The EVOLUTION of Free Love Valley - A Show Reborn~ from porcelain beginnings to a carved-wood rebirth
A bold, historically inspired puppet production about freedom, rebellion, and the strange true events of 1850s Pennsylvania.
Free Love Valley is a darkly comic marionette show inspired by the true story of a 19th-century Pennsylvania sect known as The Battle Axes—a radical religious commune that preached freedom from marriage, clothing, and convention. Set in a small valley where faith and temptation collide, the show blends history, satire, and haunting beauty through handcrafted puppets and sharp dialogue. It’s a wild mix of moral rebellion, scandal, and redemption—told with humor, grit, and heart.
It is not a children’s show — this is adult puppet theater with beauty, bite, and historical guts.
Meet The Characters
The new Production (Grant Focus)
This expansion includes:
Larger, custom-carved wooden puppets
Designed for visibility and articulation in mid-sized venues.
Upgraded staging & set design
Multi-panel sets, atmospheric lighting, period scenery.
Full script revision in the ‘Historical Grit’ style
A polished narrative blending historical truth and theatrical flair.
Enhanced puppet rigs
Improved control for expressive acting and choreographed scenes.
Filming & digital outreach
A companion YouTube project to extend the show’s reach.
Cultural significance
Preserving a bizarre and forgotten chapter of Pennsylvania history.
This project aligns perfectly with what the Jim Henson Foundation seeks to support: innovative puppet theater with artistic, historical, and cultural value..
Artist’s Process
As an artist with degrees in art, science, psychology, and writing, I approach puppetry as a total art form — storytelling, sculpture, painting, movement, and emotion woven together.
This production involves:
- historical research
- hand-carving wooden marionettes
- sculptural painting
- textile work
- woodwork and rigging
- scriptwriting and comedic timing
- and eventually… performance
I’ve spent 10 years performing marionettes, and this show represents the pinnacle of everything I’ve learned as a maker, storyteller, and preservationist.
Why I’m Rebuilding the Show
The original Free Love Valley was performed with 15-inch porcelain marionettes — delicate, beautiful, and perfect for intimate venues.
But as the story grew, so did the vision.
The new production is:
- bigger (15-20 inch carved wooden marionettes)
- more expressive (custom jointing + extended range of motion)
- more powerful visually (stronger lighting, larger presence onstage)
- more historically textured (gritty, semi-realistic comic style)
- more emotionally immersive
This is not a remake.
This is a rebirth.
The porcelain puppets will always be part of the show’s heritage — they represent where the story began.
But the new carved-wood marionettes are built for:
- larger stages
- festival audiences
- touring
- long-term performance durability
- the Jim Henson Foundation Production Grant
Why this Story Matters
Free Love Valley isn’t just entertainment — it’s a living archive of a strange American moment.
It explores:
- power and manipulation
- gender inequality
- religious extremism
- poverty and survival
- community hysteria
- resilience and rebellion
It brings forgotten Pennsylvania history back to life in an unforgettable theatrical form.
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For Venues
Hosting Free Love Valley gives you:
- A one-of-a-kind historical puppet event
- Strong audience draw for adults and history lovers
- A visually stunning, handcrafted production
- A local-history-based cultural experience
- Press-friendly, grant-aligned programming
- A show sized perfectly for mid-scale venues, theaters, ballrooms, or community centers
I bring the world of 1850 back to life.