This Week in Puppet Playtime!

Puppet Playtime: Opening circle with Phil Berman and Brenda Huggins

PUPPET PLAYTIME FOR TODDLERS AND TINY TOTS!
Wednesdays at 10:30am through March

MAKE A RESERVATION

Bella Monster and the very hungry Caterpillar!

We are two weeks into our brand new interactive program for young children (ages 0-3) and it has been a blast!  So far we have adventured with our fabulous furry friend Bella Monster to outer space, marched with ants in the garden (hurrah, hurrah!), dined with a very hungry caterpillar, and sang our favorite songs and new original tunes composed by our very own Puppet Playtime performer, Phil Berman.  

One of the participants with a 2 year old child said:

 "My daughter was singing the songs from Puppet Playtime all day long, the experience has definitely stuck with her.  We will be back next week!"


WHAT IS IN STORE FOR THIS WEEK?
Guest Blogger: Phil Berman

Cock-a-doodle-doo!

Wake up and smell the corn husks, this Wednesday morning Puppet Playtime is off to the farm! 

Brenda, Bella Monster and I have been blessed with Puppet Showplace's rich and eclectic stock of puppets from past productions that are (literally) hanging around every corner of the theater. When developing new shows every week we try to take our cue from the wealth of materials already available to us. Bella Monster discovered a box of chicken puppets created by my dear friend from Free Hands, Allie Herryman, and we knew they were too good not to use in a show.

It turns out there's a lot of great children's music featuring these fearless flightless fowl. There's something hilariously satisfying about these birds to folks of all ages: is it the noise? the movement? the prideful attitude? We humans may never truly understand why we love chickens so much. What I can tell you is that we have a fun-filled interactive show ready for our littlest chicks: 

We'll crow and squawk and bark and whinny with the rest of the animals in the farm; plant wheat with a well-known avian baker; shake eggs while we cluck with the hens; and recount the stresses and joys of poultry puppet parenthood.

Don't stay cooped up all winter - we'll see you at the theater on Wednesday morning -- don't forget your overalls!

See you at the Theatre!

-PB

This week in Puppet Playtime....

Two 5-week sessions: Weds @ 10:30am 

Last week's Puppet Playtime with Bella:  "Adventure in the Night Sky"

Jan 16 - Feb 13; Feb 27 - Mar 27

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THE FUN IS JUST BEGINNING!

What a blast! Our BRAND NEW programing for toddlers and tiny tots kicked of last week, to great success. This interactive program is designed especially for little ones and their grown-ups to sing and sway along, and join in the fun. Today, Puppet Playtime performer, Phil Berman returns as a guest blogger to talk about the program, and give us a sneak-peek at what is in store for tomorrow!

GUEST BLOGGER: PHILIP BERMAN

Phil Berman

What a whirlwind week! It's hard to believe that Brenda, Bella and I are already on our second episode of PUPPET PLAYTIME. The three of us had a blast last Wednesday on our adventure in the night sky with all the kids and grown-ups who braved the snow to play, sing songs and experience the magic of live puppetry.

As a kids' performer with no children of my own, I spend a lot of time thinking about how my work can best fit in with the busy lives of the families we entertain. With very young children it can be a hassle to leave the house to go anywhere, let alone attend arts events! What can my work offer to kids and grown-ups alike that makes each show a "must-see?"

What I saw last week was a beautiful preview of things to come: parents, caretakers, relatives and lots of little tykes playing with their familiar faces. By the end of the program, kids were singing, clapping and laughing together (as well as some of thier older companions.) I hope that this feeling of family and community continues to grow as we continue with the series through the winter.

Tomorrow we're in for an icky treat at PUPPET PLAYTIME: we'll march with the ants, meet a quartet of quarrelsome critters, wash out spiders and feed some very hungry caterpillars. Leave the OFF! at home, because this buggy adventure is sure to bring a smile to kids and grown-ups alike.

See you at the theater!

PB

Come dance, play and pretend with us, Wednesdays this winter at 10:30am!