ENCHANTED STRINGS:
The Story of Bob Baker Marionette Theater
Friday, July 31
7:30 PM

Charles Phoenix hosts a celebration of the remarkable past, flourishing present, & bright beautiful future of LA's beloved puppet palace!

As the grand finale of YesterdayLA, a month-long exploration of the people, places, and works of art that have become part of the fabric of Los Angeles history, the Philosophical Research Society is thrilled and delighted to present a special evening celebrating one of our fair city's most beloved and enduring cultural treasures—ENCHANTED STRINGS: THE STORY OF BOB BAKER MARIONETTE THEATER, with your host, Charles Phoenix!

Using author Randal J. Metz's richly illustrated and deeply researched book, Enchanted Strings: Bob Baker Marionette Theater (from our friends at Angel City Press), as a jumping-off point, this special evening will explore the remarkable story of the theater, its visionary creator, its extraordinary resurgence, and its exciting future ahead. Through rare photographs, archival footage, and conversation, we'll trace the Bob Baker Marionette Theater from its origins in the boundless imagination of Bob Baker to its rebirth as a thriving cultural institution, lovingly carried forward by a new generation of artists and caretakers dedicated to preservation, education, and innovation at the intersection of puppetry and the allied arts.

Hosted by the ever-effervescent pop culture historian and champion of Southern California's vernacular treasures Charles Phoenix, the program will feature a panel discussion with the theater's core creative team—Co-Executive Director and Artistic Director Alex Evans, Co-Executive Director Mary Fagot, and Director of Partnerships Winona Bechtle—alongside author Randal J. Metz, who will join remotely to discuss his years of research into Bob Baker's life, work, and enduring legacy. And because no celebration of the Bob Baker Marionette Theater would be complete without them, the evening will be punctuated by appearances from the Bob Baker Marionettes, bringing the theater's history vividly to life.

Join us as we celebrate the past, present, and future of this dearly beloved gem of Los Angeles, proudly "In L.A. to Stay… FOREVER!", and its devoted caretakers—protectors of imagination and creativity in a time when it's in short supply and living proof that wonder still endures in our City of Angels.