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Watercolor illustrations by Iya Prytkova
A surreal, playful, semi-autobiographical full length puppet show about the fight to unravel the gender binary.
Photos by Richard Termine
About
Through the TV screen
With muffled sounds of Regency
Is a place of sewing notions
Surrounded by a glowing tree...
Your Carriage Awaits!
A young person, questioning their assigned gender identity, receives an unusual gift of an embroidery hoop on their birthday. The hoop propels them through their television set into a Georgian/Regency era world of strict gender roles, and sewing notions.
Through a series of trials and tribulations, the young person struggles to perform the ideal view of womanhood. Ultimately they see what’s behind the embroidery hoop – a sparkly and wonderful fluidity.
Bequeathed is a full length (55 minute) predominately wordless, whimsical, and Queer puppet show by puppeteer and fiber artist J Hann.
Promotional Photos by Dillon Heape
Production Photos by Richard Termine
Bequeathed was presented at Dixon Place in June 2026.
Currently available for booking!
Support is in part from The Jim Henson Foundation, The New York State Council on the Arts, The Lower Manhattan Cultural Council, The Jerome Foundation, The Foundation for Contemporary Arts, Concrete Temple Theatre, and Viewers Like You!
Dearest Diary...
Bequeathed was originally developed through the 2021 Object Movement Digital Residency. In 2022, it morphed into a much different, much more personal tale at the O'Neill Puppetry Conference through the Emerging Artist strand. In 2024, there was a public workshop (30 minute) presentation at Concrete Boom at Dixon Place. Scenes were devised through several Puppet BloK presentations at Dixon Place, and at the PATCH Residency at the Carriage House through The Jim Henson Foundation.
This show is inspired by a diary entry from my younger self where I am clearly questioning my gender, period dramas of the 1990s on Masterpiece Theatre, vintage animation, children's book literature, and LOTS of whimsy.
Creative Team
J Hann (Creator, Puppetry and Set Design) is a puppeteer, fiber artist, and puppetry director. Their unique textural work draws inspiration from the past and centers the weird, queer, and whimsical. www.jennyhann.com @jhannham
Aaron Banes (Musician, Additional Music) is a Filipino-American performer, composer, astrologer and teacher. Theater credits include PJ Masks Live (Int. Tour), The Big One Oh!, and Heart Strings (Atlantic Theater). His music can be heard in shows with Maria Camia and on his EP with Sienna Aczon, “The Princess and the Witchboy”. @aaron.banes
William PK Carter (Shadow Screen Designer) is a quilter and puppet artist based in Central Valley, New York, who bridges the puppet and fine art worlds by fabricating wondrous quilts and creatures that exist at the intersection of queerness and blackness. She is a current resident artist at La Mama Experimental Theatre Club. WilliamPKCarter.com
Rob Lariviere (Lighting Designer) is the Technical Director of Dixon Place and a Brooklyn based lighting designer. Their past credits for lighting design includes Kayfabe, The Harlem Doll Palace, and Portals.
Andy Manjuck (Sound Designer) is a Brooklyn-based artist. He has sound designed for many shows, mostly with puppets, including the award-winning "Bill's 44th" which he also co-created. www.andymanjuck.com
Muna Muhsin (Stop-Motion Artist) is a puppeteer and animator. She is most recognizable for her contributions to puppet musical Vape Kid’s Cool Zone, and for her puppet creation Lil Miss Ethel. She is a co-producer on The Fuzzy Palace Puppet Slam and Vape Kid’s A New Flesh. Her favorite color is purple @mu_cube
Jon Riddleberger (Consulting Puppetry Director) is a puppeteer and director whose work has been seen across the world, on tv, and film. Notable credits include: War Horse, Clifford the Big Red Dog, Little Shop of Horrors, and much more. He is a company member of Official Puppet Business and teaches at NYU Tisch. @jahbiggins
Esme Roszel (Shadow Puppet Designer) is a Brooklyn-based puppeteer, and visual artist with a BFA in Puppet Arts from University of Connecticut. Recent theatrical projects include “Song of the North” (Fictionville Studios), and “Packrat II: The Quest por la Abundancia” (Concrete Temple Theater). esmeroszel.com // @esmeroszel
Ashley Soliman (Costume Designer) is a NYC-based costume designer and visual artist. Working across genres both regionally and locally, she anchors her creative practices in the language of color, the physical manifestation of inner worlds, and a mindset of collaboration and connection. USA Local 829. www.terribleboogie.com
Taryn Uhe (Production Coordinator) is a NYC based Production Coordinator. She most recently worked on Parched at HERE Arts and is the Production Coordinator for the award winning production Bill’s 44th. Company member of Official Puppet Business.
William Wright (Original Music) is a composer, active across concert music, film, and interdisciplinary performance. Wright is a summa cum laude graduate of Berklee College of Music, Director of Music Composition at the National Puppetry Conference at the Eugene O'Neill Theatre Center, and the Composer and Sound Designer of Big Slate Media.
Puppeteers: Aaron Banes, Ray Dondero, J Hann, Dorothy James, and Esme Roszel.
Devising Puppeteers: Victor Ayala, Aaron Banes, Emily Batsford, Beau Brown, Ray Dondero, Dorothy James, Esme Roszel, and Heidi Tungseth.
Ballet Master: Christopher Williams
Fabrication of Puppetry, Props, and Set: Ray Dondero, J Hann, Dorothy James, Marcie Mars, Rob Pedini, Esme Roszel, Christine Schisano, Al Strong and Taryn Uhe.
Audience Reactions
"Delight after delight!"
"It's thought provoking, funny, and a visual FEAST!"
"Stunning puppets, Funny and Heartbreaking!"
"Queer puppet show par excellence!"
"What if Alice and Labyrinth hopped over the garden wall to make a transformative story about discovering and accepting gender fluidity?"
