The UMF Emery Community Arts Center welcomes Bread & Puppet Theater, Sept. 10

FARMINGTON, ME  (September 3, 2026)—The UMF Emery Community Arts Center welcomes Bread & Puppet Theater, a political puppet theater, and its presentation of “The Upside Down World Circus,” to Nordica Auditorium in Merrill Hall, on Sept. 10, 2026, at 7 p.m. Doors open at 6:30 p.m.

The one and only Bread & Puppet Circus is back to confront our upside-down situation! With stilt dancers, paper mâché beasts of all sizes, and a riotous brass band, The Upside Down World Circus is an urgent spectacle of protest and celebration.

After each show, Bread & Puppet will serve its famous sourdough rye bread with aioli. “Cheap Art” – books, posters, postcards, pamphlets and banners from the Bread & Puppet Press – will also be for sale.

Admission is $10-$25 suggested donation with no one turned away for lack of funds, free for UMF students. Advance tickets available at Up Front & Pleasant Gourmet (cash only), located at 157 Front St. in Farmington, Tues.-Fri: 10 a.m.-5 p.m., and 1st & 3rd Sat. of each month from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. 

More Information on the Bread & Puppet Theater

The Bread & Puppet Theater is a political puppet theater founded in 1963 by Peter & Elka Schumann on New York City’s Lower East Side. Now based in Glover, Ver., the company regularly tours the country and world with tightly composed theater pieces as well as sprawling outdoor pageants.

The internationally celebrated company champions a visually rich, street-theater brand of performance art filled with music, dance and slapstick elements. Believing that theater is a basic necessity like bread, the company frequently brings its work to the streets for those who may not otherwise go to the theater.

Its shows are political and spectacular, with puppets often on stilts, wearing huge masks with expressive faces, singing, dancing and playing music. Additional note: While there is nothing inappropriate for children in these shows, they do speak on heavy topics.

For more information contact Ann Bartges, director of UMF Emery Community Arts Center at ann.bartges@maine.edu or 207-778-7461.

More on University of Maine at Farmington

A nationally recognized regional public university known for its commitment to the creative arts, teacher preparation, the health arts and sciences, the environment, business and public service, UMF provides a challenging yet supportive environment to prepare students for both careers and further study. Located in the heart of Maine’s four-season outdoor recreational region, UMF is a welcoming, close-knit academic community that prepares students for enriching professional careers, engaged citizenship and an enduring love of learning.

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EDITOR’S NOTE:
Image: https://farmington.edu/app/uploads/2026/09/RP267-003.webp
Photo Caption: Bread & Puppet Theater champions a visually rich, street-theater brand of performance art.
Photo Credit: Submitted Image