Avanti, Da Vinci! - Center for Puppetry Arts

Season Highlights
Center’s Museum Makes MSN.com Top Ten List
In September 2005, the Center announced that MSN.com had recognized its permanent museum, PUPPETS: The
Power of Wonder, as one of the top ten children’s museums in the country. PUPPETS: The Power of Wonder also
made the list in 2002.
As part of MSN.com, Citysearch.com and its team of freelancers selected the best children’s museums in the
top 25 U.S. markets. This list was then voted on by a group of Citysearch.com editors and narrowed down to
10 museums.
The Center was thrilled to be recognized again by MSN.com. The museum was designed to be an interactive
museum that would engage children of all ages. Clearly, the editors of Citysearch.com were engaged as well.
PUPPETS: The Power of Wonder opened to the public on September 5, 1995 and was designed by Roy Frangiamore
of Atlanta’s Frangiamore Architects, Inc. Featuring more than 350 ancient and contemporary puppets from
around the globe, PUPPETS: The Power of Wonder is recognized as the premiere puppetry museum in the country.
The diversity is vast, from Indonesian shadow puppets to hand-held pre-Columbian clay figures. Modern day
highlights include a Skeksis from Jim Henson’s The Dark Crystal, Muppets Link Hogthrob and Dr. Strangepork,
Wayland Flower’s Madame and Michael Curry’s animatronic Trashcan Phoenix. Throughout the space there are
doors to open, levers to pull, buttons to push and puppets to manipulate.
Seed Grant Awarded to Bobby Box comes to Fruition with the debut of
Anne Frank Within & Without
Associate Producer Bobby Box was awarded two grants by the Jim Henson Foundation to support the
development and then production of Anne Frank: Within & Without, created in cooperation with the Georgia
Commission on the Holocaust and the Anne Frank in the World:1929-1945 exhibit, under the auspices of the Anne
Frank Center USA.
In January 2006, Anne Frank: Within & Without had its world premiere at the Center. Box created a celebratory
piece that was not just about death, war or “that poor little girl,” but rather acted as a meditation on hope and
all that is good in humankind.
The show garnered local and international praise and was featured on CNN and ABC News. The New York Times
commented that Box’s use of puppets brought “new depth and perspective to the war-time memoir.”
Anne Frank: Within & Without played to sold-out crowds during its 10 day run.
Photos and text courtesy of the Anne Frank Center, USA-New York; the Anne Frank House - Amsterdam; and
the Anne Frank - Fonds, Basel.
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