“The kids got to know that Shakespeare can be very funny.”
– Veronika Kirschnerova, 5th grade teacher
What We Do:
A ShakesBEARS experience begins with an interactive puppet show inspired by a Shakespeare play or a classic fairy tale. Each puppet show is designed to appeal to children and adults of all ages, but they work especially well for children ages 3-9.
The performances are short, sweet, and silly. Little ones enjoy the slapstick puppet antics, music, and even interactions with the puppets! Older kids and adults are drawn to the zany retelling of a Shakespearean story sprinkled with Shakespeare’s original text.
After the show, children will make their own puppet creation to take home!
The Creation of ShakesBEARS:
The ShakesBEARS were created by teacher and puppeteer Christina Rodriguez.
As a Shakespeare nerd, Christina sought to create children’s programing that would change the concept that Shakespeare is confusing and inaccessible. She meticulously edits and interprets Shakespeare’s best loved comedies to appeal to children and parents of all ages. Her puppet theater and marionettes are hand crafted by Christina with the help of Puppets in Prague. Creating ShakesBEARS has truly been an ongoing labor of love.
It is Christina’s goal to introduce local children to Shakespeare’s stories in a funny, engaging, and interactive way that opens the door to a lifelong love of learning.
The Creator of ShakesBEARS:
Christina Rodriguez has been continually developing and teaching puppet programing to students of all ages and abilities since 2015. From puppet play programs for toddlers to professional performance techniques for special needs adults, Christina is adept at meeting all students where they are and bringing out their best creative work.
Her professional puppetry credits include a national tour with “John Tartaglia’s ImaginOcean” and an international tour with Pedro Reyes’s “Manufacturing Mischief.” Additionally, her original puppet works have been featured at La MaMa, The Tank NYC, Standard Toykraft, Puppet Playlist, and classrooms around NYC and the Czech Republic. She continues to create new work for children with ShakesBEARS and for adults with puppet troupe, Ladies of Mischief.
Christina currently teaches puppetry full-time in Brooklyn, NY.
ShakesBEARS 