The Leafies You Gave Me are one part rock band, another part surreal theater troupe with a penchant for creating an avant-garde musical playground. The 10 piece theatrical rock ensemble has been performing together for more than a decade - bringing their Zappa-esque live shows to audiences throughout the Northeast. You never quite know what to expect at a Leafies show - one minute there's a psychedelic rock opera epic about a giant Kaiju monster battle, the next a heartfelt ballad sandwiched between free jazz solos and Dada stream-of-consciousness comedy. Leafies creates a seamless narrative where songs and musical collages are set to nonstop, dream logic narratives complete with DIY props and costumes. With a lineup of unique and surrealist characters, a tightly knit experimental rock sound, and a penchant for finding the strangeness and wonder in mundane slices of life, whether you're amused or confused, The Leafies You Gave Me are bound to be on your mind long after the show ends.
“Storm Welch is a visual performing artist from the Monadnock Region working primarily in Crankies and printmaking. “The Handless Maiden part one” is the first act of a three-part story illustrating a German folk tale sometimes used in understanding rights of passage. Storm has rewritten the Handless Maiden into ballad form inspired by the Scottish and Appalachian child ballad number 13 “Edward.” The Crankie imagery follows the journey of flora and fauna from the Chesapeake Bay watershed and the Contoocook River.”
“Prepare to be transported into a world of wonder and enchantment with Madison J. Cripps, a puppeteer whose talent has captivated audiences for almost two decades. Madison's dedication to the art form has earned him notable accolades, including an UNIMA citation of excellence in puppetry. Through meticulously crafted marionettes and mesmerizing storytelling, he creates a unique connection that transcends time and space, leaving spectators spellbound and their imaginations ignited. Madison's performances are a feast for the senses, inviting audiences to rediscover the joy and magic that resides within, and leaving them with a renewed sense of wonder and childlike delight.”
Mackenzie Doss [she/her] is a Southwest born writer, director, educator, fabricator and puppeteer. She received her MFA from the University of Connecticut Puppet Arts Program in 2022 and is the current Managing Director for Sandglass Theater in Putney, VT. Her previous work includes creating and directing A Eurekan Spectacle (Eureka Springs Arts Council), writing The Combustibles (Five & Dime Drama Collective), Directing Accountability (Five & Dime Drama Collective), Assistant Directing Nehprii Amenii’s Food For the Gods (Connecticut Repertory Theatre), and performing as part of the Sandglass Theater ensemble for Oma and the Doppelskope/Sandglass Theater co-production of The Amazing Story Machine.
Sarah Frechette is an UNIMA-USA Citation of Excellence Award winner who deftly rouses uncanny characters and shadowy shapes to pull audiences into her blended worlds of fantasy and reality.
She has toured the globe performing string puppets in the style of marionette master Albrecht Roser, with whom she studied from 2002-2009, and throwing shadows as Lady Night Shade.
Sarah recently developed and performed a new style of suspended shadow animation for breakout musician Paz Lenchantin’s music video “Hang Tough” in Spring of 2025.
Free Pile Productions is a multimedia art collective in the Connecticut River Valley, Massachusetts. We work together to create DIY performance art that smashes together each of our skills in writing, acting, instrumentalism, painting, drawing, puppetry, production, clowning, stagecraft, and assemblage. We're playing off each other to create joyful and accessible performances for everyone; art out of nothing.
Doors are at 7pm and music will start at 730. This show is all ages and seating is limited and also first come first served.
Thanks to a grant from TD Charitable Foundation, this show has an Access For All option which lets you name your price (you can't buy multiples of this option at the same time, so to buy more than one ticket, it is necessary to do each additional ticket in a different transaction).