Center for Puppetry Arts announces new season

The Center for Puppetry Arts has announced plans to bring quite a menagerie of creatures to the stage during the 2016-17 season.

The little Midtown theater will welcome rabbits, reindeer, cows, an abominable snowman, and a certain Atlanta cat named Pete.

The new season begins May 24 with "The Swan," a special guest presentation by Théâtre de Deux Mains of Montre̒al, Que̒bec, and takes place in the newly renovated and expanded center, which now includes the Worlds of Puppetry Museum.

There are 13 shows in the family season and four shows in the New Directions Series intended for adults and teenagers. Striving to offer fare for every age group, the center will also offer “Old MacDonald’s Farm,” a show crafted for audiences age 2 and up.

Among the highlights will be “Pete the Cat,” a brand-new puppet production that has been adapted by artistic director Jon Ludwig from the popular children’s book series by Atlanta author James Dean. In the course of the play, the familiar blue cat surfs, skateboards, “rocks out” and goes with the flow.

Touring groups such as the Frogtown Mountain Puppeteers, returning to the center with a Halloween production of “The Headless Horseman of (Sleepy) Hollow,” will augment the season’s offerings. An 18-and-up show called “XPT Theater” (for Xperimental Puppetry Theater) will introduce some, dare we say it, risky theater for adult audiences.

(Adults, by the way, can find plenty to do at the museum between shows.)

The 2016-17 Family Series consists of:

• "The Swan," by Théâtre de Deux Mains of Montre̒al, Que̒bec, May 24-June 5.

• "The Little Pirate Mermaid," adapted by Jon Ludwig, June 9-July 17.

• "Sleeping Beauty," by the National Marionette Theatre of Erie, Pa., July 19-31.

• "Old MacDonald's Farm," adapted by Amy Sweeney, Aug. 4-Sept. 11.

• "Peter Rabbit," by Thistle Theatre of Seattle, Sept. 14-25.

• "La Cucarachita Martina," by Teatro SEA of New York, N.Y., Sept. 28-Oct. 9.

• "The Jungle Book: The Story of Mowgli's Fire," by Frisch Marionettes of Cincinnati, Oct. 12-23.

• "The Headless Horseman of (Sleepy) Hollow," by Frogtown Mountain Puppeteers of Bar Harbor, Maine, Oct. 25-Nov. 6.

• "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer," adapted by Jon Ludwig, Nov. 10-Dec. 31.

• "The True Story of the Three Little Pigs, by A. Wolf," by Mesner Puppet Theatre of Kansas City, Mo., Jan. 3-22, 2017.

• "The Adventures of Mighty Bug," adapted by Jon Ludwig, Jan. 26-March 12, 2017.

• "The Dragon King," by Tanglewood Marionettes of Ware, Mass., March 14-April 2, 2017.

• "Pete the Cat," based on the book series by James Dean, adapted by Jon Ludwig, April 6-May 21, 2017.

In addition to kids’ fare, the puppet theater stages shows that are scary, thoughtful, ribald, and simply intended for adults.

This series of grown-up shows is called the New Directions Series, for adults and teens. This season, it will include:

• The National Puppet Slam, for ages 18 and up, Sept. 1-3.

• "The Ghastly Dreadfuls: Raising Spirits," for ages 18 and up, by Jon Ludwig and Jason von Hinezmeyer, Oct. 13-30.

• "Oliver Twist" for ages 12 and up, by Simpich Marionettes of Colorado Springs, Colo., Feb. 28-March 5, 2017.

• "Xperimental Puppetry Theater (XPT)," by various artists, for patrons ages 18 and older, May 11-14, 2017.