Photo by Mathieu Rene.
Presented by Puppet Showplace Theatre
By Talking Hands Theatre
Performed by Anna Sobel
Dec. 9 – 17, 2023, 10:30am & 1pm
Puppet Showplace Theatre
32 Station St
Brookline, MA 02445
Runtime: 40 minutes, for all ages
Review by Kitty Drexel
BROOKLINE, Mass. — Talking Hands Theatre from Western Massachusetts performed Hanukkats at the Puppet Showplace Theatre from Dec. 9 – 17. Hanukkah was from sundown on Dec. 7. It ended on Dec. 15. Performances in Brookline ended on Dec. 17. One can look to the Talking Hands Theatre website for more puppetry updates.
Hanukkats is a story for all ages that caters specifically to curious wee ones old enough to ask questions but young enough that they require some assistance to understand complex ideas such as metaphors and the significance of protests. Hanukkats follows the story of Ziva, the orange cat, as she learns how to play the dreidel.
Ziva, a curious kitten who loves to play, catches the dreidel and spins back in time to the very first Hanukkah. She discovers that all of the letters on her dreidel have flown off during her spinning! She begins a quest to find them. On the way, she meets Judah Meowcabee, a priestly cat, as he leads the revolt against Antiocats, the elephant king. Ziva learns about the menorah and its oil so pure it can burn for eight days. Ziva makes many new friends, runs, dances, sings, and learns some important history before coming home again.
Sobel is an encouraging, supportive puppeteer. She has a calming presence that kids appreciate. Her storytelling makes room for all levels of participation, from avid athletes to calm watchers.
Sobel’s hand puppets are super cute. Fans of all ages had an opportunity to meet Ziva the orange cat after the show. They weren’t allowed to use the puppet but could shake Ziva’s hand. We think this is gracious of Ziva.
Hanukkats is meant for children, and it was fun for us adults, too. Creator and performer Anna Sobel encouraged everyone to sing with her. Adults singing to encourage children in their fun gets adults to have fun too. It’s healthy and good to engage in silliness for silliness’s sake. There was a lot of opportunity for silliness on Saturday.
It felt like the MBTA didn’t want us to arrive at Puppet Showplace Theatre on time for our 10:30 am show for Hanukkats. The D train on the Green Line was running shuttle buses after Kenmore. We had given ourselves 90 minutes to get there from Somerville.
Somedays, despite your best efforts to get somewhere on time, the MBTA has other plans for you. Construction on the Green Line, D Branch between Riverside and Kenmore ends on Dec. 21. Godspeed, weary travelers!
