Puppet Showplace Theater Says Someone Emptied Its Bank Account

BROOKLINE,MA — The Puppet Showplace Theater has fired its managing director after the iconic children's puppet theater learned of "fiscal irregularities in its bank account," earlier this month, according to the theater's board of trustees.

In early October the theater's board discovered that their fiscal controls had been "circumvented" and that the 46-year-old theater's bank account had been fully depleted. Brookline Police are investigating just what happened, and the board said based on the developments it fired the theater's manager.

"We are working with legal counsel to understand the full impact on the organization and our options for attempting to recover the funds that were stolen from the organization," the board of directors said in a statement.

It's unclear if anyone has been charged in connection with the missing funds.

The board told Patch it could not comment further because of the ongoing investigation.

In a statement, the theater's board said they are working to update its policies around its financials and figure out what this means for the theater's future, and asked for the public's support.

"While this is a devastating and heartbreaking experience, we are hopeful that with the support of our loyal and caring community, our donors and grantors, we will be able to keep the theater moving ahead," the statement said.

Brookline's Puppet Showplace Theater was founded in June 1974 by puppeteer Mary Churchill and features live performances, camps, classes, and community events for audiences of all ages. It sells more than 20,000 tickets and collaborations with major cultural institutions.

Puppet Showplace has received numerous awards and recognitions over the years, including an Eliot Norton Award Citation for “Keeping the ancient art of puppetry alive for audiences of all ages."

Amid the pandemic it has been offering a number of workshops online.

Read more:

Puppet Showplace Theater Grant Supports Black Artists

Jenna Fisher is a news reporter for Patch. Got a tip? She can be reached at Jenna.Fisher@patch.com or by calling 617-942-0474. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram (@ReporterJenna). Have a something you'd like posted on the Patch? Here's how .