Sarah Nolan and a friend.
Presented by Puppet Showplace Theatre
Created and performed by Sarah Nolen
Sept. 27 – 28, 2025
Brookline Puppet Showcase
32 Station St.
Brookline, MA 02445
Review by Maegan Bergeron-Clearwood
BROOKLINE, Mass. — The cozy stage at Puppet Showplace Theatre in Brookline is overflowing with trinkets and tools: sewing boxes and pincushions; an ironing board and dress form; satins, sequins, and silks. These every day, seemingly mundane objects are the source of resident artist Sarah Nolen’s magic as she transports us beyond her shop walls and into three fantastical fairy tale worlds.
Nolen plays the titular tailor, who desperately needs the audience’s help as she frantically prepares for a visit from her biggest, scariest customer in The Fairy Tailor. To calm her frayed nerves, she tells stories, each with a quirky, interactive twist (and plenty of puns).
Along the way, objects from her tailor shop come to life: a tiny red hoodie transforms into Little Red Riding Hood; an Emperor in his “new clothes” pops up from a woven sewing box; a tomato-shaped pincushion becomes the silhouette of a giant’s nose. Over the course of just 45 minutes, virtually every inch of the set comes to life in a series of ever-unfolding, ever-surprising delights.
Pieces of the show, particularly the opening and transition scenes, could use a pop of extra energy. Once the first fairy tale starts, however, Nolen sparkles, and the young people in my audience were overwhelmingly engaged.
Nolen’s ability to shift from one puppetry style to the next is mesmerizing. There is something for everyone to fall in love with; I particularly enjoyed the object puppetry in “Little Red Riding Hood,” my partner was most enchanted by the shadow puppetry in the final story, and the children were giggliest during the shadow puppet Emperor’s naked parade through the audience.
Puppet Showcase Theatre offers an immersive artistic experience, including post-show snacks and activities and opportunities to meet the puppets. The Fairy Tailor is a charming start to their season, proving that, with a bit of craftiness, a touch of whimsy, and a whole lot of imagination, even the simplest of moments can become a source of joy.
