Puppets and Pies!
February Get-together with artist Cat Aceto
Sunday, February 21
Workshop Description
We’ll spend the afternoon learning to create short shadow-puppet films using recycled materials and simple light sources such as flashlights, work lights, and overhead projectors.
Shadows invite imagination and emphasize storytelling, meaning, and movement over polish or virtuosity.
We’ll explore ways to create characters, props, and environments, playing with scale, texture, layering, and motion. Cat will bring pre-prepared puppets and effects and help us make our own, so we leave with the tools and confidence to make expressive (dare I say whimsical?), low-tech shadow films and performances.
Like all Whimsy Guild experiences, this workshop is open to everyone, from those who don’t consider themselves artists to experienced illustrators and makers!
Shadow Puppets and Hand Pies, that is!
Join us at the Lawerenceville branch of the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh for an afternoon of exploring the ethereal magic of shadow puppet making with artist Cat Aceto. When all that playing with light and imagination is making you hungry, take a little break to snack on some sweet and savory hand pies, yum!
Date: February 21
Time: 12:30-3:30
Location: CLP Lawrenceville - 279 Fisk Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15201, Meeting Room
(CLP is not the host or organizer of this event. CLP does not support, sponsor, or represent this group or event.)
About Cat
Cat Aceto is a Pittsburgh-based shadow theatre and teaching artist working across stage, film, and community-based practice. Using multiple light sources and overhead projectors, she creates layered shadow worlds from paper puppets, human silhouettes, and found objects, staging works ranging from short pieces to full productions of classic texts, including Macbeth (2022), Hamlet (2024), and The Tempest (2025). Her work draws on folklore, poetry, and classic literature, and has been presented at festivals, conferences, and community spaces across the U.S. and Canada.
Alongside her performance work, Aceto is deeply committed to arts education. She designs workshops and residencies that guide participants from idea to performance through hands-on making and collaboration, with a particular focus on welcoming people who do not consider themselves artists. Through teaching, curating, and community-building, she supports emerging artists, youth, and first-time performers within the contemporary puppetry field.
Take a look at her gorgeous work:
Flows Like a River (Runtime 2:28)