Mary Phipps Putnam Churchill (December 29, 1930 – November 16, 1997) was an American puppeteer, educator, and entrepreneur.
Churchill was founder and director of Puppet Showplace Theater in Brookline, Massachusetts.
These included “Little Red Riding Hood,” “Three Billy Goats Gruff,” “The Lion and the Mouse,” and "The Three Bears."
She also performed "Devil in the Pumpkin Patch" and "The Witch Who Hates Birthdays.
Mary was a dentist who avoided being eaten by pulling out the teeth of the Big Bad Wolf.
It went “from a few weekend shows to an internationally recognized puppetry center.”[9] Churchill showcased performers from across the United States and around the world.
[10] The Puppetry Journal called Churchill the “driving force” behind Puppet Showplace Theater.
[11] In The Boston Globe, Lynda Morgenroth wrote, "The Puppet Showplace is the house Mary Churchill built.
[13] Churchill died of lung cancer on Sunday, November 16, 1997 at her home in Brookline.