The Center for Puppetry Arts is proud to announce actor, producer, and puppetry enthusiast David Arquette will be a special guest for String Fling 2026, the Center’s annual benefit gala celebrating creativity, imagination, and the enduring art of puppetry. 

Taking place on World Puppetry Day, March 21, String Fling 2026 marks the beginning of a momentous three-year countdown to the Center for Puppetry Arts’ 50th Anniversary in 2028. Each year as we approach this milestone, the Center will welcome a distinguished friend of puppetry as the String Fling Special Guest—highlighting artists and advocates whose passion reflects the power and reach of this timeless art form. The Center is thrilled to feature David Arquette as the inaugural guest in this celebratory series.  

“David Arquette brings both genuine enthusiasm and deep respect for puppetry as an art form,” said Beth Schiavo, Executive Director of the Center for Puppetry Arts. “As we begin this countdown to our 50^th anniversary, David’s presence underscores the enduring influence of puppetry across entertainment, culture, and generations.”  

“I’m overjoyed to support the Center for Puppetry Arts and the String Fling 2026 theme,  

‘The Spark of Imagination,’” said Arquette. “It’s a celebration of that initial idea, doodle, sketch, or conversation that gets a creative idea flowing, and it reflects the energy of this exciting moment in time for the Center.”  

Arquette is the youngest of the Arquette dynasty, which stems all the way back to his great-grandparents, who were Vaudevillians. Arquette is a multi-talented actor, producer, and lifelong pop culture fan whose career spans more than three decades of beloved films, television series, and cult classics. He is widely known as Deputy Dewey Riley in the iconic Scream franchise, with additional fan-favorite roles in films such as Never Been Kissed (1999), Eight Legged Freaks (2002), and Ready to Rumble (2000). He was also featured in Muppets from Space (1999) and It’s a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie (2002).  

Beyond the screen, Arquette is also a passionate professional wrestling devotee, famously holding the WCW World Heavyweight Championship and later chronicling his unconventional return in the award-winning documentary You Cannot Kill David Arquette (2020).  

In 2021, Arquette realized his childhood dream and purchased the rights to Bozo the Clown. Since then, he has been collaborating with clowns, artists, and charities to create a clown-collective focused on promoting kindness, inclusiveness and pure fun throughout the world. Arquette is an ambassador to Feeding America, The Kids Mental Health Foundation, and The Violence Intervention Program, in honor of his late sister Alexis Arquette. Arquette is also a certified Bob Ross instructor and donates classes to charity to help spread joy to people around the world.   

Arquette’s career reflects the same joy, commitment, and imaginative play that fuels the art of puppetry. A dedicated collector of puppets and puppetry artifacts, Arquette has long championed the artistry, craftsmanship, and character-driven storytelling that define the medium.