DU Theatre Alumna Turned Professional Puppeteer

Meet Katy Williams, 2014 alumna of the University of Denver's Department of Theatre and full-time puppeteer and theatre artist. During Williams' time at DU, she trailblazed a path for herself and those who come after her in the niche area of puppeteering. For example, her senior thesis project served as the very first puppet show at DU that was a re-telling of the myth of Pegasus, brought to life with a life-size, handcrafted Pegasus puppet and Chimera puppet with multiple heads, both requiring several individuals to operate the massive creations from the inside. This thesis project, along with the support of theatre professor Steven McDonald and many early professional experiences in set building and design, launched Williams on a lifelong journey of inspiring others to decide their own path, perfecting her puppet craft, and building on the entrepreneurial nature of her unique passion through puppet creation and performance and community-building across Denver and Colorado Springs. 

Since graduating from DU, Williams has made a name for herself in the creative and performance industry of Colorado, continuing to be a pioneer in the realm of puppetry by starting the Rocky Mountain Puppetry Guild, a community initiative of puppet artists, and spearheading the Rocky Mountain Puppet Slam, an annual event of curated short form puppet and object theatre in the Mile High City. Before and after Puppet Slams, Williams even hosts "Puppet Lab," during which audience members chat with puppeteers to see how their contraptions work. 

Alongside her role as a puppeteer, Williams is also a director, producer, fabricator and educator, proving that the diverse skill sets cultivated in the DU Theatre program continue to benefit graduates for years to come and propel alumni towards success.