Ballard Institute & Museum of Puppetry presents
Peter and the Wolf
by Mark Blashford
As part of its 2025 Fall Puppet Performance Series, the Ballard Institute is thrilled to welcome back UConn Puppet Arts alumnus Mark Blashford to perform Peter and the Wolf on Saturday, Oct. 25, 2025 at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. in the in the Ballard Institute Theater, located at 1 Royce Circle in Downtown Storrs.
Mark Blashford Marionettes presents an Appalachian adaptation of Peter and the Wolf, featuring hand-carved wooden puppets and a reclaimed barn-board set. While staying true to the original story and music created by Sergei Prokofiev in 1936, this classic tale familiarizes children with the instruments of the orchestra in a charming performance for the whole family.
Formerly based in Reykjavík, Iceland as an instructor in the online Academy of the Wooden Puppet, Mark Blashford now lives in rural Pennsylvania and teaches woodcarving in person. He performs around the world as Mark Blashford Marionettes and in Iceland as Flóki Brúðuleikhús. Blashford has trained across Europe as a professional puppeteer and received his MFA from the UConn Puppet Arts program in 2017.
Ticket Prices: Adults: $12; Members/Seniors: $10; Students: $8; Kids: $6 (12 years and under). Tickets can be purchased in advance at the Ballard Institute and Museum of Puppetry, by calling 860-486-8580, or online at bimp.ticketleap.com. A surcharge will be added to any purchases made online. Tickets may also be purchased at the Ballard Institute on the day of the performance starting at 10 a.m. There will be open seating and no reservations. Visitors can park in the Storrs Center Garage located at 33 Royce Circle. For more information about these performances or if you require accommodation to attend this event, please contact Ballard Institute staff at 860-486-8580 or bimp@uconn.edu.
Stick around after the show for the Halloween Downtown Boo Bash in Downtown Storrs from 3-5 p.m. Learn more at here.
Purchase tickets here.
Make a day of it!
Enjoy lunch in Downtown Storrs before or after the show, at one of 20+ eateries within a 7-minute walk of the Ballard Institute. Then, join in some SPOOK-tacular fun at the Downtown Boo Bash! It’s free and open to everyone! Learn more here
PARKING is available in the Downtown Storrs Parking Garage (33 Royce Circle), which is free for your first two hours and just $1/hour thereafter. The garage is about a 2-minute walk from the Ballard Institute.
PLEASE NOTE: A number of Downtown Storrs streets will be closed to accommodate the Downtown Boo Bash starting at 1:00 PM. The parking garage will be open and accessible. From Storrs Road/Route 195, turn onto Charles Smith Way, then left onto Wilbur Cross Way. Turn right onto Elsie Marsh Way, follow Elsie Marsh to Royce Circle. The garage entrance will be on your left. (see illustration below).
