Puppeteer Tom Lee with Eighth Blackbird

A Collaboration Between Athenaeum Center and Eighth Blackbird

Puppeteer Tom Lee with Eighth Blackbird

A Collaboration Between Athenaeum Center and Eighth Blackbird

Tom Lee is a puppet artist, designer and director. He began his career at La MaMa Experimental Theater in New York. His work often exploress of manipulated objects, miniatures and figures in dialogue with film and animation. Mr. Lee grew up in Hawai’i and is a student of Japanese master puppeteer Koryū Nishikawa V with whom he created Shank’s Mare (2015) and Akutagawa (2023). His original work has toured the U.S., Japan, France, Bulgaria and Indonesia. Mr. Lee was a puppeteer in War Horse (Broadway), Florencia en el Amazonas (Met Opera), The Queen of Spades (Lyric Opera), Le Grand Macabre (NY Philharmonic), Disfarmer (St. Anns Warehouse).  He has been a principal puppeteer with Met Opera production of Madama Butterfly for 20 years. Tom has received mulitple Jim Henson Foundation grant awards and is co-director of the Chicago Puppet Studio and Chicago Puppet Lab.  www.tomleeprojects.com

Calendar of Events

Athenaeum-Center-presents-Mirrored-Pool-Puppets_500x500-Square-Box-Office-Image

Athenaeum Center & Eighth Blackbird present

Puppeteer Tom Lee: The Mirrored Pool
May 15, 2025
Athenaeum-Center-presents-Mirrored-Pool-Puppets_500x500-Square-Box-Office-Image

Athenaeum Center & Eighth Blackbird present

Puppeteer Tom Lee: The Mirrored Pool + Fundraiser
May 16, 2025
Athenaeum-Center-presents-Mirrored-Pool-Puppets_500x500-Square-Box-Office-Image copy

Athenaeum Center & Eighth Blackbird present

Puppeteer Tom Lee: Tomte
May 17-18, 2025

Dante 360 opening this weekend!

Our ticketing system is undergoing a scheduled maintenance October 7, 5:00AM–12:00PM. We regret to inform you that you will be unable to purchase tickets during this time.

We look forward to serving you better with this update!

Come on out tonight!

An Evening with Dennis Quaid

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Dante 360

Midway upon the journey of our life, I found myself within a forest dark, for the straightforward pathway had been lost.” 

And so we all begin—in darkness.

Join Dante on his most famous journey through the depths of hell, levels upon levels of purgatory, finally discovering the light and glory of paradise. You will find terror in the wild beasts he meets along the way; and only moments later great hope at the strong woman, Beatrice, who leads him always upwards.

This contemporary staged performances of one of the most epic stories of the western world is an immersive, multi-dimensional production that leads you into Dantes universe. Returning to the stage for the 4th year, this year’s production.

Its heaven. It’s hell. But above all, it’s worth the trip.

November 8–10, 2024