A native of San Francisco, Basil Twist is a third-generation puppeteer. He is the sole American to graduate from the École Supérieure Nationale des Arts de la Marionnette in Charleville-Mezieres, France. Basil’s showmanship was spotlighted in New York by The Jim Henson International Festival of Puppetry with his award winning “The Araneidae Show.” This recognition coupled with the ground-breaking and multiple award-winning “Symphonie Fantastique,” Twist was revealed as a singular artist of unlimited imagination.

Highlights of subsequent work have included “Petrushka” (commissioned by Lincoln Center) and “Dogugaeshi” (The Japan Society), "Behind the Lid" (Silver Whale Gallery) with the late Lee Nagrin and “Arias with a Twist,” co-created with nightlife icon Joey Arias. “Symphonie” and these productions have now toured throughout the world. In 2012 a cohort of Washington D.C. presenters hosted a retrospective of his work, featuring four productions and an exhibition. His site-specific commission "Seafoam Sleepwalk" for the WOW Festival at the La Jolla Playhouse was a festival favorite. "Rite of Spring" was commissioned by Carolina Performing Arts & made its world premiere at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2013, appearing also at Lincoln Center’s White Light Festival. “Sisters Follies” was created for Abrons Arts Center’s 100th Anniversary in 2015

Deeply musical in nature, Mr.Twist thrives in the world of Opera. He just created a new Titon et l’Aurore with Les Arts Florissants at the Opera Comique in Paris. He recently collaborated with Phelim McDermott on “Aida” at English National Opera, Geneva Opera House and Houston Grand Opera, with Dick Bird on “Otello” premiering at Vienna’s WIENER STAATSOPER. A new production of Ottorini Respighi’s “La Bella Dormente Nel Bosco” was created with the Gotham Chamber Opera for Lincoln Center Festival and Spoleto USA Festivals, Humperdinck’s “Hansel and Gretel” for the Houston, Atlanta and Michigan Operas. De Falla’s "Master Peters Puppet Show" was commissioned by Eos Orchestra and performed with The Los Angeles Philharmonic.

Twist is a frequent collaborator with the late Lee Breuer/Mabou Mines. From “Peter and Wendy” to “Red Beads” to his debut at The Comedie Francaise as production designer and co-director with the Breuer for "A Streetcar named Desire."

In dance most recently, he created the sets and puppetry for the world premiere of “Dorothy and The Prince of Oz” for The Tulsa Ballet and collaborated on a new “Nutcracker” with Christopher Wheeldon for The Joffrey Ballet. Previously with Mr. Wheeldon, Twist designed puppetry for "Cinderella" at the Dutch National Ballet & San Francisco Ballet, and "A Winter's Tale" for the Royal Ballet. He premiered “Darkness and Light” with Pilobolus and created the title role in “Wonderboy” with The Joe Goode Dance Company. He adapted his “Petrushka” to concert hall staging with full orchestra for the Fort Worth & Phoenix Symphony. This staging of “Petrushka” also made a spotlight appearance at City Center’s “Fall for Dance”

Twist created the unforgettable siblings in Paula Vogel's play “The Long Christmas Ride Home” at Trinity Repertory, The Long Wharf and The Vineyard Theatre (including directing and designing the West Coast Premiere at The Magic Theatre), the play within the play for Oskar Eustis’ “Hamlet” at Shakespeare in the Park and Des Macunuff's "Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots" at the La Jolla Playhouse.

Broadway credits include puppetry design for “Charlie and The Chocolate Factory”, “Oh, Hello!”, “The Addams Family”, and puppetry direction for the beloved "Pee-Wee Herman Show”.

Teaching at leading Universities such as Princeton, Stanford, Duke, New York University Rhode Island School of Design and Brown has been a source of pride. Twist was as a guest lecturer for the U.S. State Dept traveling throughout Russia. His work has received an Obie, Drama Desk Awards, UNIMA Awards, Bessie Awards, a New York Innovative Theatre Award, and a Henry Hewes Award. He has been honored with a MacArthur, the “Rome Prize” from The American Academy in Rome, a Guggenheim Fellowship, USA Fellowship, a Doris Duke Performing Artist Award and his productions have received numerous grants from the Jim Henson Foundation.

Twist guides the internationally recognized Dream Music Puppetry Program at HERE in NYC.

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