Ralph Lee

Lee, in addition to his work as puppet maker, is a director, designer and performer as well. For the last nineteen years, Lee's work has focussed on creating theatre events which take place outside traditional performance venues. These include parades, pageants, seasonal celebrations and outdoor theatrical performaces. His masks and giant puppets are a key element in these presentations. His concern is to make the artistic experience accessible to all facets of the community, free-of-charge whenever possible, and to create images that are immediately identifiable, startling and resonant.

He has been artist-in-residencce at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine since 1984 and has created masks for the New York City Opera, the New York City Ballet, the Joffrey Ballet, the Phoenix Theater, the Waverly Consort, the Living Theatre, Shari Lewis, the Ensemble for Early Music, and Saturday Night Live.

A graduate of Amherst College and a Fullbright Scholar, he has taught at Smith College, Bennington College, Hampshire College, the University of North Carolina, Hamilton College, and is currently on the faculty of New York University.