Autumn 1990 Luda Mikheyenko Irina Baranovskaya and Igor Gozman met.
1991-1992 First production: “How about That?”
1993 Group met Alva Dworkin – first manager of the future PuppetART
1994 Premiere of “Purim Shpiel” performed in Workmen Circle, Oak Park and later at JCC and synagogues
1995 “Cinderella” was brought from St. Petersburg, Russia by Natasha Khusid
Sept.1995 PuppetART was officially registered as a Nonprofit Corporation – American Russian Theater Company
July 1996 New production, “The Firebird” was presented on Great Lakes Regional Puppetry Festival in Columbus, Ohio
November 1996 Weeklong tour to Phoenix, Arizona with “The Firebird”
June 1997 Premiere of “Close the Window” at JCC in collaboration with award-winning storyteller Corinne Stavish
July 1997 Weeklong tour to Birmingham, Alabama with “Cinderella”
March 21, 1998 PuppetART signed contract to lease the space at 25 E. Grand River, downtown Detroit
May 1998 Start of renovation of new place to make it new home for PuppetART – Theater, Studio, Museum.
Sept.1998 Opening of First Season
April 1999 First Puppetry Month in PuppetART
June 1999 Received the Letter of Recognition from Mayor of Detroit, Dennis W. Archer
July 1999 PuppetART changed the name American Russian Theater to Detroit Puppet Theater
October 1999 Premiere of “Kolobok”
December 1999 First Holiday Month in PuppetART ,celebration of Chanukah, Christmas and Kwanzaa
April 2000 Premiere of “Crane Maiden”
March 2001 3 weeks tour to FAME Festival, Indiana with “Cinderella”
April 2001 Premiere of “Oh, Ananse!” in collaboration with storyteller Jahra McKinney.
November 2001 Premiere of“Journey to Asamando” – production for adult audience based on African tale in collaboration with storyteller Jahra McKinney and composer Robby Gall.
2002 PuppetART introduced a pilot program for teachers to integrate Puppetry into educational curricula
PuppetART published “A History of Puppetry in Detroit”, a historical research of the important events and people who influenced the development of Puppetry in Detroit from the beginning of the 18th century to current times
Collaboration work – “Reluctant Dragon” with The Rackham Symphony Choir
April 2003 Premiere of “Turtle Island”
Dec. 2005 Premiere of “Banana for Turtle”
Sept. 2007 Premiere of “Sleeping Beauty”
By 2009 PuppetART performed 1,500 showsfor more than 100,000 children and 50,000 adults
for: Schools groups,child care centers, Girl Scouts of Metro Detroit,summer camps, church’s’ groups
at Festivals: Detroit Festival of Art, African Festival, Kalamazoo Russian Festival
DIA and other Detroit museums, libraries, centers, schools,
Donated 705 tickets for the theater performances to schools, churches, clubs, centers and other children’s organizations and projects
Performed free of charge shows for Pontiac Art Center, Shir Shalom, Compuware, Bortznursing home, group of Native American families, COTS
By 2009 Ten Puppetry Month Festivals hosting Guest Artists: from Detroit:
Nancy Henk,
Brad Lowe,
Robert Papineau,
Bob Smith,
Jim Jerecki,
Jahra McKinney,
Greg Johnson,
Eugene Clark,
Marilyn O’Connor,
James Napolitano, Connecticut
Sigit Soegito, Indonesia
PuppetART residencies In Detroit:
Higgins Elementary, and
Ten Detroit Schools in collaboration with InsideOut Literary project

Shiawassee Arts Center, Owosso, MI

Morse and Wattles Elementary Schools, Troy, MI
Shows performed by the end 0f 2009:  
“PurimShpiel”– 102
“Cinderella” 262
“Firebird” 152
“Little Purim” 55
“Close the Window.” 87
“Kolobok” 302
“Crane Maiden”– 116
“Oh, ,Ananse!” 187
“Turtle Island” 103
“Banana for Turtle.”– 59
1998 Budget – $39,000
2010 Budget – $209,500
New Production in progress – “Snow Queen” by Hans Christian Andersen