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Boston Globe
29-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Boston Globe
Free things to do: ‘Love Island' watch party, puppet performance, and more
Free events Pat Loomis will perform alongside his band at the South End Library Park for an afternoon of community mingling and summer fun. South End Branch of the Boston Public Library JAZZ & JUBILATION Although the BPL's South End branch is temporarily closed, it doesn't mean the library is totally out of reach for community members. Next week, one of the South End branch's summer concerts will take place at the South End Library Park, where Pat Loomis, a Boston-based saxophonist and singer, will perform a jazz set. Attendees are encouraged to bring a picnic blanket and snacks for this night of low notes and high spirits. July 1, 6:30 p.m. 685 Tremont St. A RUFF DAY The midweek slump is felt by all — even our furry friends. Every Wednesday at Liberty Hotel's outdoor patio, local dog owners are invited to gather for Yappier Hour, a chance to unwind with your pup while meeting other canines and their human companions. For-purchase add-ons including dog treats and drinks (for people) are available, but not required to participate. Wednesdays, 5:30-7 p.m. Liberty Hotel, 215 Charles St. Advertisement MAIN CHARACTER ENERGY If you're keeping up with 'Love Island,' you may want to couple up with this free event at Tiki Rock. The tropical, Polynesian-themed bar will be hosting a group screening of next Thursday's episode, set to hit streaming sites at 9 p.m. Attendees are encouraged to dress the part and channel their inner-bombshell entering the villa. July 3, 9 p.m. 21+. 2 Broad St. Advertisement COME TO THE CABARET Back Bay's Club Café hosts monthly free cabaret nights, and this Friday, singer KT Sullivan will hit Joséphine's stage with a performance of 'Far Away Places.' Sullivan will perform songs inspired by destinations, including 'April in Paris,' 'I Happen to Like New York,' and more. Following the performance, audience members are welcome to stay for a screening of the latest 'RuPaul's Drag Race: All Stars' episode at the bar. July 4, 6 p.m. 209 Columbus Ave. The Puppet Showplace Theater will be performing outdoor puppet plays at the UnCommon Stage. Rahul Koonathara PULL THE STRINGS Emerson College's UnCommon Stage will be host to 'Party Animals,' a show performed by Brookline's Puppet Showplace Theater. The puppet-led production follows five animal friends, all with different personalities and anxieties, as they navigate throwing their first party. Families with children ages 4 to 9 are encouraged to attend, but all ages are welcome to enjoy the show. July 5, noon. Emerson UnCommon Stage, Boylston and Tremont streets. MEDITATE ON IT If you've been in need of some peace and clarity, you may have already tried meditation. However, with wandering minds, endless newsfeeds, and short attention spans, the act can feel impossible. Gain perspective on the practice with Shambhala Meditation Center's free meditation workshops, where teachers will lead a guided meditation and discussion about how to maintain the practice as part of everyday life. July 6, 12:30-1:30 p.m. 646 Brookline Ave., Brookline. Advertisement Send info on free events and special offers at least 10 days in advance to . Marianna Orozco can be reached at
Boston Globe
23-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Boston Globe
A professional puppeteer builds a world with its own set of rules
In 'Party Animals,' five friends try to throw a birthday party. It features original music by Boston composer Puppeteer Sarah Nolen will perform her show "Party Animals" on Boston Common July 5. Pat Greenhouse/Globe Staff 'I told him, 'I want to make a show that has hand puppets and rock 'n' roll. I want it to feel in the vein of ' Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up One character wields a yo-yo, another wraps a gift. Both posed engineering problems for the puppet designer: How do you manipulate a poet and his yo-yo? She only has two hands. 'I'm cueing all my music with my foot,' she said. 'It's very much like a one-man band.' Advertisement Sarah Nolen demonstrates how she holds her puppets "The Cheerleaders" when performing. Pat Greenhouse/Globe Staff Where to find her : Age : 38 Originally from : 'I grew up in the hippie cowboy town of Austin, Texas.' Lives in : Waltham Making a living : Puppets are Nolen's full-time job. In addition to her work at Puppet Showplace Theater, she designs and builds puppets for other productions and films, performs her own shows locally, and teaches. Advertisement In Sarah Nolen's Waltham studio, "everything's on wheels." Pat Greenhouse/Globe Staff Studio : The puppeteer lives in the loft of her Waltham Mills studio. 'I'll come down in the morning and be like, I need to make some breakfast,' she said, 'and then it'll be 11:30 a.m. and I'm in my robe hot gluing something.' Downstairs, 'Everything's on wheels,' she said. 'It's a rehearsal space. Sometimes it's molding and casting. Sometimes it's painting, sometimes it's sewing, sometimes it's woodworking.' Using L200 foam and pool noodles for the mane, puppeteer Sarah Nolen made 'Aslan' for a 2021 Boston College production of 'The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe.' The large puppet calls for three puppeteers. Pat Greenhouse/Globe Staff How she started : In fourth grade, Nolen created a show about Rapunzel in her living room. 'Toilet paper was the hair,' she said. After college, she worked as a production assistant on reality shows ' What she makes : 'What don't I make?' Nolen said. 'With puppetry, you're building a world that is not human-centric. That world has its own rules, it has its own aesthetic, and it has its own needs. Whatever world that is, it's going to come with different starting points.' A wooden marionette is posed on Sarah Nolen's work table in her Waltham studio. Pat Greenhouse/Globe Staff How she works : 'You're learning on the job every time,' she said. 'There's always a surprise.' To make giant puppets for an Advice for artists : 'You never know when inspiration will come from,' Nolen said. 'Don't limit your palette of curiosity.' Advertisement Puppeteer Sarah Nolen poses with "Sammy." She made "Sammy" with assistance from puppet builder John Cody, for the 2021 movie 'Don't Look Up.' Pat Greenhouse/Globe Staff
