Monkey Mind Pirates
An innovative approach combining mindfulness with playfulness, Monkey Mind Pirates gives kids creative tools to find calm.
theatrical performance • festival performance • workshops & residencies
Basic Information
Turn your Arrghs into Oms, Mateys!
Monkey Mind Pirates is a puppet, rock, yoga adventure for families in search of calm. Sail into the waters of calm with Cap'n Fitz as he discovers the secrets of taming the Monkey Mind Pirates.
Kids take the stage alongside professional puppeteers and musicians in this epic tale of overcoming anxiety, stress and distraction.
(Original soundtrack CD also available. Available as an indoor stage spectacle or an outdoor interactive show.)
Monkey Mind Pirates
videos
Monkey Mind Pirates Trailer
Scenes from Monkey Mind Pirates, the full stage show.
Monkey Mind Pirates
Performance history
Children's Theatre Company; Minneapolis, MN
Myles Reif Performing Arts Center; Grand Rapids, MN
Detroit Lakes Historic Holmes Theatre; Detroit Lakes, MN
Page Theatre, St. Mary's University; Winona, MN
Sacred Heart Music Center; Duluth, MN
NY Mills Cultural Center; NY Mills, MN
Children's Museum of Southern Minnesota; Mankato, MN
Paradise Center for the Arts; Faribault, MN
In the Heart of the Beast Puppet & Mask Theatre; Minneapolis, MN
Capri Theatre; Minneapolis, MN
Steppingstone Theatre; St. Paul, MN
Duluth Children's Museum; Duluth, MN
Intermedia Arts; Minneapolis, MN
Camden Music School; MN
Monkey Mind Pirates
Brochure
Monkey Mind Pirates
Before You Go Guide - Performance
Download a PDF version of this Performance Before You Go Guide.
Before You Go Guide - Workshop
Featured
Monkey Mind Pirates
media kit
Click on Photo to download Hi-resolution image
Click on Photo to download Hi-resolution image
Click on Photo to download Hi-resolution image
Click on Photo to download Hi-resolution image
Sample Press Release
The world's only puppet, rock, yoga adventure for families in search of calm.
“Z Puppets knows how to combine puppets, music and yoga into a swashbuckling good time.” – Fox News
Tap into the power of puppets, rock and yoga through Monkey Mind Pirates, a fun-filled, family-friendly musical mixing playfulness with mindfulness-- and pirates!
Sail along with this epic tale of a sea captain as he discovers the secrets to navigating the stormy seas of stress. When Captain Fitz sets out for the Legendary Waters of Calm, the unruly Monkey Mind Pirates hijack his ship with anxiety, depression and distraction. The chaos turns his ship upside down and drives the Captain overboard where he meets the Wise Sea Monkey. Find out how the Captain learns to turn his “arrghs” into ‘Oms,” regain peace and tame the Monkey Mind Pirates.
Turn your family’s “Arghs” into “Oms” with the award-winning, catchy, original songs and lovable puppets of the Monkey Mind Pirates.
Recommended for ages 2 and up.
“1/2 Monty Python + 1/2 Sesame Street”
About Z Puppets Rosenschnoz
Z Puppets Rosenschnoz delights children and their adults with feats of imagination, mixing hand-crafted puppetry, zany comedy with live music.
Z Puppets artists Shari Aronson & Chris Griffith have earned many awards, including support from the Jim Henson Foundation, National Endowment for the Arts, Puppeteers of America and the Minnesota State Arts Board. The Monkey Mind Pirates CD is winner of an award of excellence from Creative Child magazine and featured as a top pick by Creative Play Retailer.
Based in Minneapolis, Z Puppets tour their family-friendly comedies across the country. Appearances have included the Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art, the National Puppetry Festival, the Walker Art Center and Boston’s Puppet Showplace Theatre.
Z artists have an extensive background teaching classes, workshops and residencies for students of all ages. Creative Directors Aronson and Griffith have served as arts education specialists for the Perpich Center for Arts Education, Children's Theatre Company and the Educational Theater Association.
Find Z Puppets on Facebook and Twitter.
Monkey Mind Pirates
tech specs
Monkey Mind Pirates is a 60-minute performance combining puppetry and live music. The show travels in two vans with six performers and a sound/lighting technician who will also load-in and set up. The performers include a violin player (static downstage right), an electric guitar player (static downstage right), an electric bass player (static downstage right), a keyboard player (center stage, performer travels downstage left and right when not playing) and two puppeteers (mostly behind set, but travel also through the house and downstage). Depending on the child participation in the contract, we may also add a stage manager.
Set-up can be accomplished in most venues within four hours. Monkey Mind Pirates is designed for a proscenium stage, and may include up to 30 child performers in different scenes, depending on the contract.
SET: The set is built around a 12’ x 6’ x 3’ scaffolding with a 6’ x 8’ panel 3’ in front of it. A free-standing keyboard stand and captain’s wheel sits at least 3’ in front of the set, and travels SL during the show. The minimal playing area is 16’ (w) x 16’ (d) x 16’ (h). Please have additional space and seating backstage for up to 30 child performers.
LIGHTS: Monkey Mind Pirates requires a general wash on the front apron, and special lighting on each of three playing areas reaching up to the top of the set. A strobe lightning effect is used in one scene. Contained within the set and operated by performers are two blacklights. Lighting cues will be provided on separate pages.
ACCESS: If performing on a raised stage more than 3’ tall, performers will need to have a secure stair to the audience to be able to accommodate audience interaction. If not available, we can adjust those portions of the show.
SOUND: Monkey Mind Pirates has four musical inputs: a violin, keyboard and electric and bass guitars. Each must have a separate monitor. The keyboard travels on wheels from center stage to stage right during the performance, and returns. There are also three headset microphones that travel with the show (XLR input), and up to three additional microphones on stands that will need to be provided. At least one must be backstage.
CLEAN-UP: Monkey Mind Pirates includes a blast of confetti during the performance. Please have a broom and dustpan available for clean up immediately after each performance.
HOSPITALITY: The Company requests the following to be backstage in between events on days in which more than one activity has been scheduled (times will be advanced by Tour Manager):
Filtered water (enough for 5 performers plus up to 30 child performers)
Fruit tray (e.g. grapes, apples, oranges)
Vegetarian snack tray (e.g. pita bread, hummus, carrots)
MINIMUM STAGE DIMENSIONS:
Depth: 16’ (back wall to lip of stage) – note may need extra backstage space depending on # of child performers added
Width – 16’ at proscenium (ideally at least 20’)
Height – 16’ mandatory
WARDROBE: If more than three performances, please have available a washing machine and dryer.
DRESSING ROOMS: At least one dressing room with adequate heating and cooling, hot water and toilets separate from public must be provided.
PARKING: Parking for one full sized van and one 9’ tall van is required.
FRONT OF HOUSE: Late seating is allowed. We will require a minimum space of 4’ x 5’ x 8’ tall to set up our Merchandise booth.
SAMPLE WORK SCHEDULE: Production requires exclusive use of the performing space during load-in and performance.
Below is typical for a small to mid-sized theater space. Unusual space can also be accommodated.
We prefer to load-in the day before performances and load-out the day after.
The schedule below is a sample assuming performances at 2:00 and 7:00 pm on a Saturday. Your schedule may vary, and will be forwarded by our Tour Manager.
4:00 pm Company dinner and break
5:30 pm Performer call, warm up.
6:00 pm Child performer call at theater (optional).
6:30 pm Performer call onstage, house opens.
7:00 pm Presenter introduction, show begins.
8:00 pm Show ends, Company returns for Q&A audience, greet children.
8:30 pm Clean up and pack small props
9:00 pm Company disperses for evening.
SUNDAY
10:00 am Company strikes and packs set, loads out.
12:00 pm Company departs.
FRIDAY
1:00 pm Company arrives, load-in and set up..
5:00 pm Sound check, set levels.
6:00 pm Company disperses for the evening.
SATURDAY
12:30 pm Performer call at theater.
1:00 pm Child performer call at theater (optional).
1:30 pm Performer call onstage, house opens.
2:00 pm Presenter introduction, show begins.
3:00 pm Show ends, Company returns for Q&A
3:30 pm Clean up and re-set props