Sunshine Kids Orphanage Puppetry Workshop, Kandy, Sri Lanka

Renee and Carlo are superb teaching artists, who combine superb skills, talent, empathy and real knowledge of students’ needs. After 44 years of being an educator at arts-centered public schools, it is clear to me that Concrete Temple Theater stands out from the rest of collaborative organizations.

-Jeffrey Levitsky, Arts Education Consultant, Berkshire Taconic Foundation

We have received nothing but excellent feedback from students who participated in your classes, and the overwhelming attendance at the show was proof of the excitement it generated. I had multiple audience members contact me afterwards to thank you and us for bringing such a creative group to Colombo.

-Kathleen Fox, Press and Cultural Affairs Officer, US Embassy, Colombo, Sri Lanka

Teaching History

• • July 2023

    Puppeteer of America National Puppetry Festival, College Park, MD: Woodcarving and Hand Tools

  • June 2023

    Sirovich Senior Center, NYC: “Oh, Rescue Me,”: Toy Theatre Intensive with senior citizens and young artists

  • May 2023

    Eugene O’Neill Puppetry Conference, Waterford, CT: Toy Theatre Workshop

  • November 2022

    Seoul Institute of the Arts, Seoul, Korea: Puppetry Design Master Class

  • November 2022

    Guemnarae Art Hall, Seoul, Korea: Fire Workshop + Q&A

  • September 2022-February 2023

    Sirovich Senior Center, NYC: Acting for Playwriting

  • July 2022

    Hudson Area Library, Hudson, NY:
    Whaleboats: A Puppetry Lab with Concrete Temple Theatre

  • June 2022

    Sirovich Senior Center, NYC: “Do You Know What I Am Thinking,” NYC: Monologue Workshop

  • June 2022

    Eugene O’Neill Theater Center, National Puppetry Festival, Waterford, CT: Woodcarving Workshop

• February 2022

  Yellowbomb, Seoul, Korea, via Zoom: Puppetry Manipulation Workshop

• January 2022

  Edmonds Center For the Arts, Edmonds, WA: “Make Your Own Packrat Puppet,” and “Meet the Puppets”

• OCT 2021-MAR 2022

  Sirovich Senior Center, NYC: “What We Leave Behind,” NYC: Playwriting and Visual Theatre Workshop

• July 2021

  Amphibian Stage, Fort Worth, TX: Adult Workshops – “Introduction to Puppetry and Manipulation,” “Puppetry, Dramaturgy, and Puppet Plays – MAKE YOUR OWN!,” “Puppet Building and Manipulation Techniques,” and “Putting on the Show” + Youth Workshops: “Fire and Puppetry” and “Toy Theatre Workshop”

• June 2021

  Spoke the Hub’s Local Produce Festival, Gowanus, NY: Toy Theatre Workshops

• April-June 2021

  Sirovich Senior Center, NY: “Me and My Shadow” via Zoom, NYC: Visual Theatre Workshop

• March 2021

  Amphibian Stage, Fort Worth, TX (ON ZOOM): Adult Workshops – “Introduction to Puppetry Manipulation and Design,” “Introduction to Creating Your Own Puppet Play,” “Introduction to Puppetry Construction,” and “Introduction to Putting on the Show” + Youth Workshop – “Packrats and Puppetry” 

• Oct 2020 – Feb 2021

  Sirovich Senior Center, New York, NY: “Childhood Fascinations” presented on Dixon Place TV, NYC: Playwriting/Visual Theatre Workshop

• August 2020

  Singing Eagle Lodge, Holderness, NH: Bud and The Great Fire, Book Reading, Video and Meet-the-Puppets

• April 2020

  Sarah Lawrence Workshop, Bronxville, NY, Puppetry and Design with Prof Mabena’s theatre class

• April-June 2020

  Sirovich Senior Center, New York, NY: Playwriting

• February 2020

  University of Michigan, Theatre Department, Flint MI: Directing Workshop

• February 2020

  Flint Institute of Arts, Flint MI: Family Puppetry Workshop

• February 2020

  Flint Institute of Arts, Flint MI: Design and Puppetry Workshop

• Oct 2019-Mar 2020

  Sirovich Senior Center, NY: “Old?” at Dixon Place and Sirovich Center, NYC: Playwriting/Visual Theatre Workshop

• Apr 2019-Jun 2019

  Sirovich Senior Center, NY: “This I Believe” presented at Dixon Place, NYC: Playwriting/Visual Theatre Workshop

• January 2019

  Special Self-governing Province Rehabilitation Center
  Welfare institute for Disabled, Jeju, Korea “Puppet Building and Manipulation”

• January 2019

  Jeju Global English Center, Jeju, Korea, “Using Theatre to Teach English”

• Oct 2018-Feb 2019

  Sirovich Senior Center, NY: “Shadows: A Silhouetted Life” presented at Dixon Place, NYC: Puppetry/Visual Theatre Workshop

• August 2018-September 2018

  Sirovich Senior Center, NY: “Lone Ranger in Shadow: a shadow puppetry presentation” presented at Dixon Place, NYC: Visual Theatre Workshop

• June 2018

  New York State Puppet Festival, Perry, NYS: Marionettes for Beginners

• June 2018

  New York State Puppet Festival, Perry, NYS: MEET THE PUPPETS

• March 2018

  SUNY-Orange, Kaplan Hall, Newburgh, NYS: MEET THE PUPPETS

• Oct 2017-May 2018

  Sirovich Senior Center, NY:”Remembering” presented at Dixon Place and Sirovich Senior Center, NYC: Visual Theatre Workshop

• October 2017

  Detroit Institute of Arts with Boys and Girls Club of Southfield, MI: Puppetry

• June 2017

  Storytelling Arts Center, Laurinburg, NC: Shadow Puppetry

• April-June 2017

  Creative Center at University Settlement, NYC: Original Shadow Puppet Plays, “Losing”

• April 2017

  Sirovich Senior Center, NY:”Re-writing” presented at Sirovich Center

• April 2017

  CTT Crafts at Access Theatre, New York, NY:”How to Make Puppet Heads from Foam”

• Oct 2016-Feb 2017

  Sirovich Senior Center, New York, NY: Playwriting Workshop, “Surprise!”

• January 2017

  Jeju Juvenile Corrections Facility, Jeju, South Korea: Shadow Puppetry

• January 2017

  Global English Center: elementary students, Jeju, South Korea: Shadow Puppetry

• January 2017

  Self-governing Province Rehabilitation Center, Jeju, South Korea: Puppetry Masterclass

• January 2017

  Baekseok Univeristy, Cheonan, South Korea: Puppetry Masterclass

• January 2017

  Gwanju Cultural Center, Art House, South Korea: ACTING I Masterclass

• December 2016

  Flint Institute of Arts: Family Programs, Flint, MI: Shadow Puppetry

• October 2016

  Flint Institute of Arts: Pre-College Portfolio Development Program, Flint, MI: Design and Theatre

• Sept-Dec 2016

  Mott Middle College High School, Flint, MI: Create Your Own Work: Puppetry and Puppetry Design and Construction

• September 2016

  SUNY-Orange: Middletown, New York, NY: Improvisation Masterclass and ACTING I Masterclass

• July 2016

  The Flea Theater: Bats, New York, NY: Introduction to Puppetry and Shadow Puppetry Workshop

• June 2016

  The Creative Center, University Settlement, New York, NY: Concrete Temple Crafts: Joss Paper Workshop

• April 2016-June 2016

  Sirovich Senior Center, New York, NY: Visual Theatre Workshop, “My First Time”

• April 2016

  The Child’s Place for Children with Special Needs, Brooklyn Central New York Public Library, workshop for teens with disabilities, NYPL-Brooklyn, NY: Shadow Puppetry Workshop

• March 2016

  Amphibian Junior Company Extended Workshop Intensive, Amphibian Stage Productions, Fort Worth, TX: Shadow Puppetry, with presentations: March 19 and 20, 2016

• March 2016

  Camp Fire Kids Outreach Workshop, Amphibian Stage Productions, Fort Worth, TX: Shadow Puppetry Workshop

• Jan-Feb 2016

  6th Grade Class, Germantown Central School, Germantown, NY: The Bystander Project Workshop, with Presentation: Feb 26, 2016

• Oct 2015-Feb 2016

  Sirovich Senior Center, New York, NY: Playwriting Workshop, “Old?”

• September 2015

  University of Northern Colorado, Greeley, CO: Devised Theatre Workshop

• September 2015

  University of Northern Colorado, Greeley, CO: Puppetry Workshop

• April-June 2015

  Sirovich Senior Center, New York, NY: Visual Theatre Workshop, “Water”

• Oct 2014-Feb 2015

  Sirovich Senior Center, New York, NY: Playwriting Workshop, “To Dream”

• January 2015

  The Gloucester County Institute of Technology High School Academy, Sewell, NJ: Shadow Puppet Workshop

• January 2015

  Rowan University, Glassboro, NJ: Shadow Puppet Workshop

• January 2015

  Concrete Temple Craft Workshop, Dixon Place, New York, NY

• October 2014

  plai theatre/Yai Autism Center, New York, NY: “Create Your Own Work” Workshop

• September 2014-May 2015

  Community Roots Middle School, Brooklyn, NY: Stage Craft and Design

• August 2014

  The Child’s Place for Children with Special Needs, Brooklyn Central New York Public Library and plai Theatre, workshop for teens with disabilities, NYPL-Brooklyn, NY: Shadow Puppetry Workshop

• April-June 2014

  Sirovich Senior Center, New York, NY: Visual Theatre Workshop

• April-June 2014

  plai Theatre and New York Public Library Harlem, Teen’s with disabilities ensemble, NYPL-Harlem, NYC: Acting Workshop

• January 2014

  Teatro Jaco, Jaco, Costa Rica: Shadow Puppetry Workshop

• Oct 2013-Jan 2014

  Sirovich Senior Center, New York, NY: Playwriting Workshop

• May/June 2013

  Puppet Festival (r)evolution, Swarthmore, PA: Wood Carving Workshop 101

• May/June 2013

  Sirovich Senior Center, New York, NY: float making for participation in Greatest Smallest Parade, Dumbo, NY, in conjunction with Great Small Works 10th International Toy Theatre Festival

• May/June 2013

  plai theatre/Yai Autism Center, New York, NY: puppetry

• February 2013

  Taconic Hills Middle School, Craryville, New York: Performance, Adaptation

• October/November 2012

  RAVELED/UNRAVELED with Sirovich Senior Center, Dixon Place, New York, NY: Cultural Education and Community Outreach Program

• October 2012

  M.C. Intermediate School, Hudson, NY: Acting and Performance

• September 2012

  plai theatre, New York, New York: Puppetry

• September 2012

  Ichabod Crane Central School, Valatie, New York: Performance, Adaptation

• Spring 2012

  Bard College at Simon’s Rock: Puppetry

• March 2012

  Germantown Central School, Germantown, NY: Performance, Adaptation

• Nov/Dec 2011

  Sirovich Senior Center, NYC: Chinese Seniors and Toy Theatre

• November 2011

  M.C. Intermediate School, Hudson, NY: Adaptation

• August 2011

  Hudson Opera House, Hudson, NY: Object Theatre

• May 2011

  Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University, Istanbul, Turkey: Multi-Media, Projections, and Tech

• May 2011

  Karagoz Puppet Museum, Bursa, Turkey: Puppetry

• April 2011

  Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation, Hudson, NY: Shadow Puppetry

• April 2011

  The City College of New York – CUNY, NYC: Public Speaking – “Speaking Out”

• March 2011

  The Artists’ Collective for Social Change, Harlem, NY: “Create Your Own Work”

• June 2010

  Sirovich Senior Center, NYC: Floats/Puppetry, Great Small Works Miniature Parade

• March 2010

  Educational Alliance, NYC: Multi-Media, Projections, and Technology

• July-August 2009

  Path Group Home, Paramus, NJ: Shadow Puppetry

• SPRING 2009

  Taconic Hills High School, Craryville, NY: Set Design and Construction

• January 2009

  Spanish Queens Seventh-Day Adventist Youth Group: “Create Your Own Work”

• August 2008

  Seven major cities of India and Sri Lanka: “Speaking Out” and Adaptation Ethiraj Women’s College, Chennai, India; American Center, Kolkata, India; Academy of Theatre Arts, Mumbai, India; American Center, American Embassy, Delhi, India; Ranga Shankara, Bangalore, India; University of Peradeniya, Kandy, Sri Lanka and Theatre Department of Lyceum International in Colombo, Sri Lanka

• April 2008

  Hudson Opera House, Hudson, NY: Shadow Puppetry

• March 2008

  Hudson Opera House, Hudson, NY: Puppetry

• 2008 to Present

  Sirovich Senior Center, New York, NY: Technique and “Create Your Own Work”

• September 2007

  West Shore Performing Arts Series, Scottville, MI: Technique, Adaptation, Lec/Demo

• June 2007

  Access Theatre, New York, NY: Puppetry

• May 2007

  78th Street Theatre Lab, New York, NY: Puppetry

• January 2007

  The University of Michigan, Flint, Michigan: Technique and “Create Your Own Work”

• July 2006

  The Yard and MV Historical Society, Martha’s Vineyard, MA: Physical Theatre

• May 2006

  WanderLUSTers present “Acthtung Grimm!”, Henry Street Settlement, Abrons, Arts Center, New York, NY

• April 2006

  Nantucket Historical Association, Nantucket, MA: Interpreters — “Speaking Out”

• October 2005

  chashama@Queens Plaza, NY: Physical Theatre

• September 2005

  Spoke The Hub, Brooklyn, NY: Dance

• August 2005

  Whaling Museum/NHA, Nantucket, MA: Puppetry, Technique, “Speaking Out”

• October 2004

  Sarah Lawrence College, Bronxville, NY: Physical Theatre and Technique

• January 2004

  Quick Center for the Arts, St. Bonaventure, NY: Lecture/Demonstrations; “Create Your Own Work,” Improvisation, Technique, and Directing

• 2001-2004

  Sarah Lawrence College, Bronxville, NY: Technical Theatre

• 1998-2000

  Spoke the Hub, Brooklyn, NY: Modern Dance for Boys

• September 2000

  Rappahanock High School, Rappahanock, VA: Physical Theatre, Improvisation

Multi-Media, Projection, and Technology Workshop, Mimar Sinan University, Istanbul, Turkey

Working with CTT has been extremely beneficial for our community, highly enjoyable and we plan on continuing our relationship far into the future.

-Gary Schiro, Hudson Opera House