Basil Twist

Puppeteer

A native of San Francisco, Basil Twist is a third-generation puppeteer. He is the sole American to graduate from the École Supérieure Nationale des Arts de la Marionnette in Charleville-Mezieres, France. Basil’s showmanship was spotlighted in New York by The Jim Henson International Festival of Puppetry with his award winning The Araneidae Show. This recognition coupled with the ground-breaking and multiple award-winning Symphonie Fantastique. Deeply musical in nature, Basil Twist thrives in the world of opera and ballet. He just created Titon et l’Aurore with Les Arts Florissants at the Opera Comique in Paris and recently collaborated with Phelim McDermott on Aida at English National Opera, Geneva Opera House and Houston Grand Opera. In dance he created the sets and puppetry for the world premiere of Dorothy and The Prince of Oz for The Tulsa Ballet and collaborated on a new Nutcracker with Christopher Wheeldon for The Joffrey Ballet. Previously with Wheeldon, Twist designed puppetry for Cinderella at the Dutch National Ballet and the San Francisco Ballet, and A Winter's Tale for the Royal Ballet. Broadway credits include puppetry design for Charlie and The Chocolate Factory, Oh, Hello! and The Addams Family.

(Information as of 2023)