Mad Munchkin Productions!

After a not-so-brief hiatus, Artistic Director Laura Wilhelm is looking forward to a return to producing puppetry in 2026!  And.... the line up for next year?  All we know is that it will be brimming with the creativity and magic that MMP has always been dedicated to bringing to the stage.

What can you do?

Please take this opportunity to give!  MMP is hoping to add $3000 to the funds that have been lying in wait since the pandemic interrupted our momentum! 

AND- Please come see our work!  We love that you invest dollars, but we love even more when you invest time so that we have the chance to give back! Our shows aren't complete with you in the seats!

Mad Munchkin Productions’ (MMP) mission is to collaboratively create theatrical works of imagination and imagery that touch the humanity, humility, and humor in all of us. Often times puppetry is a main medium. We strive to bring together artists of different backgrounds, perspectives, and methods of study or work to bring to life performances before diverse audiences that will leave their mind or souls challenged and invigorated.

Founded by Laura Wilhelm and Alan Pagel, Mad Munchkin Productions began in 2005 with a simple puppet show for the Frinj of the Frinj hosted by the Center for Independent Artists, The Crooked Man, which later was remounted in KS.  Later, their original productions, FREAKS OUT!, Stimulate THIS!, and Eat My Zombie Shorts! graced the stage to critical acclaim during the ’06, ’08, and ‘10 MN Fringe Festivals respectively. After the success of producing under the wing of the MN Fringe Festival, MMP felt propelled toward a broader vision for our future.  In 2010, Wilhelm and Pagel gathered a board of advisors, sought out a fiscal sponsor, and began planning seasons on a larger scale that will not only bring the magic of puppetry to a greater community, but knit together the brilliance of varied artists and multiple disciplines of the arts.  The collaboratively written Love Bites was seen on the stage at Bryant-Lake Bowl as part of  a collaboration by four theater companies led by the The Flower Shop Project.  MMP partnered with Eclectic Edge Ensemble, a Twin Cites based jazz dance company, resulting in two exciting original productions that fluidly combined puppetry and dance, Snow Bound! (Feb ’11) and Grimm Tale (July ’12).  Mad Munchkin has also been employing local composers to create the music and soundscapes for their productions like the original compositions created for MMP’s The Man Who Turned into a Fish (Feb ‘12).  Most recent works include Paper Garden: Entomos (March 2013) and the neighborhood tour of Spooky Spectacular and Harvest Hullabaloo (October 2013),Tracing Fault Lines as guest artist at HOBT in May 2014, Out of the Blue in April '15, the SS and HH Round 2 in Oct '15, the revisted Snow Bound! in '16, as well as Into the Dark.  It is with pleasure that we look forward to planning our production of imagery and imagination!