Travel around the world and beyond this mortal plane with the Center's favorite band of the undead as they present a cavalcade of creepy stories, frightful songs and devilish dances unearthed from locales near and far!  Created by Jon Ludwig and Jason von Hinezmeyer, The Ghastly Dreadfuls brings the art of storytelling back to life with a unique blend of music, dance, and puppetry that will keep you on the edge of your seat.

On September 23, 1978, Kermit the Frog©, accompanied by his creator, Jim Henson, cut the ribbon to officially open the Center for Puppetry Arts in Atlanta. Founded by Barbara and Bill Wylly Executive Director Vincent Anthony, the Center is the largest organization in the United States dedicated to the art form of puppetry and focuses on three areas: performance, museum and education.

Jon Ludwig, CPA's Artistic Director, is an accomplished performer, director, and designer who has worked at CPA since its inception. At CPA, Ludwig has written and directed 20 distinctive shows for the Family Series that educate and appeal to children and adults. Seven of his productions have received Citations of Excellence from UNIMA-USA, and in 2007 he was among the first recipients of a new grant from Atlanta's Charles Loridans Foundation to honor individual artists who have made significant contributions to the city's cultural life.

Ludwig has also collaborated with national and international artists including Petr Matasek from the Czech Republic's Theater DRAK and Ping Chong and Mitsuru Ishii of Japan. In children's television, Ludwig wrote, designed, and puppeteered the shadow puppet segments for the Disney Channel/Henson Production Bear in the Big Blue House. He also directed and puppeteered for the Disney Channel's The Book of Pooh. He is a member of The Directors Guild of America and ASCAP and holds a B.A. in Theater from Chicago's Columbia College.

Jason von Hinezmeyer, CPA’s Resident Puppet Builder, came to the Center in 2002 after attending the University of Connecticut’s Puppet Arts Program. Von Hinezmeyer has designed and built puppets for such Center productions as Anne Frank: Within & Without, The Little Pirate Mermaid,and Adventures of Little Noodle.He has also taught puppet-building workshops as part of the Center’s Teen and Adult Education Series and the Puppeteers of America’s National Festival. Avanti, Da Vinci! The Secret Adventures of Leonardo da Vinci, which von Hinezmeyer wrote and directed with Jon Ludwig sold out its Atlanta premiere in 2004 and traveled to the Slovak Republic, where it became the first U.S. production to be performed at the Bábkarska Bystrica Puppetry Festival. In addition to his work at the Center, von Hinezmeyer has designed puppets for Shipwrecked at Kentucky’s Actors Theater of Louisville and currently designs and performs puppets for Dragonfruit Studios’ Spookhouse Dave and for Cartoon Network promotions. With Atlanta’s Dad’s Garage Theatre he directed Clash Titan Clash, Scarlett’s Web and created the Super Villain Monologues, which toured to the 2010 Edmonton Fringe Festival. Von Hinezmeyer is a past recipient of an Artist Encouragement Award from Atlanta’s Charles Loridans Foundation.

For more information, visit the Center for Puppetry Arts website