The 2025 Chicago International Puppet Theater Festival

Featuring companies from 10 countries, including Plexus Polaire, Théâtre de l’Entrouvert and RoiZIZO Théâtre from France, the festival will showcase a vibrant array of puppetry styles and celebrate the creativity and artistry of puppeteers from around the world.

Take a sneak peek at the lineup below!

Plexus Polaire – Yngvild Aspeli: Dracula: Lucy’s Dream
January 15-19, 2025 – Studebaker Theater at the Fine Arts Building

Yngvild Aspeli’s adapts the myth of Dracula in Lucy’s Dream. As the titular character struggles with her inner demons, her journey invites us to reflect on themes of domination, dependence, and addiction. From the makers of Moby Dick and Chambre Noire, Plexus Polaire brings life-size puppets, hypnotic projections, and their signature storytelling style to this compelling tale.
Tickets
On January 26, Plexus Polaire will participate in the Volkenburg Puppetry Symposium on “The Image Aspect of the Puppet.”

Théâtre de L’Entrouvert & Chicago Puppet Fest – Elise Vigneron: Anywhere
Jan 16 – 19, 2025 – The Chopin Theatre mainstage

Created by the French company Théâtre de l’Entrouvert, Anywhere returns to the Chicago Puppet Fest with its signature ice puppet after its 2023 premiere. Loosely inspired by Henry Bauchau’s novel Oedipus on the Road, Anywhere evokes the travels of Oedipus with his daughter Antigone.

The performances in Chicago are part of a French-American collaboration between the Chicago International Puppet Theater Festival and Théâtre de l’Entrouvert, featuring a U.S.-based ensemble, led by Chicago puppeteers Mark Blashford and Ashwaty Chennatt. Anywhere will debut in New York at HERE Arts Center in February 2025, presented by the Chicago Puppet Festival. 
Tickets 

RoiZIZO théâtre: I Killed the Monster
Jan. 16 – 19 – Steppenwolf Theatre

In a small village within France’s Ardennes Forest, Daniel is a little agitated. After taking some blue pills made by an American pharmaceutical laboratory, he hopes to be fine, but is he?

Full of humor and farcical discoveries, this show by France’s RoiZIZO théâtre explores human identity, inner fears, and the “monsters” we face within.
Tickets

About the artists
Plexus Polaire is known for hauntingly beautiful productions that blend gothic themes with emotional depth. Through large-scale puppetry and multimedia, they bring classic tales to life with a darkly poetic touch. Dracula: Lucy’s Dream, their festival show, reimagines the Dracula story through Lucy’s perspective, creating a visually stunning experience of romance and horror.

France’s RoiZIZO théâtre combines humor with thought-provoking narratives in puppet theater that challenges conventions. Their performances explore human identity and inner fears with a unique comedic edge. I Killed the Monster brings an entertaining yet reflective journey, using puppetry to confront the “monsters” we all face within.

Théâtre de L’Entrovert and the Chicago Puppet Festival collaborate to create minimalist puppet theater with a philosophical edge. Through performances that explore human connection and solitude, they bring subtle narratives that resonate deeply. At this year’s festival, Anywhere invites audiences into a quiet, reflective space of universal themes.

Supported by France Chicago Center at the University of Chicago, Villa Albertine and Spectacle vivant en Bretagne