The Gerwick Puppets was founded by Deborah Costine and Lenny Gerwick.  A Gerwick Puppets production was a full scale theater event in miniature. Characters were sculptured, costumed and performed amid painted sets that moved across the stage. Front, side and back lighting could change or dim for night effects. The puppeteers worked from below. The majority of puppets were hand and rod, however silhouetted rod, shadow puppets and moving objects were used.  The puppeteers appeared in masks and occasional costume. 

Gerwick Puppets performed in New England and New York for forty-five years. Performances were held in schools, libraries, theaters, museums, civic and office buildings, for public and private events. In summers outdoor performances were held with the “puppet truck” that opened to an outdoor stage.  The company was the subject of two documentaries and won numerous awards. The puppeteers also worked with elementary and middle school students with puppet making, playwrighting and play construction

Nine productions were mounted on the forty-five year span of Gerwick Puppets, six were still offered when the company retired in 2020