The oldest continually running marionette theatre in the US – Bob Baker Marionette Theatre – is to close and be turned into a 104-unit apartment complex. According to local media, the playhouse started in 1960, has 2,000 marionettes. It was recently bought by a developer who wants to turn the historic landmark into a 104-unit apartment complex.

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The exterior of the Bob Baker Marionette Theater in Los Angeles, California. Lucy Nicholson/Reuters
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marionette-theater-closure-10 Lucy Nicholson/Reuters
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One of 2,000 marionettes lies in a storage area. Lucy Nicholson/Reuters
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Puppeteers control disco marionettes. Lucy Nicholson/Reuters
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One of 2,000 marionettes sits in a storage area. Lucy Nicholson/Reuters
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marionette-theater-closure-09 Lucy Nicholson/Reuters
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Puppeteers control marionettes during a performance. Lucy Nicholson/Reuters
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Marionettes hang in a storage area. Lucy Nicholson/Reuters
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Puppeteers control marionettes during a performance. Lucy Nicholson/Reuters
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Jean Matsusaka, 84, smiles as a marionette waves to her during a performance. Lucy Nicholson/Reuters