Shoestring Theater

Shoestring Theater has been at the heart of Portland’s art scene for over forty years. From their bird’s eye view atop stilts, they witnessed the change in the personality of Portland’s Old Port as they kicked off the Old Port Festival parade for decades.

They have also celebrated generations of Halloween costumes with their signature West End Halloween parade. Shoestring Theater has filled Congress Square with laughs and gasps with their hand-puppet Punch & Judy show. They continue to wow audiences at King Friday’s Dungeon Puppet Slam hosted by Mayo Street Arts as part of Heather Henson’s Puppet Slam Network.

Veteran puppeteer, community activist, and Portland native Nance Parker is the Executive Director of Shoestring Theater which has been active since 1979.

In addition to organizing and directing pageant-style puppetry parades, Nance has extensive experience using puppetry and theater as an educational tool with all ages and ranges of abilities. She teaches the art of puppetry through hands-on activities—including paper mache sculpting, painting, costuming, theater arts and even stilt-dancing—at schools, festivals, fairs, museums, arts centers, and in her own studio at Shoestring Theater HQ.

Nance’s community minded approach to life and teaching makes her workshops engaging, lively, and welcoming. Workshops are available for individuals and groups and can range from one-day intensive courses to extended residency programs. Shoestring Theater welcomes new ideas and is available for workshops on request.

Of Shoestring Theater’s signature community parades, Nance Parker shares: “All together, this makes for a fun and zany extravaganza.”