New York Puppet Show Derails Into Anti-Israel Hate Speech

A Jewish mother attending a puppet show in New York with her son was horrified when the performance, initially focused on New York City life, devolved into anti-Israel rhetoric. The show, titled "The Cardboard Pizza Puppet Circus," was part of the New York International Puppet Festival.

According to the mother, after just 15 minutes, the humor shifted from everyday New York symbols to political stances against the Jewish state. She described the transition as abrupt and unexpected. The performance, which lasted about an hour and was attended by approximately 200 people, included a segment where eight actors depicted a "pogrom," met with loud boos from the audience. There were also comments made about U.S. taxpayer money sent to Israel.

The mother questioned the relevance of anti-Israel propaganda in a show about New York, asking if hatred for Israel was now integral to the city's brand. She noted her 4-year-old son repeatedly asked what was happening due to her visible shock. She felt surrounded by ideological enemies and described the atmosphere as deeply unsettling, with many audience members appearing to agree with the accusations leveled against Israel.

The performance allegedly accused Israel of bombing hospitals. The mother, a self-described proud Zionist, chose not to speak out against Hamas for fear of backlash from the audience. She compared the experience to the antisemitism her family fled in the Soviet Union, calling it a new version of hatred in New York.

The show was created by the Brooklyn-based Boxcutter Collective, a theater group that formed while working with the Bread & Puppet Theater. The collective describes itself as producing politically, anti-capitalist, environmental, and socially focused performances. In November 2023, they presented "Monologues from Gaza" in response to the conflict in Gaza.

Manuel Moran, founder and producer of the New York International Puppet Festival, stated that festival organizers might not have been aware of the specific content added by the troupe. The festival received partial funding from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs and the New York State Council on the Arts, under Mayor Eric Adams.