Making magic

The National Puppetry Conference at the Eugene O’Neill Theater Center is, among many other things, a celebration of creativity.

Seeing people transform inanimate objects into what seem like breathing, living things is like watching a magician at work.

Puppeteers study everything to do with the art form, from design to construction to music, and then, as the culmination of the conference, give two public performances. Those happen Friday and Saturday, and if you want to marvel, get yourself some tickets.

Those shows feature guest artists and artists-in-residence, and pieces in a range of performance styles, created during the conference.

National Puppetry Conference performances, 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Eugene O’Neill Theater Center, 305 Great Neck Road, Waterford; $30; (860) 443-1238, www.theoneill.org.

PHOTOS COURTESY THE O’NEILL Marionettes presentation led by Jim Rose, far right, at the 2018 National Puppetry Conference. Cover: Rehearsal for CRAVE by Ronnie Burkett at last year’s conference.