Ballard Institute & Museum of Puppetry presents
Tiger Tales
by Chinese Theatre Works
As part of its 2026 Spring Puppet Show Series, the Ballard Institute and Museum of Puppetry at the University of Connecticut is thrilled to welcome back New York City-based Chinese Theatre Works to perform Tiger Tales on Saturday, Feb. 28, 2026 at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. in the in the Ballard Institute Theater, located at 1 Royce Circle in Downtown Storrs.
Tiger Tales is an award-winning production that draws on China's two-thousand-year history of shadow puppetry. A wise old Rabbit recounts stories from her eventful life to her young granddaughter—including how she came to be the Prime Minister to Tiger, the ever-hungry jungle king. Four linked tales, using a live storyteller and images based on antique Chinese leather shadow figures, trace Tiger’s sudden rise and disastrous fall and impart humorous lessons on survival for the small and powerless in today’s modern jungle. The stories are based on various old Chinese idioms such as "little doesn’t mean weaker,” “A turtledove takes over the nest of a magpie,” “Creating disaster by raising a Tiger,” and “Escaping from the Tiger’s mouth.” Tiger Tales features an artful blend of Eastern, Western, ancient, and contemporary performance techniques. These performances are co-sponsored by the UConn Asian American Cultural Center.
Chinese Theatre Works is dedicated to preserving and promoting traditional Chinese performing arts and creating new works bridging Eastern and Western theatrical aesthetics and forms. It was founded in 2001 by Co-Artistic Directors Kuang-Yu Fong and UConn Puppet Arts alumnus Stephen Kaplin to present programming drawn from their combined repertoire of traditional Chinese opera, music, dance, and puppetry, and by creating and touring new original productions as well. Their programs spark interest in Chinese cultural traditions among the wider public and build understanding among educators and artists across the globe. chinesetheatreworks.org
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 here. 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 Downtown Storrs 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.
LET’S DO LUNCH!
Grab a bite to eat before or after the show in Downtown Storrs! With over twenty restaurants serving up cuisines from around the globe, there’s something to satisfy every taste and budget in Downtown Storrs. See what’s cooking here.
Pictured: Gansett Wraps
PARKING is available in the Downtown Storrs Parking Garage (33 Royce Circle), which is FREE for your FIRST 2 HOURS and just $1/hour after that. The garage is about a 2-minute walk from the Ballard Institute.