Puppetworks, the pocket-size marionette theater on Sixth Avenue in Park Slope that has been spinning wooden fairy tales for generations, is preparing to leave its longtime home after the building was sold. The nonprofit company expects to vacate the space by Oct. 1, 2026, and says it will keep performing while it hunts for a new Brooklyn venue, though staff and regulars worry rising neighborhood costs could push it out. For now, families can still file in for weekend matinees through the spring and summer season.
As reported by Gothamist, the current building owner has already sold the property and connected the Puppetworks team with a realtor who is scouting new spaces at no charge. Early conversations are underway about a possible new home at Industry City, although nothing has been finalized.
On its own site, Puppetworks says it is "searching for a new Home" after forty years in Park Slope and notes that the building is being sold to a developer. The posted schedule keeps things firmly in show-must-go-on mode, with "The Tortoise & the Hare" slated for this Saturday and Sunday and a run of "Pinocchio" stretching into the summer. The company asks would-be audience members to reserve seats by email or phone, and the site traces Puppetworks' history under founder Nicolas Coppola along with its steady focus on classic marionette repertoire.
Manager: Park Slope May Not Be Affordable
Terry Smith, Puppetworks' general manager, told Gothamist that the group "doubts it will remain in Park Slope" because the neighborhood has simply become too expensive for a small nonprofit theater. Smith said the building's owner is helping the company as staff weigh relocation options and test whether the numbers can work anywhere nearby.
Pressure On Small Arts Spaces
Across New York City, small arts organizations are increasingly squeezed by rising operating costs - from rent to insurance - that have narrowed the list of neighborhoods where intimate venues can survive. Research from the Center for an Urban Future highlights the broader strain on the city's cultural sector and the way cost pressures have hollowed out neighborhood institutions. Losing Puppetworks' dedicated marionette house would erase one of the city's few year round marionette theaters and cut off a regular family destination in Park Slope.
For now, though, the marionettes keep dancing. This weekend's "The Tortoise & the Hare" performances are set for 12:30 and 2:30 p.m., and the theater lists reservations and ticket details on Puppetworks. Regulars say they plan to keep showing up to support the company as it searches for a permanent Brooklyn address. Puppetworks has also asked anyone with leads on suitable performance space to reach out through the contact information posted online.
