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66:(Class of 1952). She studied economics and government. In 1968, she earned a
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Churchill was the mother of four children: Jean, John, Bill, and
Charles.
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This article is about the
American puppeteer. For the British author, see
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710:"Globe West Community briefing: Fire department renovations in Arlington"
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601:"Mary Churchill, at 66; founded Puppet Showplace in Brookline (obituary)"
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called
Churchill the “driving force” behind Puppet Showplace Theater. In
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535:"Puppet Paradise: MARY CHURCHILL IS WOMAN BEHIND SHOWPLACE IN BROOKLINE"
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on Sunday, November 16, 1997 at her home in
Brookline. She was 66.
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202:. He became her lifelong companion and partner. Davis served as
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26:(December 29, 1930 – November 16, 1997) was an American
271:"In This Corner: Little Red Riding Hood Joins Women's Lib"
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who avoided being eaten by pulling out the teeth of the
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167:. She located the theater in her neighborhood of
376:"PUPPETS PULLING THE RIGHT STRINGS IN BROOKLINE"
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657:The Associated Press – via
112:Churchill performed witty adaptations of
533:Morgenroth, Lynda (September 17, 1981).
38:. Churchill was founder and director of
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625:Mukwashi, Kathleen Conroy (Fall 2009).
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206:at Puppet Showplace for over 30 years.
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504:Brown, Nell Porter (November 2015).
269:Kneeland, Paul (February 20, 1974).
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685:"The Mary Churchill Memorial Fund"
480:"Celebrating 40 years of puppetry"
406:McCabe, Bruce (October 29, 1994).
374:Doten, Patti (November 26, 1992).
30:, educator, and entrepreneur. Her
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438:Leone, Loretta (March 23, 1978).
478:Avery, Brad (February 4, 2015).
86:and was a reading specialist in
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580:. 50: 4: 12–14. Summer 1999.
24:Mary Phipps Putnam Churchill
314:Barnard Digital Collections
163:In 1974, Churchill founded
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143:” included a smart female
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775:Radcliffe College alumni
745:Puppet Showplace Theater
689:Puppet Showplace Theater
165:Puppet Showplace Theater
159:Puppet Showplace Theater
50:Early life and education
44:Brookline, Massachusetts
40:Puppet Showplace Theater
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243:"Mary Putnam Churchill"
147:named Mary. Mary was a
126:Three Billy Goats Gruff
653:"Puppeteer dead at 66"
130:The Lion and the Mouse
122:Little Red Riding Hood
54:Churchill was born in
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440:"NO STRINGS ATTACHED"
141:The Three Little Pigs
68:Master of Arts degree
58:. Churchill attended
56:Boston, Massachusetts
631:The Puppetry Journal
578:The Puppetry Journal
179:The Puppetry Journal
780:Artists from Boston
770:American puppeteers
722:. February 14, 2010
665:. November 19, 1997
574:"Women in Puppetry"
348:. January 4, 1987.
204:Artist in Residence
102:Churchill began to
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209:Churchill died of
200:Paul Vincent Davis
120:. These included “
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247:www.sagecraft.com
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60:Radcliffe College
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765:1997 deaths
760:1930 births
336:"INTERVIEW"
211:lung cancer
114:fairy tales
18:Mary Soames
754:Categories
553:1009575330
354:2074274587
252:2020-04-25
229:References
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320:April 20,
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289:746877647
36:folktales
28:puppeteer
716:ProQuest
659:ProQuest
635:ProQuest
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446:ProQuest
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132:,” and "
639:1800535
586:1794350
149:dentist
104:crochet
84:Roxbury
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316:. 1952
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217:Legacy
118:fables
88:Newton
78:Career
32:puppet
70:from
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560:2020
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491:2020
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128:,” “
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