Not for the kids: Henson Alternative's Stuffed and Unstrung at Kingsbury Thursday

Henson Alternative's Stuffed and Unstrung may be a puppet show, but it is intended for adults 18 and older.

With 80 Henson puppets and six comics manipulating those puppets, the show doesn't "endeavor to offend," said Patrick Bristow, director and co-creator with Brian Henson.

But inevitably the show moves into R-rated material.

It is about 80 percent improvised with subject matter coming straight from the audience — suggestions usually relate to off-color topics such as prostitution and gynecology.

While buttoned-up critics have called what they do with puppets sacrilegious, Bristow said in a recent telephone interview that the variety show is modeled after some of the first explorations the late Jim Henson had with puppets.

"His earlier works had a lot of edge and subversiveness."

Did you know Henson created a series of adult-themed sketches on the first season of "Saturday Night Live"?

In other words, book a baby-sitter.

When • Thursday, 7:30 p.m.Where • Kingsbury Hall, 1395 E. Presidents Circle, Salt Lake CityTickets • $36.50, $32.50, $28.50, $24.50 at kingsburyhall.utah.edu; U. of U. students$5 with valid ID (at box office or Union desk)