PIR Volume 3 No. 1. Winter 2026

Puppetry International Research is not only committed to publishing strong scholarship in puppetry and related arts, but also to helping develop the field of puppetry scholarship generally, not least of all by mentoring researchers and writers—some coming to this material for the first time—through our editorial process. The Focus Section in this issue of PIR, guest edited by Ana Díaz Barriga and Paulette Richards, “Puppet Dramaturgy, As Seen in the Chicago International Puppet Theater Festival,” takes this mentorship process to the next level. As Díaz Barriga and Richards share in their Introduction to the section, the articles included here developed out of reviews initially written for the 2025 Chicago International Puppet Theater Festival archive. The authors subsequently worked with Díaz Barriga, and each other, workshopping their writing over several months. Their pieces were also given peer-reviews by both scholars and artists. Throughout the process, they researched, wrote, and received valuable feedback within a supportive community, deepening and expanding their initial reviews into the robust scholarly articles presented here. The results amplify the importance of such mentorship and community writing models as well as the direct connections that exist and can continue to be fortified between puppetry practice/performance and critical analysis. The section’s four strong analytical essays—from Jesse Njus, Skye Strauss, Katherine McNamara, and Opalanietet—as well as an interview from JEM (Joelle Estelle Mendoza), in conversation with Amethyst First Rider and Peter Balkwill, cast new light on the amazing offerings of the Chicago festival while supporting the voices of these contributors.

Bradford Clark’s report on the Chuncheon World Puppet Festival gives further evidence of the inspiration puppetry festivals provide, with its window into a range of production models coming out of South Korea, along with accounts of the work of some international touring artists, all presented at the festival held in conjunction with the 24th UNIMA Congress in Chuncheon, South Korea, in May 2025. Our last issue included Karen Smith’s report on a traditional South Korean puppetry workshop also held in relation to the Congress. Together, these two reports give PIR readers insights into diverse activities that connect with UNIMA gatherings as UNIMA moves toward its 25th Congress and 100-year celebration, to be held in Prague, Czech Republic, in 2029.

We round out the issue with insightful book and performance reviews: David Grant’s review of Matt Smith’s book, Applied Puppetry: The Theory and Practice of Object Ecologies;Tim Cusack’s take on Sachiyo Takahashi’s production, Ghostly Tales Sung and Materialized: Shinnai Meets Puppetry, which marries a traditional form of Japanese musical storytelling with experimentations in shadow puppetry, and other forms; and, finally, Mari Boyd’s review of Kurotani Miyako and Matsuzawa Kayo’s Tritagoj, offering a detailed account of this multifaceted piece. Kurotani’s own reflections on her work were shared in our last issue through Kairu Yamanaka’s account of a puppetry-focused panel at the Conference of the Society for Arts and Anthropology held in Japan in April 2025.

I am, as always, deeply grateful to the PIR team for all the work they do for the journal, as well as to this issue’s review board. Each member generously shared their time and expertise, reviewing articles and providing feedback. Our journal thrives because of the continued dedication of people in the puppetry community who unstintingly support each other’s endeavors.  

Claudia Orenstein
Hunter College and the Graduate Center, CUNY