HOME	\|	ABOUT US	\|	HAPPENINGS	\|	PHOTO ALBUM	\|	LINKS	\|	CONTACT US

Who is Flexible Theatre ...

Diana Jeffries

Diana Jeffries has been involved in performance theatre for the past 15 years, beginning as an actor in Vancouver, BC. She studied drama at the Actors Studio in Montreal, script writing at the University of London plus puppetry at the London School of Puppetry in London England. In the summer of 2006 Diana interned at the Bread and Puppet Theatre Company in the United States. Diana is currently the Artist in Residence at Pacific Centre for Alternative Journalism.

Diana set up Flexible Theatre after her return from London England in 2004 and has produced several puppet plays since that time. All the puppets and masks at Flexible Theatre are created and made by Diana at her Puppet workshop in Vancouver.

Diana continues to create new plays for adults and children. She hopes to broaden the definition of performance theatre and in turn widen the public's interest in theatre in general. Diana also facilitates ongoing workshops on mask making and puppetry.

Mission Statement

What interests me about puppetry is that it is another aspect of theatre-making that has its roots in childhood. Children analyze the world through play so life becomes a thing that you play with in order to better understand your place in the world. We probably all remember endless games of make-believe; creating characters out of bits and pieces from around the house in order to create and recreate a world for ourselves that we are able to manipulate and control. By applying that sort of creative process and attitude of childhood, we create through puppetry an innocent soul that I believe is what is saved in some part in every adult person.

Puppets have the ability to feed us in a way that film, television or the internet can not mimic or counter. Children and adults alike are drawn to puppets and perhaps it is because there is something within them that is not only magical but also identifiable. The innocence and purity of a puppet makes them especially effective on a stage and those qualities in addition to their ability to express to audiences deeply felt emotions is why they are such good story tellers and performers.

Although puppet theatre does not play a prominent role in the cultural life of Vancouver, I am hoping to create contemporary and folk puppet theatre so as to enhance the cultural, political and social landscape of our community.

I want to bring original shows for both children and adult audiences using handcrafted rod, tabletop, glove and shadow puppets all made at the Flexible Theatre Puppet Workshop.

If you have any questions or would like further information on Flexible Theatre we would love to hear from you!

Thanks for your support,

Diana Jeffries

Professional Development

	The Art of Pageant Puppetry, 2008	Morinesio, Italy
	Mexico Tour of Puppet & Mask Making for Children, 2006	Mexico City, Morelia & Zacatecas
	Bread & Puppet Internship Program, 2006	Vermont, USA
	London School of Puppetry, 2004	London, England
	University of London Screenwriting, 1999-2000	London, England
	The Actors Studio, 1989 - 1991	Montreal, Canada
	Canadian Playwrite Circle, 1989	Montreal, Canada

PUPPET POWER: Diana Jeffries and the Magic of Puppetry - Article about Flexible Theatre (BNet magazine)