"…buoyant, mesmerizing, joy-inducing. "
"This isn’t the birthday that Bill had hoped to have. But for the audience, his 44th is a gift.”
The New York Times
The streamers are hung, the punch has been spiked, and the cake is just begging to be eaten! Now all Bill has to do is wait for his guests to arrive. Desperate to fill his apartment with camaraderie and celebration, his imagination runs wild. Bill’s 44th explores loneliness and self-acceptance through different styles of puppetry, raucous balloons and a cheeky piece of crudité.
*Shows take place in the Perry Elementary/Middle School Auditorium Theatre.
The show has been awarded an UNIMA "Citation of Excellence" and has been nominated for two OFFIES (off-West End awards). It has played in NYC (Dixon Place - NYTimes Critic's Pick), Chicago (Chicago International Puppet Theater Festival), Oklahoma City (Oklahoma City Rep), Atlanta (The Center for Puppetry Arts), London at the Barbican (London International Mime Festival), and the Edinburgh Fringe Festival (2023). More at www.bills44th.com
*Support for the New York State Puppet Festival and Shake on the Lake is made possible by the National Endowment for the Arts, and the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature. Additional support by the Arts Council for Wyoming County, The Mary Conable & Norman Gayford Charitable Fund, the Conable Family Foundation, the Ralph C. Wilson Arts & Cultural Inititative, and the Puppet Slam Network.
