Touring Shows

I Dream of Owls Touring Show

Dream of Owls

Loon's Song

Loon Song

Are You Thirsty?

Are You Thirsty?

Martina the Cockroach, and Perez the Mouse

Martina the Cockroach, and Perez the Mouse

Lupita Doesn't Want to Sleep

Lupita Doesn't Want to Sleep

Return of the Swallows

Return of the Swallows

Shota and the Star Quilt

Shota and the Star Quilt

The Way of the Monarch

The Way of the Monarch

Nalah and the Pink Tiger performer Anne Sawyer with colorful puppets in a blue house set.

Nalah and the Pink Tiger

On the Day You Were Born

On the Day You Were Born

Coyote Stories

Coyote Stories

Day of the Dead

Skeletons in the Closet

The Associate Artists at HOBT are a hugely important part of our community and carry out many of the projects for our theater.

They also have a variety of independent shows ideal for schools, libraries, community centers, youth groups, birthday parties, and more! 

We want to connect you with our talented and diverse group of artists! To inquire about booking a touring show, we now ask that you contact the artist(s) directly. Contact information for each artist is located below the description of their show. 

All shows require a performance space of approximately 10-15 ft deep by 12-15 ft wide. They are recommended for an indoor space with floor seating, such as a gym floor or media center.

Need financial support to bring a show to you? The Metropolitan Regional Arts Council's Community Arts Program provide grants to groups wishing to offer arts activities. To learn more click here. 

Touring Shows

Coyote Stories

Grades K-5          30 min

In Coyote Stories, Nimisee the clown will tell some favorite trickster tales of that lovable scamp, Coyote. Drawing from the stories of the Assiniboine of the Great Plains, the Aztecs of Mexico and the Okanagun and Salishan of the Great Basin, Coyote is a hero, a creator, and a self-centered show off with a kind heart. At a time when so many things cause us to weep, Coyote brings us together, nurtures our spirit, and reminds us to laugh.

Contact: Julie Boada at [email protected]

Dream of Owls 

Little Theo is drifting off to sleep when he is frightened by a hooting sound. His father shows him how to overcome his fear by naming it. As Theo drifts off to sleep, he learns more and more about owls, the source of the sound, from a strangely familiar dream dragon. Will it be enough to banish his nightmare away? Dream of Owls is a show focused on owls and how to overcome your fear by learning about it.

Contact: Seth Eberle at [email protected]

Loon's Song

As the constellations move into their spring location, Grandfather Turtle waits with anticipation for the return of his beloved granddaughter, Loon. He remembers the Ojibwe stories he told her and some of the lessons they carry that he used to guild her as she matured.  The piece is told with hand and rod puppets. It touches on Ojibwe culture and loon biology.  Music by Jim Parker.

Contact: Julie Boada and Gustavo Boada at [email protected]

Lupita Doesn't Want to Sleep

Grades Pre-K-4

This is a story about a feisty little girl who always finds a way to keep playing when it is time to go to sleep. The show highlights the joyful moments of parent-child relationships. Performed in English and Spanish.

Contact: Julie Boada and Gustavo Boada at [email protected]

Martina the Cockroach, and Perez the Mouse / La Cucarachita Martina y el Raton Perez

Grades K-4          45 min

This is a bilingual version of a Cuban and Puetro Rican folk tale. Martina is a beautiful, hardworking, dancing cockroach. She longs to be asked to the dance to find her true love. Through the help of her grandmother’s secret “coffee test” she finds her ideal mate, proving that good friendship is a good basis for love. The unlikely couple marry and live a simple life, overcoming obstacles and growing together. Performed in English and Spanish.

Contact: Julie Boada and Gustavo Boada at [email protected]

Nalah and the Pink Tiger

Grades Pre-K-5           35 min

Based on a picture book of the same title by artist, author and puppeteer, Anne Sawyer. She drew inspiration for this story from her lively little niece.  She lives so intensely in her imagination that grown-ups around her view her as a troublemaker. Things come to a head when, in addition to all the exotic animals that Nalah has “placed” in the house, a pink tiger “follows” her home from the zoo and creates havoc. The story also celebrates the joyful explosiveness of a child’s imagination. Original soundtrack by Matt Larson. Can be performed in Spanish.

Contact: Anne Sawyer at [email protected]

On the Day You Were Born

Grades Pre-K-3rd             45 min

Based on the award winning children’s book by Debra Frasier, the story explores the scientific phenomena that unfolded on the day “you” entered the world. This toy theater production combines puppetry, poetry and music that celebrate the natural miracle of the earth. The author’s radiant collage illustrations translate to a miniature stage as puppeteers open trick boxes releasing the wonders described in the book.

Contact: Julie Boada and Esther Ouray at [email protected]

 

Return of the Swallows

"The old pharaohs of Egypt used to see swallows fly close to the stars, and thought that they must be the souls of those who had passed on," Tim's Nana tells him. In this bittersweet story, young birdwatcher Tim discovers the beauty and power of the commonplace barn swallow: birth, nesting, feeding, and migration. Return of the Swallows features color shadows, hand puppets, and small felted rod puppets, with old time music such as "I'll Fly Away."

Contact: Anne Sawyer at [email protected]

Shota and the Star Quilt

Grades K-6          40 min

This story weaves together traditional folk values with modern concerns for the urban environment. Shota, a Lakota girl, and Esther, who is Jewish, are best friends. They live in the same apartment building and spend every day together. When a letter arrives to say that the apartment building will be redeveloped, they know that they face separation. While they are on vacation with Shota’s grandmother at Pine Ridge reservation, they decide to make a star quilt. Expressing a powerful celebration of their friendship and the homes and community they love, the quilt they create becomes central to their plan to resist the redevelopment.

Based on the book by Margaret Bateson-Hill.

Contact: Julie Boada and Esther Ouray at [email protected]

 

Skeletons in the Closet

Grades 1-9          45 min

This bilingual puppet show is a tender story of children who are remembering their grandparents who have passed away. As the children follow their curiosity, they discover the meaning of Day of the Dead and that the connection they have with their grandparents continues beyond death. The story is a celebration of love and the cycle of life. Performed in English and Spanish.

Contact: Julie Boada and Gustavo Boada at [email protected]

 

The Way of the Monarch

Grades K-6      *Can also be performed in Spanish.

The Way of the Monarch follows the spectacular metamorphosis and migration of the monarch butterfly. This beloved creature transforms from egg to larva to caterpillar to chrysalis to butterfly to international traveler.

Contact: Laurie Witzkowski at [email protected]