About StoneLion Puppet Theatre
StoneLion Puppet Theatre is a professional not-for-profit theater company dedicated to expanding the horizons of the young and young-at-heart through the art of puppetry in an interdisciplinary community of ethnic and cultural diversity.
““Friday’s performance was amazing! I sat there with a huge smile on my face, tears in my eyes, and goosebumps during the whole thing! It was everything I thought it would be....you are all true artists. “ Kelly Seward
Program Manager - Kansas City Business Committee for the Arts”
StoneLion Puppet Theatre founded in 1992 that has grown to include an international touring company and Arts Education teaching staff. StoneLion’s focus has been on presenting entertaining and thought-provoking arts experiences and presenting real world actions to lessen our impact on the planet and make our community a better place to live. StoneLion does not run a traditional brick and mortar theater but takes the arts into communities to reach those who do not have funds or access readily to the arts. This has resulted in over one hundred free performances and workshops annually for Title One schools in area school districts, featured performances at other theaters across the country and the creation of our own Art Festival- Illuminated Waters in its fourteenth year pre-pandemic.
StoneLion has annually played an integral visual part of The Big Picnic at The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, TEDxKC and Waterfire. StoneLion also co-created Kansas City’s only Day of the Dead/Calacas Light Up Parade with Mattie Rhodes Art Center.
StoneLion was involved in a two-year project funded by The National Geographic Society to film underwater scuba diving puppets in the Red Sea to educate the public on the need to ban single use plastic. Covid-19 paused this project until it is safe to get back in the water.
Recently we are partnered with The Mpala Research Center in Kenya and Project Central for a multi-year project on using puppetry to engage and teach environmental sustainability actions on biodiversity, health and climate in the Kenya education system. Plans are underway for similair projects in Uganda and Brazil.
StoneLion is a U.S. State Department funded Arts Envoy with past work in Israel, Ukraine, Vietnam, Laos, Fiji and now Kenya. StoneLion is on the Kansas City Young Audiences, Missouri Arts Council and Mid America Arts Alliance Touring Rosters.
The Core Company
Heather Nisbett-Loewenstein
Founding Artistic Director and Company Puppeteer
Our founder and the company's guiding force, Heather has performed, designed and/or directed over 90 different productions for StoneLion, as well as, working as a puppet builder and costume designer for professional theaters. She holds degrees in theater from Boise State University and the University of Dublin, Trinity College.
Ken Lovern
Composer
As an accomplished musician Ken can be seen in several bands including The Doo Dads, and his own trio playing weekly at The Green Lady Lounge. Ken scored “Excuse Me Are You a Dragon?” “The Little Red Hen’s Garden” and “The Frog Prints.”
Jack Sharman
Composer
Jack is a professional composer and musician working with StoneLion for over ten years. His credits include the soundtrack for our popular Stellaluna, The Emperor Penguin's New Clothes, Down the Drain and Backyard Buggin' productions. His scores have wowed audiences at our annual Mother's Day for Mother Earth pageants for eight years running.
Dino O’Dell
Composer
Kevin Dolan AKA Dino O’Dell is an accomplished children’s compsoer toruing Nationally. He joins StoneLion as the compser for our latest production “Kira’s Song; Discovering the Blues.” http://dinoodell.com/ Click here to see more of his work.
Glenn Lewis- TECHNICAL DIrector
For over twenty years Glenn has tinkered and engineered our puppet mechanisms and scenery. In addition to working with StoneLion he served as the Technical Director for The Unicorn Theater and the Kansas City Fringe Festival for years. He is now a licensed massage therapist and proud papa to Avalee.
Performance and Build Troupe
Lead Puppeteer and Puppet Designer
Heather Nisbett- Loewenstein
Performance Company
Justin Howe - Assistant to the Director
Jackson Berland, Jean Jaques Corbier, Maggie Killian, Tiffany Michelle, Shawn Patrick Murphy
Puppet Construction
Laura Burkhart, Justin Howe, Glenn Lewis, Bryce Loewenstein, Shawn Patrick Murphy, Geri Stewart, Kristin Wicklund
Board of Directors
Larry Goodman - President // Computer Solutions
Danielle Westcott - Secretary // Law Offices of Lance Loewenstein PC
Bonnie Traner - Treasurer // Allied National
Tina Gipson - Past President // BKD
David Foran - Director // Retired
Kristen Henning - Director// Metropolitan Community College
Kathi Krouch - Director // Great Plains Supply - Marcone
““Heather and StoneLion Staff - Thank you for such a tremendous collaboration! It was exactly what I was hoping for. Not only was the performance great- I truly loved working with each member of your staff.” Dr. Bayatafen ”
Advisory Board
Debby Barker// Lakeside Nature Center
Lara Isch // The City of Overland Park KS - Sustainability
Lance Loewenstein // The Law Offices of Lance Loewenstein PC
Melissa Straus // The Bukaty Company