Roswell Summer Puppet Series
Strings Attached
The Roswell Summer Puppet Series provides a creative reprieve from the summer heat for children of all ages. At a performance of Jungle Book: The Story of Mowgli’s Fire performed by the Frisch Marionettes, my young sons and I sat among families with children ranging from infants to elementary school age.
The Roswell Cultural Arts Center itself has true “theater ambience” with its red-cushioned seats and excellent acoustics, all the while providing wide aisles and a spacious lobby for the little ones to get their wiggles out before show time.
Before the puppet show began, the lead puppeteer gave an informative and comical presentation about how he operates the marionettes, illustrating by manipulating a puppet who mischievously kept trying to wander away. My toddler proclaimed that “when the puppet almost walked off the stage” was his favorite part of the show!
Following the presentation, the lights dimmed and The Jungle Book came to life, complete with Mowgli, Baloo the Bear, and Shere Khan, or “scary tiger” as my son called him. The entire show, with musical numbers and brief set changes, ran about one hour, keeping the attention of even my busy-body toddler. After the performance, the puppeteer came back on stage for a Q&A with the audience. Children asked questions and could even touch the marionettes.
Upcoming July performances of Tangle of Tales and Peter Rabbit Tales are performed by different puppet troupes, but all introduce their shows with similar pre-and post-show presentations. I appreciated that crowd participation was encouraged, creating a truly kid-friendly environment in which nervous parents can be at ease if their little ones are less than silent. Following the show, those who are inspired to continue the puppet fun at home can purchase “make your own puppet” kits in the lobby.
I was initially nervous about taking my 2½-year-old (and a 2-month-old) to a live performance, but my toddler loved the puppets, and we look forward to attending again.
– Melissa Thorson
