About
Sunny Side of The Street Theater is a small-but-mighty company that crafts work dedicated to endangered animals. As the name suggests, the company seeks to engage our curiosity and optimism.
Kathleen Doyle, Artistic Director, is a theater maker whose work has been seen all across the country, from New York to California, from Alaska to Hawai’i and from Broadway to The West End. Kathleen's designs have been seen throughout New York City, at Jazz at Lincoln Center, La MaMa, H.E.R.E., New York City Center, The New Ohio, The Joyce Theater, The American Museum of Natural History and The New Victory Theater. Her crafted builds have been seen at Walt Disney World and The Santa Fe Opera and The Kennedy Center. Doyle’s puppets and puppet sketches have been exhibited in their own rights at art galleries in Sao Paulo, Brazil, Daegu, South Korea and New York City. Her work hangs in private and public art collections. Kathleen was a Fulbright Scholar to Japan, and again to China and Hong Kong and a International Goodwill Ambassador to Peru. She has been a collaborative resident artist at the Thang Long National Water Puppetry Theater in Hanoi, Vietnam and is supported by The Mermaid Theatre of Nova Scotia. Kathleen is founding artistic director of the small-but-mighty unique water puppetry company ‘Works With Water.’ She is a recipient of the Theater Communications Global Initiatives Grant, The Puffin Foundation Public Arts in Environmental Activism Grant and a Labworks artist for New 42nd St. Studios/New Victory Theater. Kathleen Doyle is a proud member of USA Local-829, earned an M.A. in Dramaturgy from Villanova and an M.F.A. in Theater Design from N.Y.U. Tisch School of The Arts. Doyle credits her time as an Earthwatch volunteer in the Hluhluwe Umfoloze National Animal Reserve in Kwa Zulu Natal, South Africa as an experience directly related to creating work that shines a light wild and free animals in their natural habitats.
Support
Sunny Side of the Street Theater is a sponsored artist with The Field, a not-for-profit, tax-exempt 501(C)(3) organization serving the arts community. Contributions to The Field earmarked for "Sunny Side of the Street Theater" are tax-deductible. For more information about The Field, contact: The Field, 228 Park Ae S, Suite 97217, New York, NY 10003, phone: 212-691-6969. A copy of our latest financial report may be obtained from The Field or from the Office of Attorney General, Charities Bureau, 120 Broadway, New York, NY 10271
"No actual bears will be at the American Museum of Natural History, but a life size polar bear puppet will roam the event. Her name is 'Qanuk' which means 'Snowflake' in Yuptik, a language spoken in parts of the Arctic Circle. This Friday, bear with it!"
New York Times 'Critic's Pick'
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"These puppets are beautiful artwork but this work also has a deep meaning that moves the heart"
Antonio Soddu
Curator, Gallery 522, New York City
"The visit by Snowflake to the Hawai'i State Capitol literally delighted legislators. It brought attention to the plight of animals threatened by climate change in a way that was never off-putting but always engaging."
Lisa Marten
Hawai'i State Representative (D)
51st Distirct
"This is wonderful, Kathleen. It feels like Hawai'i is just one of many chapters. You've created a beautiful, gentle character to raise public awareness of the plight of the polar bear. Not only educating but at the same time bringing joy. I have to say as I was following you so many people were just smiling and stopping to pause what they were doing on Kalakaua to wonder. Polar bear on Waikiki, hmm. What's that about? I'm sure you planted many seeds."
Lillian Tsang
Senior Producer
Hawai'i Public Radio
"I like polar bears. I think it's messed up that people be taking their environment and stuff. We should protect polar bears at all costs."
Emiliano
Waikiki, Freshman
Miliani High School, Honolulu
"It's fun to see something different that catches your eye while you're walking on a beautiful place like Honolulu. Definitely it's not just a piece of art. It makes you think what might be the reason behind it... Could be just to make people smile or maybe it's a more serious cause like global warming, the weather changing and the impact it has on species like them."
Marco
Onlooker
from Italy in Hawai'i
"I think this is a very good symbol that everybody can recognize for the environment."
Kahn
Onlooker
from Belgium on holiday in Hawai'i
"At first I was very surprised. People think Wow, it's very strange to see a polar bear in Hawai'i. But I think it's a very good idea to promote, to motivate people to think about and protect our environment. So I'm happy! I'm glad to see her."
Konatsu
Onlooker
from Japan on holiday in Hawai'i
"We saw her walking down the street and we impressed with the mechanics, the blinking eyes, the cloth. She is very pretty."
Onlookers from Indianappolis, Indiana on holiday in Hawai'i
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"To me it's like art. Someone is trying to making a statement probably an extremist climate response. Hold on I want an unobstructed view. This is pretty cool. So whosever's doing this, I'm sure they've got their heart in it. You have to, right?"
Concerned citizen
O'ahu