The New Victory Theater will present The Last Great Hunt’s New Owner, a whimsical and wordless adventure that delicately explores the themes of friendship, loss, and new beginnings from a dog’s point of view. New Owner melds puppetry, live action, and animation to paint a poignant portrait of grief and resiliency.
Knowing that puppies are the best medicine, Mabel adopts Bart from the animal shelter to help heal her widowed heart. But Mabel is old, and Bart is young, and not all love can last forever. Suddenly alone, Bart embarks on an urban odyssey of towering hot dog carts, menacing dog-nappers and junkyard camaraderie before ultimately finding a new home and a new owner.
Photographs: Daniel James Grant
Please note that New Owner contains a scene that alludes to the death of a human character, which may be upsetting for small children.
Recommended for everyone ages 7+, New Owner is 55 minutes long with no intermission, inclusive of a post-show puppet demonstration by show co-creator and puppeteer Tim Watts. After the show, audience members can meet the cast and see the puppets up close with a photo opportunity in the lower lobby.
New Owner was created by Arielle Gray and Tim Watts, founding members of the Perth-based Australian theater collective The Last Great Hunt, an internationally renowned, artist-led collective of creators, innovators and explorers. The canine main characters will be brought to life at the New Victory Theater by Tim Watts and Jen Bagg.
“We are thrilled to present this visually stunning production that incorporates moments of sorrow alongside moments of hope and wonder,” said New 42 Artistic Director Mary Rose Lloyd. “New Owner depicts the universal concept of loss in a beautiful, accessible and thought-provoking manner. Embracing these strong emotions so profoundly will resonate with brave children and adults alike.”
“Over the last 10 years we have performed this show for people all around the world – young, old and everything in between,” said New Owner creators Arielle Gray and Tim Watts. “We hope New Victory audiences leave with full hearts, perhaps a new appreciation for their pets, and a gentle reminder of the beauty and fragility of connection.”
The show on stage is just one part of the visitor experience! For 45 minutes before and 20 minutes after every show, the lobby of the New Victory Theater features free do-together activities in which families can try new performance skills or explore the show’s themes. Whether they are wild, wallflowers or somewhere in between, New Victory will guide children through fun family engagement inspired by the show.
Tickets start at $25 and are available at the New Victory Box Office at 209 W. 42nd Street, leading up to the performance and starting two hours before curtain time on performance days. For box office hours, please visit NewVictory.org/BoxOffice. Tickets can also be purchased online at NewVictory.org and via phone by calling 646-223-3010.
Powered by New 42, the New Victory Theater is supported, in part, with public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council; the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature; as well as the New 42 Board of Directors, and our dedicated foundation, corporate and individual donors.
About New Victory Theater
The New Victory opens new worlds to young people and families through extraordinary performances, education and engagement programs. Bringing kids to the arts and the arts to kids since 1995, this nonprofit theater has become a standard-bearer of quality performing arts for young audiences in the United States. Reflecting and serving the multicultural city it calls home, The New Victory is committed to arts access for all communities of New York to experience and engage with the exemplary international shows on its stages. A global leader in arts education, youth development and audience engagement, the New Victory Theater has been honored by the President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities with the National Arts and Humanities Youth Program Award, by Americans for the Arts with a national Arts Education Award, and by the Drama Desk for “providing enchanting, sophisticated children’s theater that appeals to the child in all of us, and for nurturing a love of theater in young people.”
About New 42
New 42 was founded to breathe new life into 42nd Street and its historic theaters, transforming the block into a vibrant and youthful theater district. Today and every day, we continue to spark awe and wonder, opening new worlds to young audiences through New Victory Theater, incubating new works at New 42 Studios, and paving new pathways to creative careers through our artist and mentorship programs. Under the leadership of President & CEO Russell Granet and Board Chairman Henry Tisch, New 42’s mission is to make extraordinary performing arts a vital part of everyone’s life from the earliest years onward. Driven for 35 years by the belief that the performing arts have the power to connect and change us all, we continue to expand what’s possible for artists, audiences, and the future of the performing arts. New 42 is the recipient of a 2025 Tony Honor for Excellence in the Theatre.
