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In 1945, when Davis was 10 years old, he saw a performance in
Washington, D.C. It featured Frank Paris Marionettes and an Italian puppet company. Soon after, Davis and his father converted the family garage into a puppet theater. Davis began to perform for neighborhood children.
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In the early 1960s, Davis worked in art studios, print shops, and advertising agencies. He left the job of art director at a New York agency to become a freelance graphic designer and part-time puppeteer. He also spent time as an actor and folk singer.
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and artist-in-residence at Puppet
Showplace Theater. At Showplace, Davis worked mostly with hand puppets for audiences of children and families. His hand puppets featured jointed legs that moved by means of the wrist. This created realistic movements.
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Puppet
Showplace Theater created the Paul Vincent Davis Award to honor its longtime artist in residence and artistic director. In 2014, the award went to John Bell and Trudi Cohen of Great Small Works. In 2016, the award went to
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In 2020, the
Ballard Institute and Museum of Puppetry celebrated Davis's career with an exhibit. “Paul Vincent Davis and the Art of Puppet Theater” called Davis "one of the United States's most dynamic 20th-century puppeteers."
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In 1997, Davis served as executive director of Puppet
Showplace Theater. He remained active as a performer until his retirement in 2007. As Resident Artist Emeritus, he continued to teach and mentor young puppeteers.
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In the early 1970s, Davis co-directed The
National Theater of Puppet Arts, Inc. with Carol Fijan. Based in New York, the company of puppeteers produced excerpts from Shakespearean plays and Greek classics.
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Davis directed the
Repertory Puppet Theater of Washington, D.C. He created serious work for adults with puppets. This included plays from Samuel Beckett, Japanese folk plays, and medieval miracle plays.
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Davis was born in
Richmond, Virginia in 1935. He was raised in Alexandria. His fascination with puppets began at the age of four, when he performed with hand puppets for family and friends.
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In 2023, UNIMA-USA presented a special citation to Davis for his extraordinary contributions to puppetry. They called him "an Artist par
Excellence of American Puppetry."
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In 2021, the
National Capital Puppetry Guild presented Davis with a Lifetime Achievement Award. In celebration of this award, a proclamation was written by
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Lasky, Kathryn. Puppeteer. Illustrated with photographs by Christopher G. Knight. New York: Macmillan Publishing Company, 1985. 0027516601
249:, founder and director of Puppet Showplace Theater. She became his lifelong companion and partner. Churchill died of lung cancer in 1997.
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In 1990, Puppeteers of America recognized Davis with the President's Award. It honors outstanding contributions to the art of puppetry.
730:"The Ballard blooms for spring with the openings of 'Paul Vincent Davis and the Art of Puppet Theater' and 'Shakespeare and Puppetry'"
583:"A Summer of Festivals: PofA Regions: Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, Southeast - Asheville, NC: "The East Coast Supersonic Puppet Festival""
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Davis, Paul Vincent. Exploring the Art of Puppet Theater. Garden Bay, BC: Charlemagne Press, 2018. 9780921845485
755:""Paul Vincent Davis and the Art of Puppet Theater" and "Shakespeare and Puppetry," February 29-June 7, 2020"
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In 1976, Davis attended an international puppetry conference in Moscow, Russia. There, he met puppeteer
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349:"Paul Vincent Davis: At Age 72, Paul Vincent Davis Continues to Inspire and Amaze His Peers"
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Davis earned Citations of Excellence from UNIMA-USA for five productions. These include
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284:"The Little Theatre That Could: Celebrating 35 Years of the Puppet Showplace Theatre"
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Davis created over a dozen full-length puppetry productions. He adapted classic
230:, Governor of Massachusetts. A personal note of congratulations was written by
190:“one of the most impressive one-person shows from an extraordinary puppeteer.”
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This article is about the American puppeteer. For the English footballer, see
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In 1977, Davis moved from New York to Brookline, Massachusetts. He became
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634:"About the Puppeteers of America - Awards - History of Awards, Timeline"
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In 1985, Kathryn Lasky followed Davis as he mounted a production of
782:"German Centre Resident Paul Davis Wins Lifetime Achievement Award"
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200:. She documented the behind-the-scenes development in her book
859:"Mary Churchill, at 66; founded Puppet Showplace in Brookline"
45:-USA awarded Davis five Citations of Excellence for his work.
226:, Mayor of the City of Richmond. A citation was written by
535:. Garden Bay, BC, Canada: Charlemagne Press. p. 167.
467:"A 'Prometheus' by Puppets: Fantasy to Life Mostly Hand"
806:National Capital Puppetry Guild (October 2021).
696:"A legendary puppeteer lends puppets for free"
234:, First Lady of the United States of America.
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60:Davis earned his B.A. in Fine Arts from the
41:in Brookline, Massachusetts. In the 1980s,
902:Entertainers from Brookline, Massachusetts
110:and created original shows. These include
471:The New York Times – via
759:Ballard Institute and Museum of Puppetry
863:The Boston Globe – via
428:The Boston Globe – via
385:The Boston Globe – via
379:Morgenroth, Lynda (December 15, 1988).
282:Mukwashi, Kathleen Conroy (Fall 2009).
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662:"Puppet Showplace celebrates 40 years"
780:Weisberg, Debbie (October 13, 2021).
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64:of the College of William and Mary.
533:Exploring the art of puppet theater
320:World Encyclopedia of Puppetry Arts
694:Guerra, Cristela (June 30, 2016).
507:"Celebrating 40 years of puppetry"
33:. For over 30 years, he served as
21:Paul Davis (footballer, born 1961)
14:
907:People from Alexandria, Virginia
505:Avery, Brad (February 4, 2015).
465:Schuman, Wendy (June 17, 1973).
422:Matchan, Linda (March 6, 1980).
347:Fleming, Hollie (Spring 2007).
62:Richmond Professional Institute
728:Cohn, Daniel (March 2, 2020).
581:Handelman, Elise (Fall 2006).
16:American puppeteer (born 1935)
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808:"Lifetime Achievement Award"
531:Davis, Paul Vincent (2018).
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381:"The puppetry impresario"
186:called his adaptation of
160:The Leprechaun of Donegal
136:Jo Jo and the Orange Ball
561:Puppet Showplace Theater
90:Puppet Showplace Theater
49:Early life and education
39:Puppet Showplace Theater
868:(subscription required)
612:. New York: Macmillan.
608:Lasky, Kathryn (1985).
476:(subscription required)
433:(subscription required)
390:(subscription required)
154:Awards and recognitions
314:Abrams, Steve (2012).
198:and His Wonderful Lamp
178:Fables of Ancient Rome
113:Androcles and the Lion
641:Puppeteers of America
597:– via ProQuest.
363:– via ProQuest.
298:– via ProQuest.
168:Three Festival Dances
587:The Puppetry Journal
353:The Puppetry Journal
316:"Paul Vincent Davis"
288:The Puppetry Journal
188:Beauty and the Beast
184:The Puppetry Journal
173:Beauty and the Beast
144:Here Come the Clowns
140:Chinese Dragon Dance
132:Bingo the Circus Dog
897:American puppeteers
871:. November 19, 1997
833:"Special Citations"
761:. February 21, 2020
35:Artist in Residence
511:The Patriot Ledger
118:The Singing Turtle
27:Paul Vincent Davis
542:978-0-921845-48-5
96:artistic director
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891:Categories
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399:2228489471
266:References
837:UNIMA-USA
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610:Puppeteer
485:119879606
202:Puppeteer
104:folktales
31:puppeteer
843:April 8,
704:ProQuest
670:ProQuest
591:ProQuest
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180:(1988).
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