
About the
Guild
GPAPG is committed to meeting the needs of our members, both amateurs and professionals. We are the oldest puppetry guild in the United States, founded in 1938. We were chartered in 1940 by The Puppeteers of America as their 2nd chartered guild and remain affiliated to this day.



Our Board
The GPAPG board reconfigured themselves in October 2023 and and are structuring a guild that meets the needs of our members, whether they are a professional or an enthusiast. Tom Tucker completed his role as our President in October 2024. Our newest President is Roni DeFalco who just completed her term as our Vice President. Our new Vice President is Kevin Kelly and our newest elected board members are Ben Stansbery and Chad S. Parsons. Please feel free to read our a brief bio which can be accessed by clicking on our pictures. We invite you to reach out to us too. We are here to serve you!
Come join us at our next event. We’d love to share all that Greater Philadelphia Area Puppetry Guild has to offer!The Greater Philadelphia Area Puppetry Guild (GPAPG) is growing. With a new organizational model we will hold meetings and performances virtually while also encouraging face-to-face meet-ups! We are developing friendships, sharing our love of the puppetry arts and creating a vibrant puppetry arts community. We hope you will consider joining GPAPG.
Our Mission
Our mission it to encourage and promote puppetry as a means of communication, an extension of human expression and as a performing art: to enhance the proficiency and the art of puppetry, both professional and amateur, by publications, workshops, conventions, or festivals, lectures, advisory services and any and all of other means and methods.
GPAPG will operate exclusively for charitable promotional and educational purposes.
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What is the Greater Philadelphia Area Puppetry Guild?Our mission is to encourage and promote puppetry as a means of communication, an extension of human expression and as a performing art: to enhance the proficiency and the art of puppetry, both professional and amateur, by publications, workshops, conventions, or festivals, lectures, advisory services and any and all of other means and methods. GPAPG will operate exclusively for charitable educational purposes.
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How often does the Guild meet?The GPAPG holds four(4) Guild Meetings per year, quarterly. You can find dates and times for Guild Meetings and other events using the link below. Guild Events
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What is the Puppeteers of America?Puppeteers of America is a national non-profit organization founded in 1937 to provide information, encourage performances, and build a community of people who celebrate puppet theatre. They support puppeteers and advance the art of puppetry by presenting knowledge, providing inspiration and promoting preservation. Knowledge. Inspiration. Preservation. The specific purpose of Puppeteers of America, Inc. is educational. To instruct the public and raise awareness about puppetry as a means of communication, an extension of human expression, and as a performing art. This includes teaching the community about the importance of puppetry as well as enhancing the proficiency of the Art of Puppetry, both professional and amateur, by publications, educational materials, workshops, forums, conventions, festivals, panels, lectures, advisory services, and all other means and methods. Puppeteers of America has produced over 160 national and regional festivals to celebrate and share the art of puppetry. The organization publishes the quarterly magazine, The Puppetry Journal. Founded in 1949, The Puppetry Journal provides a continuing chronicle of contemporary puppetry. https://puppeteers.org/
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How do I join a meeting?If you are a member, you will receive four (4) emails before a Guild Meeting. The first email will come thirty (30) days before the meeting with a link to add to your calendar and a form to fill out if you want to present something at the meeting. The second email will come seven (7) days before the meeting with a Zoom Link, a link to add to your calendar, and another opportunity to fill out the form if you want to present something at the meeting. The third email will come twenty-four (24) hours before the meeting as a reminder, will have the Zoom link, and a last chance to fill out the form. The final email will come one(1) hour before the meeting as a reminder and will have the Zoom link. If you are not a member, you are allowed to attend two (2) meetings before you must become a member. You can request to attend a Guild Meeting by filling out the form on the Contact page by selecting "Attend A Meeting Request" in the "Contact Options" field.