Kerfuffle

We've got a big announcement!

We're excited to introduce our incoming Managing Director Molly Burris (she/her) 🎉! Molly is an arts administrator, actor, and teaching artist originally from Austin, Texas. She has spent the last four years working with Metro Theater Company in St. Louis, MO - most recently serving as the Senior Manager of Artistic Engagement and Advancement. Molly is passionate about creating joyfully immersive and inclusive productions curated for young people and their caregivers. At MTC Molly developed and produced programs like Baby Rave and If Art Could Talk and served as the director for Groove in the Galleries.

Molly has also worked as a teaching artist in Texas, Missouri, and South Carolina. As an actor, Molly has worked with The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, St. Louis Shakespeare Festival, Charleston Stage Company, The New Jewish Theatre, Metro Theater Company, Piknik Theatre, and COCA. Molly holds a BFA in Musical Theatre from The Sargent Conservatory of Theatre Arts at Webster University.

We're excited to welcome Molly to the team as we dive headfirst into preparing our upcoming summer performances. We can't wait to share them with you!

This week, we're giving a bittersweet farewell to our Managing Director, Jeff Sachs! Since 2016, he's not only been Managing Director, but also the playwright of Bookworms and production designer for wonderwander (2017), The Caterpillar's Footprint (2016), and Goose & Gert (2021). Jeff's kindness and dedication to Kerfuffle over the years has truly been an absolute gift- we wouldn't be where we are without him!

Thank you and happy trails- we'll miss you Jeff!!!

Auditions are now live for our next performance, The Dinosaur of Lake Michigan! 🌊🦖🌊

Kerfuffle and Rabbitfoot Puppetry are seeking adventurous and enthusiastic performers for The Dinosaur of Lake Michigan, an interactive play for very young children and their caregivers that will perform at Night Out in the Parks this summer. This is a world premiere co-production conceived by Rachel Hartmann, Ashley Laverty, and Emilie Wingate, directed by Alyssa Vera Ramos.

Synopsis: The Dinosaur of Lake Michigan is an outdoor puppet play designed for very young children aged 3-6 with their caregivers. Taking place on and near the beaches of Chicago, it examines the climate emergency using hyper realistic animal puppets made out of recyclable items, live music, and physical storytelling. This interactive play is an exciting introduction to site specific theatre for very young children that highlights the importance of community care in light of the ever growing climate emergency.

More information about the audition process, important dates & pay rate can be found on our audition page here!: https://bit.ly/KerfuffleDoLM

Please direct any audition-related inquiries to Production Manager Miranda Taylor at [email protected].

THIS THURSDAY‼️ Join co-creator of the TYA Artistic Innovation Award winning production of Red, for our April PD!

Curious about the possibilities of looking to children as experts in your own creative practice? Join us for an interactive workshop focused on collaborating with very young children (ages 1-3) as artistic partners in the development and staging of new work.

This PD workshop might be best enjoyed by artists interested in developing their own work for the first time; artists who have been developing their own work and want to learn new tools or techniques; early childhood teaching artists; artists who self-produce or are interested in self producing; emerging theatre producers, directors, playwrights, devisers, and artists, and anyone interested in the greater field of theatre and dance for the very young.

Amanda Pintore is an Assistant Professor in Theatre for Youth and Community and Acting at Arizona State University and is an award-winning author for her book Theatre and Dance with Children as Artistic Partners: Devising Performance for the Very Young.

Date: Thursday, April 9, 2026
Time: 7:15pm CT-8:30pm CT / 8:15pm ET - 9:30pm ET
Location: Online! 🛜
Registration Cost: $15

Register at: bit.ly/KerfuffleAprilPD

We're looking forward to seeing you there! ✨

📢 Calling all professionals - join us for the NEXT installment in our PD (professional development) series!

Curious about the possibilities of looking to children as experts in your own creative practice? Join Amanda Pintore for an interactive workshop focused on collaborating with very young children (ages 1-3) as artistic partners in the development and staging of new work.

Amanda Pintore is an Assistant Professor in Theatre for Youth and Community and Acting at Arizona State University and is an award-winning author for her book Theatre and Dance with Children as Artistic Partners: Devising Performance for the Very Young.


Date: Thursday, April 9, 2026
Time: 7:15pm CT / 8:15pm ET
Location: Online! 🛜

Kerfuffle's professional development workshops are geared for early childhood educators, teaching artists, and theatre and dance for the very young practitioners. Registration is $15 and sessions are held virtually. See you there! ✨ ✨

Thank YOU to our audience for a wonderful turnout this weekend for behold! ☀️

With multiple sold out shows, we had a wonderful morning of laughter, song and joy! Thank you to all for joining us and making our residency finale one to remember! A special thank you to Writers Theatre for being fantastic collaborative partners throughout this entire creative process and for providing such an inspiring place to develop and share our opera.

This would not have been possible without the artistic vision of behold's librettist Veronica Raufer Chamberlain, composer Gillian Rae Perry, and Artistic Director Ashley Laverty. We're so thankful to the musical geniuses on vibraphone and clarinetist with the beautiful performances of Celeste & Fern brought to life by vocalists Logan Smart and Amanda Payne.

A thank you to our Production Manager Miranda Taylor, Marketing Manager Tikal Rivera and Stage Manager Vibyana Sacluti. And of course, thank you to all of you who make our work possible. Stay tuned for our upcoming engagements on our website — we're excited to show you what we have coming up next!

Photos by Josh Bernaski, jbernphoto!

This weekend- Saturday & Sunday!!! Don't miss your chance for the experience of an opera for the very young! 🎭

THREE DAYS TILL BEHOLD!!! 🌙🌌⭐️

From sun up to sun down- what can we see, hear and touch? Find out this weekend at the Writers Theatre for our interactive, premiere performances of behold: an opera for the very young! Featuring our very fun yurt dome! 🌟

Tickets and more information at: bit.ly/kerfufflebehold

We've been nominated and are a semi-finalist for a Macaroni KID Choice Awards in the Favorite Local Kids' Theater category!!! 🏆 🏆 🏆

Help us get to the final round‼️Vote here: https://bit.ly/4cCtEYb

Vote for all your kids' favorites for a chance to win $100! Ballot link is in comments.