Kerfuffle

Tune in to CAN TV today at 4:30pm for an interview on the Community Unity show with Kerfuffle's Artistic & Managing Directors, Ashley Laverty and Molly Burris!

Watch it live here: https://cantv.org/watch/stream-can-tv21

It’s official! We’re a Broadway in Chicago Emerging Theatre Award Finalist! 🏆 🏆 🏆

This award, created in 2007, encourages, supports, and promotes young theatres in Chicago that have demonstrated great ability, promise, artistic excellence, and fiscal responsibility in business practices. We're incredibly honored to be one of three incredibly talented finalists.

The awardee will be selected by a majority vote of League of Chicago Theatre’s members to receive this award at their Annual Spotlight Gala. Wish us luck as we hope to bring home the gold!

As this nomination rounds out an incredible summer- why not share your favorite Kerfuffle memory below?

Photo by Josh Bernaski, .bern.photo .

Fall on the Farm is Only Two Weeks Away! 🐓

Ah, take a deep breath! Smell that fresh hay? Do you see the ducks swimming in the pond? Let's milk a cow!

This fall, Kerfuffle welcomes children ages 3-6 to join us on Saturday mornings at Lifeline theatre for a 6-week exploration of the sights, smells, and sounds of the farm!

Secure your spot today! For more details and registration information, click here - https://bit.ly/KerfuffleFall26 🌽

Photo by Josh Bernaski, jbernphoto

Announcing: Fall on the Farm with Kerfuffle!

Join Kerfuffle for another fabulous creative drama class designed specifically for very young children! This fall, children in Kerfuffle's classes will use their bodies, voices, and imaginations to explore the sights, sounds, and smells of the farm! 🐄🌻

Date: Saturdays Oct 3rd - Nov 7th
Location: Lifeline Theatre - 6912 N. Glenwood Ave
Time I: 9-9:50 am Creative Movement & Play (3-4 year olds)
Time II: 10-10:50 am Creative Drama (5-6 year olds)

Photo by Josh Bernaski, .bern.photo .

Spots are filling up quickly - sign up today at https://bit.ly/KerfuffleFall26 🌻

We're ONE WEEK out from our September PD (professional development) workshop- Playing with Partnerships! Join us for a special one evening workshop that invites participants to an interactive conversation about the art of collaboration!

Whether you're an educator, interested or working in theatre for the very young, looking to expand your practice or curious about our PD series- this workshop is perfect for you!

This workshop is hosted virtually, meaning you can join us from anywhere in the world!

Date: Tuesday, September 15th
Time: 7:15pm-8:30pm CT
Location: Online! 🛜

A link to all registered participants will be sent prior to the session.

Tickets and more information at the link here: https://bit.ly/KerfuffleSeptemberPD

Kerfuffle's Board of Directors plays a vital role in supporting our productions, professional development workshops, and strengthening our community to best serve the young people of Chicagoland and beyond!

We are looking for individuals who are excited about Theatre for the Very Young and have experience in the following areas: legal services, nonprofit fundraising, early childhood education, accounting, and community organizing.

If you're interested in joining the team, please email [email protected]. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis!

🍂 Announcing: Fall on the Farm with Kerfuffle! 🍂

Join Kerfuffle for another fabulous creative drama class designed specifically for very young children! This fall, children in Kerfuffle's classes will use their bodies, voices, and imaginations to explore the sights, sounds, and smells of the farm! 🐄🌻

🍂 Date: Saturdays Oct 3rd - Nov 7th
🍂 Location: Lifeline Theatre - 6912 N. Glenwood Ave
🍂 Time: 9-9:50 am Creative Movement & Play (3-4 year olds), 10-10:50 am Creative Drama (5-6 year olds)
🍂 Link: https://bit.ly/KerfuffleFall26

To learn more and sign up today - visit the link in our bio! 🌽

Attention Sturgeon Squad- that's a WRAP on the Dinosaur of Lake Michigan! 🪿 🐺 🐟 🦖

This August, we brought the Dinosaur of Lake Michigan to over FIVE HUNDRED kids, adults, families and Chicagoans across nine beautiful Chicagoland parks! With a focus on the importance of community care in light of the ever growing climate emergency, we were overjoyed to share this performance with all of you.

A production is a huge undertaking, and we spent this summer working hard, acting, making, creating, singing and most importantly- laughing! None of this would have been possible without our partnership with the incredible Rabbit Foot Puppetry ()! Thank you to Night Out in the Parks for their support in seeing our vision through and to the Puffin Foundation for awarding our team a grant in the category of environmental artistic activism for this play.

A huge thank you to our community collaborators at the Insect Asylum, South Side Nature Play, the Puppet Zoo, AiRos Sung-en Medill, the West Ridge Nature Park Advisory Council and Eco Flamingo for joining us at select performances.

If you took photos during the performances, we'd LOVE to see them! Feel free to tag us at@kerfuffle_tvy . Let's stay connected! Sign up for our mailing list here: https://bit.ly/KerfuffleSubscribe.

Photos by Josh Bernaski, .bern.photo!

Bravo to our actors and their incredible, infectious enthusiasm-

Koda: Myanne Zachary
Cousin, the Musician: AiRos Sung-En medill
Sturgeon: Sharaina (Shay) Turnage
Coyote: Emilie Wingate
Goose: Rachel Hartmann
Puppeteer Understudy: Chio Cabrera
Koda/Cousin Understudy: Caroline M. Watson

A round of applause to our production team- your hard work behind the scenes made the magic happen! This dream team consisted of:

Director: Alyssa Vera Ramos
Scenic/Props Designers: Josué Esau & Kal Haille
Puppet Designer: Emilie Wingate
Costume Designer: Jazmin Aurora Medina
Puppet Movement Director: Michele Stine
Puppet Fabricators: Anna Villanyi, Rachel Hartmann, Emilie Wingate
Production Manager: Miranda "MT" Taylor
Production Coordinator: Madeline M. Freeman
Assistant Stage Manager: Emma Smith
Poster Art: Emilie Wingate
Play Development Teaching Artists: Alyssa Vera Ramos, Ashley Laverty
House Managers: Molly Burris, Ashley Laverty

The Dinosaur of Lake Michigan was developed in partnership with preschool students at Saint Mary of the Woods School. The sturgeon drawings featured in the play were designed by 3-5 year olds at SMOW.

A world of difference was made through your work, and we are so incredibly thankful for it.

NOTE: This show is sold out!

Hey Leone Beach Park! Join us at 5:30pm TONIGHT for our performance of the Dinosaur of Lake Michigan, a co-production with our friends at Rabbit Foot Puppetry!

Leone Beach is located at 1222 W Touhy Ave, Chicago, IL 60626. Audiences will meet us at the basketball court.

This performance features our community partner, West Ride Nature Park! Be sure to say hello at their table before or after the performance and check out their fun collection of animal pelts.

And, continue your eco-friendly journey after the performance by picking up a few complimentary compostable trash bags donated by our friends at Eco Flamingo available after the performance!

We are so thrilled that The Dinosaur of Lake Michigan has been awarded a grant from The Puffin Foundation in the category of environmental artistic activism.

This category is for projects focusing on pressing environmental issues and the climate crisis in any artistic genre or discipline that Puffin funds. Projects that are solution-focused (not simply raising awareness) are prioritized. We’d like to thank The Puffin Foundation for their support of this project!

Photo by Josh Bernaski, .bern.photo .