Madcap puppets get a new home

What makes a business district more friendly than puppets? In Westwood, neighborhood redevelopment gets a boost from some of the city’s most colorful characters, the troupe from Madcap Productions, which moves into a bigger, better space this year.

For more than 30 years, Madcap’s traditional and contemporary puppeteering have engaged audiences of all ages. Thanks to a new grant, Madcap can move from its Glenway location to a bigger space that will include a theater.

In a partnership with the Westwood Community Urban Redevelopment Corporation, Madcap was invited to the new space in an effort to help restore the historic business district in Westwood.  The grant came after a two-year search by Madcap leaders who found the Neighborhood District Development Fund and received the capital grant from the City of Cincinnati.

“We are working with several private and public community organizations,” says John Lewandowski, artistic director at Madcap. “We are excited to reanimate the district and become an anchor for the community.”

Performing hundreds of shows each year for tens of thousands of people each season, Madcap has garnered national and international attention. The troupe travels around the country, performing at schools, with symphonies and even with local artists such as Know Theater.  

“We’ll be able to open our new shoes in our own theater,” Lewandowski says. “We’ll be able to invite local and regional audiences.”

The new building, on Harrison Avenue in Westwood, will give Madcap a 200-seat performance space, a space to display their 600-plus-puppet collection and opportunities to expand workshops and educational offerings. Lewandowski hopes to have the doors open this spring, but he has no set date for performances.

Working with teachers to immerse children in the arts is the backbone of Madcap’s educational programs. With the added square-footage, Madcap will be able to host larger workshops that focus on children in grades K-6, where they learn about storytelling, literature and even get to make their own puppets. While children remain a large focus of the non-profit, Lewandowski makes sure the performances appeal to adults as well as children.

“We reach an enormous span of ages,” Lewandowski says. “Puppets can reach four-year olds, all the way up to adults.”

By Evan Wallis