is dedicated to the use of puppetry in experimental theatre.

Since 1995, Luna Theatre has been committed to providing audiences in the greater Boston area with experimental adult puppetry performances that explore diverse cultural and artistic traditions.

We believe that theatre should be both theatrical and fantastical. Luna Theatre combines the natural world with imagination, and traditional stories with new ones, using puppetry, masks, and movement as creative, expressive forms.

Luna's approach to theatre is based on collaboration and communication across cultures. Our goal is to build a stronger arts community surrounding puppetry for adults through interactive dialogue about artistic techniques, artistic trends, and personal experiences in performance. We seek to explore the roots of theatricality through shadow puppet transformations and magic. Our work is entirely collaborative rather than relying on the traditional directorial structure: we write, design, create, and perform original work. Much of this work is inspired and accompanied by live vocal music, taken from traditional Bulgarian women's folk songs, and interspersed with jazz improvisation.

Luna has presented at diverse locations such as the Puppeteers of America Regional Puppetry Festival, Art Beat, Lincoln Center Out-of-Doors, First Night, Boston University, plus international appearances in Dneperopetrovsk, Ukraine, and in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. This dedication to diversity in the arts had been rewarded with funding by the Somerville Arts Council, Boston Cultural Council, the Puppeteers of America, and the Massachusetts Cultural Council.

To learn a little about our performers, keep reading:

Dassia Posner:

The founder of Luna Theatre, Dassia has been directing and performing in productions using masks and puppetry since 1993. Locally she has worked with Sara Peattie's Puppeteers' Cooperative and Underground Railway Theatre. She has taught communities to make giant puppets for parades and pageants in Dnepropetrovsk, Ukraine and performed in puppet operas directed by Amy Trompetter in New York. Locally she has created parades for Art Beat, First Night, and Israel's 50th Independence Day. She is currently working on her Ph.D in theatre history at Tufts University.

Vlada Tomova:

Vlada Tomova (Yansa Voices director and Luna Theatre member) is a vocalist, voice actress, puppeteer, arranger and composer, collaborating in a number of innovative music and interdisciplinary projects, fusing Balkan and World music traditions with contemporary western styles. As a studio vocalist Vlada has appeared on a number of film soundtracks, and has collaborated with Boston’Äôs Neovoxer film project. In addition, she has developed a series of workshops, focusing on World Music Appreciation. Vlada is a graduate of Berklee College of Music; based in New York, she performs and teaches throughout the East Coast of the United States and has toured in Europe, USA, and South America. Most recently, Vlada founded a Bulgarian women's choir in New York; the group specializes in village style and arranged Bulgarian singing and is quickly gaining recognition in the city.

Maggie Whalen:

The newest member of Luna, Maggie Whalen is not new to puppetry.  She is the creator of Magpie Puppets, a one-woman hand puppet theater based in Medford, Massachusetts.  She has been creating and performing puppet shows for children since 1969.  In 1971, she founded and directed Poor People’Äôs Puppets in NYC, which performed in its own storefront theater from 1971-1974.  In addition to performing, Maggie has taught puppet-making workshops at schools, community centers and even at Club Med!  As a school-based occupational therapist, Maggie is able to adjust puppet-building activities to accommodate each child’Äôs developmental level.  She is a member of the Boston Area Guild of Puppetry. 

Former Members:

Bonnie Duncan:

Bonnie performs in the Boston area, blending her skills in and love of dance, theatre, and puppetry. Bonnie teaches theatre arts and storytelling at local elementary and middle schools. Bonnie also performs with Snappy Dance Theatre, designs costumes for Rough and Tumble Theatre and devises her own puppet-dance-improvisational performances for the Back Alley Theatre, Boston Puppetry Slams, and Perishable Theatre in Providence, RI.

Lilia Levitina:

Lilia, one of the original collaborators on The Nose, is director and founder of Basement on the Hill Stage in Netwon, and an occasioal performer with Luna. Most recently, she directed Arbuzov’Äôs play The Promise at the BCA. She has been directing plays in the Boston area for a number of years, several of which have had bilingual texts. She also teaches Russian Bilingual Education at Driscoll School in Brookline.

Thanks to collaborators and volunteers:

Hannah Pendzich was one of the original members of Luna, and dedicated much time and energy to the development of "The Nose." We are very excited to hear that she is moving back East! Thanks to Will Cabell for performing with us when he can! We miss you, Will! Thanks to Tali Gai for her eyes, hands, ideas, and time. Thanks to David Giust for donating time and energy and recording the music for us. Thanks to the Puppeteers' Cooperative for their support.. Thanks to Masha Lazebnik, Alla Lazebnik, and Brian Posner, for helping with puppet construction. Thanks to Wil Stackman ("Professor Wil") and David Fichter (of Underground Railway Theater) for their design advice. Thanks to Dan Milstein for his frequent and helpful direction.