Ellen Van Volkenburg

American puppeteer

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July 14, 2026

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Ellen Van Volkenburg was an American puppeteer who significantly influenced the development of puppetry in the United States. She was instrumental in the artistic puppet revival in the early 20th century, notably with her productions at the Chicago Little Theatre, including a notable staging of A Midsummer Night's Dream in 1916. Van Volkenburg later directed plays for Tony Sarg, a pivotal figure in American puppetry, who created large-scale marionette productions. Her work helped establish puppetry as a respected art form, moving beyond children's entertainment to engage adult audiences with sophisticated theatrical presentations.1

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puppetry
Styles of puppet theatre
…revival was largely inspired by Ellen Van Volkenburg at the Chicago Little Theatre with productions that included A Midsummer Night’s Dream in 1916. She later directed plays for Tony Sarg, who became the most important influence in American puppetry, with such large-scale marionette plays as Rip Van Winkle, The Rose…
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…revival was largely inspired by Ellen Van Volkenburg at the Chicago Little Theatre with productions that included A Midsummer Night’s Dream in 1916. She later directed plays for Tony Sarg, who became the most important influence in American puppetry, with such large-scale marionette plays as Rip Van Winkle, The Rose…
Read More