program > main stage
Ronnie Burkett
Wonderful Joe
Presented by Lincoln Center
photos: Ian Jackson
“A true masterclass from an artist at the top of his craft.” – The Edmonton Journal
Joe and his dog Mister lose their home, and facing separation, head into the world for one last grand adventure together. The world seems broken, but Joe sees magic in the mundane, beauty amidst brutality, and life in the lost and lonely. He and Mister encounter Mother Nature, Santa Claus, Jesus and the Tooth Fairy, witness a troupe of homeless players in a cardboard theater, and show a disenfranchised teen how to jump over the moon in a playground rocket ship. A seemingly simple tale of a simple man, Wonderful Joe is a love letter to imagination, hope, and the art of filling broken hearts with gold. Ronnie Burkett brings Wonderful Joe to life with his signature style of beautiful puppetry and solo performance, with a glorious score and soundscape by John Alcorn.
Note: This production is intended for older audiences, attendees aged 15 and younger will not be admitted.
SCHEDULE
Tuesday, January 7 @ 7:30 pm
Wednesday, January 8 @ 7:30 pm
Thursday, January 9 @ 7:30 pm
Friday, January 10 @ 7:30 pm
Saturday, January 11 @ 7:30 pm
Sunday, January 12 @ 3:00 pm
Run time: 90 minutes
VENUE
Lincoln Center, The Clark Studio Theater
165 West 65th Street
New York, New York 10023
The Clark Studio Theater is located on the 7th floor of the Rose Building on West 65th Street, between Broadway and Amsterdam Avenue. To reach the Rose Building, take the stairs, elevator, or escalator from street level to plaza level, on the north side of the street.
Access:
Accessible to wheelchair users; Accessible restrooms and accessible routes; FM assistive listening devices with headsets and neck loops; Noise-reducing headphones, fidgets and sensory items. If you require any additional accommodations, please contact access@lincolncenter.org or 212-875-5375.
CREDITS
Marionette, Costume and Set Design: Ronnie Burkett
Lighting Design: Kevin Humphrey
Music: John Alcorn
Stage Manager and Technical Director: Crystal Salverda
Production Manager and Artistic Associate: Terri Gillis
Associate Producer: John Lambert
ABOUT THE ARTISTS
Ronnie Burkett is an acclaimed puppeteer, playwright, performer and designer. He has entertained audiences with his theatrical productions featuring puppets of his own design and creation for more than 40 years. He began his career with a one-man street theater show that toured schools and community centers to great fanfare. He later formed his own theater company and turned his creative attention to adult themes and characters that would come to embody artistically-conceived archetypes of the human condition, beloved by his devoted followers worldwide. He is not only a prolific writer, but also an avant-garde designer and performer, creating original and innovative new work at a breathtaking pace. Awarded Canada’s 2024 Governor General’s Performing Arts Award for Lifetime Achievement, Ronnie also received the 2009 Siminovitch Prize in Theatre, The Herbert Whittaker Drama Bench Award for Outstanding Contribution to Canadian Theatre, a Village Voice OBIE award and the GLAAD Award for Outstanding Theater, Broadway/Off-Broadway.
CREATION + FUNDING
Wonderful Joe was created with the support of The Explore and Create Programme of the Canada Council for the Arts and is presented with the support of the Canada Council for the Arts.
Wonderful Joe was Co-commissioned by Stanford Lively (Stanford CA, USA), UCLA’s Center for the Art of Performance or CAP UCLA (Los Angeles CA, USA) and TO Live (Toronto ON, Canada); with developmental support from Theatre Network (Edmonton AB, Canada) in association with Ronnie Burkett Theatre of Marionettes.
Major support for Lincoln Center Presents is provided by the Shubert Foundation. Additional support is provided by Park Lane New York and Fairfield by Marriott Central Park. NewYork-Presbyterian is the Official Hospital of Lincoln Center. United is the Preferred Airline of Lincoln Center Presents. Steinway & Sons is the Preferred Piano Partner of Lincoln Center.
