Darling
or A Choose Your Own Adventure in Dismantling the Patriarchy
Created by Harley Brooke Walker
Directed by Kate Brehm
February 5-15, 2026
Studio Theatre
TICKET PRICING:
Adults: $35, $30, $25
Seniors/Faculty, Staff: $30, $25, $20
Students: $12
Children: $12
Join CRT for the world premiere of this magical new project by UConn MFA Puppet Arts candidate Harley Walker. Peter Pan and Wendy Darling are now all grown up, with only their shadows retaining the freedom – and unwitting blindness – of childhood. Taking inspiration from J.M. Barrie’s Peter Pan, Darling blends shadow puppetry with live actor performance without spoken dialogue, embracing Walker’s gifted artistic practice in dance, movement and visual spectacle. Not to be missed!
Harley Brooke Walker
creator | assistant director
Harley Brooke Walker (she/they) is a puppeteer, storyteller and an MFA candidate in Puppet Arts at the University of Connecticut. After entering the graduate program at UConn, Harley has focused their studies on shadow puppetry. They were lead designer, fabricator and director of shadow puppetry for Connecticut Repertory Theater’s production of The Old Man and The Old Moon. Their full length one person show Not My Grandmother’s Daughter premiered at the 2024 Hollywood Fringe Festival with a nearly sold out run and was awarded Best of the Broadwater and nominated for Best Solo Performance. In August 2025, they will take their solo show to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival for a month long run before hitting the ground running for Darling.
Kate Brehm
director
Kate Brehm directs, devises, performs, and teaches visual theater with puppets, physical acting, and scenic dramaturgy. She is an accomplished international puppeteer and movement director certified to teach the Margolis Method of Physical Theater. Her New York based company, imnotlost, has devised original theater and interactive events since 2003. She teaches practical and theoretical tools for performative visual thinking through her classes, Moving Objects and Performing Design.
Performances:
Thursday, February 5, 7:30pm, Preview
Friday, February 6, 8pm, Opening
Saturday, February 7, 8pm
Wednesday, February 11, 7:30pm
Thursday, February 12, 7:30, $5 Students, post-show talkback
Friday, February 13, 8pm
Saturday, February 14, 2pm, post-show talkback
Saturday, February 14, 8pm
Sunday, February 15, 2pm, mask-required performance, closing
Darling Cast
Darling Design & Production Team
Design & Production Team:
Scenic and Lighting Design – Cody Tellis Rutledge
Costume Design – Frederick Windross
Puppet Designer – Harley Walker
Composer – Phoebe Thompson
Stage Manager – Guest Artist TBA
Asst. Stage Manager – Davis Keaney
Assistant Costume Designer – Emma Sowards
Wardrobe Manager – Mai Carini
Cast:
Movers:
Halli Gibson
Jiahui Guo
Ian Rothauser
Mariangelie Vélez
Puppeteers:
Alfi Free
Sadie Aiken
Rosie Grunzke
Coming soon to CRT:
CRT BOX OFFICE | 860-486-2113 | crtboxoffice@uconn.edu