SHRINK: Puppet Therapy

Combine one part improv with one part puppet show, and you get one therapeutic night called SHRINK: Puppet Therapy. At the start of the night, the performers ask for a single suggestion: What’s something you worry about every day? From there, the puppeteers construct an entire show based around their plucky protagonist, a kangaroo puppet named Joey, and his therapist. And while this might sound pretty silly, it’s actually spurred some moments that would make Dr. Freud proud. “We know we’ve made a breakthrough when an audience member shows up to their third show with baked treats. It’s happened multiple times,” says puppeteer Ora Fruchter. From Woody Allen to Dr. Katz, therapy is already a large part of NYC’s cultural landscape. Maybe puppet therapy isn’t just for kids anymore.