Behind a Harlem brownstone, dolls recreate their journeys to honor their museum founder, Aunt Len.
Behind the pink door of a Harlem brownstone lies Aunt Len's Doll and Toy Museum, a world curated by Lennon Holder Hoyte. In this imaginative space, the dolls from her cherished "dollection" work to preserve her memory. As the neighborhood around them crumbles, they relive their journeys to the museum, seeking to keep Aunt Len’s legacy alive while resisting the inevitable passage of time.
The production is helmed by Alva Rogers, Artistic Director of ALVA PUPPET THEATER. A dramatist, puppeteer, and multidisciplinary artist, Rogers previously presented "Topsy-Turvy" at the Brooklyn Academy of Music’s 2024 Gala at the request of Solange Knowles. Her career spans performance art, acting in films like School Daze and Daughters of the Dust, and writing for theatre with degrees from NYU/Tisch and Brown University.
Joining the creative team is Ash Winkfield (xe/xem/xyr), a multidisciplinary artist specializing in theater and puppetry. Winkfield has collaborated with renowned artists like Basil Twist (Rite of Spring, Sister’s Follies), participated in The Walk with Little Amal across North America, and contributed to Yaa Samar Dance Theater’s Gathering. Through evocative puppetry, the production captures the emotional resilience of Aunt Len’s dolls as they navigate themes of memory, loss, and legacy.