Silver, Bernice

Bernice Silver (1913–2020) was an American puppeteer and activist, widely known as the “Queen of Potpourri” for her distinctive blend of storytelling, folk music, puppetry, costumes, and sharp political commentary. Born in Bushwick, Brooklyn, she spent much of her life performing in open-mic settings, workers’ theater groups, children’s programs, and at political demonstrations throughout New York, using performance as a tool for education and social critique. In her later years, Silver lived in Englewood, New Jersey, where she continued to create and perform well past the age of 100, often incorporating her longevity into her act by playfully challenging assumptions about aging with humor and insight. She passed away in April 2020 at the age of 106 from respiratory failure related to COVID-19, leaving behind a legacy of lifelong artistic expression and activism.

Bernice Silver Appreciation Society, Facebook