A Wolf Gets a Bad Rap in The Puppet Co.'s Little Red Riding Hood and the 3 Little Pigs
The Puppet Co. has brought back one of its signature family favorites, and it arrives with a fresh coat of paint. Little Red Riding Hood and the 3 Little Pigs, originally created by the company's founders, has been reworked into a new version now playing at the Puppet Co. Playhouse in Glen Echo Park through September 20, 2026. It is a 45-minute romp that takes two of the most familiar fairy tales in the world and turns them inside out.
The twist here is all about perspective. The hero of the piece is not the girl in the red cape or the trio of home-building pigs but the wolf himself, a cool, hip-shaking fellow who wants nothing more than to go about his day in peace. Trouble is, everyone he meets seems determined to see the worst in him. The three pigs are introduced as hardworking brothers, each with a distinct personality and plenty of sibling banter, but as the story unfolds they misread every innocent moment, spin up their own version of events, and convince themselves and anyone within earshot that the wolf is a vicious predator on the prowl. When he huffs and puffs, it is only because he has been chasing a panicked pig uphill trying to explain himself. And rather than threatening to blow anyone's house down, he mostly wants to find somewhere to lie down.
Little Red Riding Hood fares no better as a witness. She crosses paths with the wolf while selling baked goods on the way to her grandmother's house, and her generous offer of a few treats sets off a chain of events that makes him look far more dangerous than he is. Once he has sampled her baguettes and cookies, he is understandably eager for more, which leads him straight to grandmother's door. From his point of view, why would anyone bother with a bony old lady when there is a fresh batch of cookies around?
Underneath the laughs, the show carries a message that lands for kids and grown-ups alike: how easy it is to turn an innocent bystander into a villain simply by telling the story a certain way. It is a timeless idea delivered with a light touch, never preachy, and always in service of the fun.
That fun is helped along by a hum-along soundtrack with an irresistible howling refrain, and there is real charm in watching a rod-puppet wolf slide-step to a funky beat. In an age of screens and digital noise, the simplicity of puppetry and the imagination it invites feel like a welcome change of pace.
Little Red Riding Hood and the 3 Little Pigs is written by Christopher Piper, who also designed the puppets, and directed by Danny Pushkin. The cast features Lee Gerstenhaber, Mollie Greenberg James, and Brigid Wallace Harper, with Andrew Quilpa as swing. Scenic and costume design is by MayField Piper and Allan Stevens, with sound design by Elizabeth Dapo and Christopher Piper.
Performances run Thursdays and Fridays at 10:30 am and Saturdays and Sundays at 11:30 am and 2:30 pm at the Puppet Co. Playhouse, 7300 MacArthur Blvd, Glen Echo, MD. Tickets are $18 per person and can be purchased online or by calling the box office at 301-634-5380. Children under 2 do not require a ticket, but families should call ahead to reserve a free seat. The show is recommended for ages 4 and up and runs approximately 45 minutes.