On Friday morning, September 21, 2012, Mariela hangs from the lampshade in room 44 of our motel, the Presidential Inn, in West Branch, Iowa. I gather my purse, sweater, water bottle, and name tag, slipping its black, elastic string over my head, displaying the laminated card proudly, like a new necklace. I read the words with a smile.
"Gisela Foster" it says, "Great Plains Puppet Train; 2012 Puppeteers of America Regional Festival." I add silently: all you can carry inspiration, practical advice, hands on workshops from morning to night, a variety of puppet shows and films and a children's festival.
The eight mile ride into West Liberty is a wonderful introduction into the world of puppetry by none other than the outgoing president of Puppeteers of America, Anna Vargas. The day before I had been picked up at the Cedar Rapids Airport by Justin Cornett-Olsson, a local puppeteer apprentice, who had waited patiently for me after dropping off his wife and child. Later the young lady in charge at the motel quickly prepared a room for me though it was only ten in the morning and check-in time was not until 3pm. After a very long nap I contacted Cara McFerren, the Assistant Festival Director, to inquire about transportation and was told that Anna would be staying at the same motel and would give me a ride to the Methodist Church in West Liberty where most of the workshops and meals would take place.
And so my three days at the Puppet Festival begin with dinner and a show on Thursday evening, great conversations with veteran puppeteers, and light entertainment by artists with enormous enthusiasm.
On Friday morning, after breakfast I attend two workshops, both tremendously interesting to me. The first one, "One Person Library Shows" is held by Anitra Steele. The second one, "Preschoolers: Puppets and Pretending" features Carol Taylor.
Anitra Steele calls all children to pay attention
Anitra's puppets entertain the children
What I gain from the two women's experience is an understanding of the importance of puppetry for small children. I gather from the group of preschoolers in attendance that a child will pay attention to the words as well as the movement of a puppet. The little ones learn cooperation, gather math skills, sing, exercise, display independent thinking, and most of all, they have a lot of fun. More than once they laugh out loud, respond enthusiastically to the commands of "wiggle, wiggle, wiggle," and when asked to share the lines of a song with "those over 16" I see heads turn to inspect us older folks with curiosity.
Carol Taylor demonstrates one of her hand-made puppets
What I also learn, as I slip on a small hot pink glove and anchor two bright green buttons on a piece of elastic around my middle finger, is the fact that almost anything can become a puppet. Indeed, it takes very little to make me into an instant puppeteer, twisting and turning my gloved fist in conversation with an imaginary audience. (A few days later, at home, I take the first glove I find and convert it into a puppet.)
Carol shows us the simplest of ingredients for a puppet
Later I fashion my own simple puppet from a white glove and black buttons
While I watch Carol parade her puppet friends in front of us, I can't help but wish that I had stumbled into this magical world a little sooner. Mariela Sinti would not be confined to the motel room had I learned earlier to redirect my crafting skills from dolls to their stage-friendly cousins, the puppets. I can see myself walking around with a traveling bear attached to my left hand; a bear who likes to appear on the Charles Bridge in Prague, waving to the crowd. Or I might be accompanied by a little red-headed girl with big brown eyes. She wears a lime-green dress with ruffles and has a quick temper. Or, maybe, I would sit at my favorite coffee shop with a wise old owl, who had just finished one of her night flights and is waiting for a cinnamon sprinkled cappuccino. Already I am wildly in love with puppeteering.
The afternoon begins with a satisfying walking taco which I enjoy at a sunny table in Ron de Voo Park. I watch a few puppet films at the New Strand Theatre, visit with Monica Leo, Festival Director and owner of the Owl Glass Puppetry Center, take a long walk up and down the streets of West Liberty, ending up at Heritage Park, where I meet William Koelln who introduces me to the history of West Liberty.
Here I am at Ron de Voo Park
Monica Leo's Owl Glass Theatre
The New Strand Theatre
One Room School House at Heritage Park
Train Depot at Heritage Park
Before dinner, at the United Methodist Church, is a Puppeteers of America general meeting in which Anna Vargas hands over the reign to incoming President Nick Hubbard. After dinner we all proceed to Slip's Saloon and Eatery for a puppet slam. I will never forget the ordinary red pin cushion, coaxed by her very resourceful puppeteer, using lamaze breathing technique and outlandish moans, groans, and cries, as she releases her pins, one by one. ??? Well, you had to be there!
I return to the motel room around ten thirty. Mariela still leans against the lamp. I take her down, walk her across the room, tell her that I had a great day, and wonder if she is up to the amazing feats of puppetry that chase each other in my head.
" You better get some rest,"she says, and I am sure she can read my thoughts. I gently lay her down on the desk and get ready for bed.
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