On Sunday John Oliver tackled the “fundamentally broken” U.S. prison system in an extended segment on his HBO show “Last Week, Tonight.” “We have more prisoners at the moment than China,” Oliver said.

On Thursday evening, with 20 puppets and one set of hands, Tanglewood Marionettes co-founder Peter Schaefer, captivated an audience of families and children. Dressed in costumes having returned from ...