Pleasure, Play & Puppets
Pussypaws Puppetry is an inclusive puppet troupe of visual artists, musicians, and performers with and without disabilities. We are enchanted by all things silly, spirited, and sensual.
We are inspired by puppetry’s legacy as a medium of the people: inherently playful, provocative and predominantly existing outside art world norms and trends.
Pussypaws offers a freewheeling, experimental, accessible creative space where artists of all persuasions, backgrounds, and abilities can make puppet shows and have fun.
Pussypaws was founded in 2023 by sisters Priscilla Frank and Alana Hauser. We are named after the Pussypaws flower, whose magical properties open us to the healing powers of physical touch.
Our Process
Storytellers
All of our storytellers are artists who identify as having a disability. They share a story about love, sex, or fantasy, and work with Pussypaws to adapt their firsthand experience into a song or monologue. Storytellers guide artists and performers in their vision, selecting their puppet alter egos, song genre, and other major decisions about their story’s realization.
Puppet Makers
Pussypaws puppet makers are a team of multimedia artists with and without disabilities who collaborate to make puppets from materials ranging from foam to paper mache to found trash and treasure. Artists share skills, work together, and take risks in exploring the freewheeling and ambitious medium of puppetry.
Performers
Pussypaws performers bring the storytellers’ tales and puppet makers’ creations to life through puppetry, movement, and dance on the big stage! Comprised of professionals and beginners, with and without disabilities, our performers are united by their vulnerability, devotion, and star power.
