Alex & Olmsted (United States)

Using stunningly innovative puppetry, filled with humor, and inspired by early 20th-century vaudeville artists, Milo has received numerous international awards and was supported by the Jim Henson Foundation. It has toured extensively, appearing at prestigious venues and festivals such as LaMaMa Experimental Theatre Club in New York, the Bread and Puppet Theater in Vermont, and the Festival Mondial des Théâtres de Marionnettes in Charleville-Mézières, France. Milo has just received yet another accolade, the 2026 UNIMA-USA Citation of Excellence, which recognizes and honors the highest quality of puppetry in the United States.

Highly expressive and unafraid of the absurd, Milo the Magnificent will enchant audiences of all ages.

^{"This piece amazed audiences in more ways than one... Performed so masterfully and effectively, the audience is swept away in Milo's quick changes of expression as he struggles and achieves each feat." - Jamie Donmoyer, The Puppetry Journal}

^{"Weird and wonderful (…). All in all, Alex and Olmsted’s Milo the Magnificent is a treat for the little ones, and for the adults, an innovative romp through the nature and paradoxes of puppetry itself. It is clear why Alex and Olmsted have the Henson Foundation’s support - their work is a delight that pushes the boundaries of the art.”} 

^{- Jennifer Georgia, DC Theater Arts}

^{"The entire piece possesses a superb coherence with its charming and vintage aesthetic (...), and Milo’s varied facial expressions rendered on simple white cards. We leave with a light heart after this encounter with Milo the Magnificent." - Olivier Dumas, Mon Théâtre}

^{"Milo is a bit of a cardboard character, but you can’t blame him for that. He’s a puppet: specifically, a huge cutout fellow, whose arms, hands and feet belong to one of his creators, and whose changing facial expressions are recorded on flippable circular cards. The duo Alex & Olmsted - Alex Vernon and Sarah Olmsted Thomas - invented his world, which includes other puppets made of cleverly repurposed materials. Milo (...) aspires to be an illusionist, and while his tricks and experiments rarely work out as planned, children will still find them magical." - Laurel Graeber, The New York Times}

BIO

Alex & Olmsted (Alex Vernon and Sarah Olmsted Thomas) is an internationally acclaimed puppet theater and filmmaking company based in Baltimore, Maryland. They have toured original shows in France, Italy, South Korea, Germany, Denmark, and Canada. They have also performed at numerous theaters within the United States including the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., Symphony Space and HERE Arts in New York City, the Chicago International Puppet Theater Festival, the Detroit Institute of Arts, the Puppeteers of America Festival, and many stages in their beloved city of Baltimore, Maryland. Alex and Olmsted has been recognized by the New York Times and awarded 4 Jim Henson Foundation grants. In 2020, they received the Independent Artist Award from the Maryland State Arts Council, the highest honor for performing artists in the state of Maryland. They were awarded the international UNIMA-USA award for excellence in the art of puppetry, selected by Mid Atlantic Arts in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts for their Tours, and named an official selection of the Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival, Maryland Film Festival, Paris Art Film, and others. Alex and Olmsted is a resident company at Baltimore Theatre Project. Vernon and Thomas are also proud company members of Happenstance Theater with whom they have created 12 productions since 2012. In addition to their work in live performance, Vernon maintains and repairs the automata on exhibit at the American Visionary Art Museum and Olmsted serves as President of the National Capital Puppetry Guild. 

_CREDITS

_{Direction, performers, puppets, scenography, costumes: Alex Vernon, Sarah Olmsted Thomas Photography: Alex U. Griffin, Ryan Maxwell}

 _{Support: Jim Henson Foundation, Greenbelt Community Foundation Grant}

_{www.alexandolmsted.com}