Stacey Weingarten (Concept/Book/Lyrics) is an Emmy-winning freelance writer, producer, director, and puppet artist. She creates original, often musical (sometimes puppet-infused!) projects for stage and screen that explore social awareness through entertainment. Her favorite thing in the world is building metaphorical sandboxes and inviting folks to create sandcastles together. With a passion for family works include a musical series inspired by her rescue dog ("Rescue Rue" & "Uprooted Rue"), a digital series that aims to help kids and families "make friends with food" (Monicaʼs Mixing Bowl), an award-winning puppet short ("Beach Day"), and a Handmade Puppet Dreams Commission (Cone of Shame). Other favorite projects include a time-travelinʼ sci-fi rock opera ("LUDOʼs Broken Bride"), a chanson-infused historical fiction ("5th Republic"), a 1890s gender-affirming Storyville tale ("Madame"), and a set of historical fiction plays set in and around bars ("spirits - the bar plays"). As a self-described 'puppet person', sheʼs worked for companies such as Jim Henson Co, Swazzle, and the Puppet Kitchen, on shows like "Sesame Street", "Julie's Green Room", "Kidding", and "Avenue Q". Stacey is a rescue dog, boba tea, and Disneyland enthusiast who also brings her passion for inspiring the next generation to being VP of the Childrenʼs Media Association LA and teaching puppetry at Pace University.