Puppetworks
Yesterday, on Veterans’ Day
we went to a puppet theater. Not any puppet theater, but to a professional, extraordinary
marionette theater called Puppetworks, founded and directed by Nicolas "Nicolo" Coppola.
Puppetworks it’s a small
but unique place, hidden in a historic part of Park Slope in Brooklyn, where the traditionally carved marionettes are dangling from the ceiling giving a warm welcome to the visitors.
“Hansel and Gretel”, the 1853 Brothers Grimm story has captured
the imagination of audiences for generations. In Nicolas Coppol’s adaptation
and with exquisitely crafted by him marionettes, Kevin Frisch’s scrolling scenery, the
beautiful songs from the opera by Engelbert Humperdinck, “Ride of the Valkyrie”
by Richard Wagner, the classic tale brings the most famous of the Grimm
Brother’s stories to life. The master puppeteers, Hansel and Gretel, Suzie their
pet duck, the parents, the Forest Animals, Scherzo, the forest bird, Sandor,
the Sadmen, the Angels of Goodness and the Lady Rosina Sweet-Tooth - a witch are sure
to delight audiences of all ages!
The pre-show introduction helped
children to understand the idea and become involved in a 50 minute, unique storytelling experience. The
kids were entirely entertained throughout the entire show. They were laughing, sighing
or fidgeting from the excitement. The story was full of beautiful expressions and the scenes were nicely premeditated. My 5 years old daughter was enthralled
with the performance! So do I. It was a great show, absolutely worth the
trip and money. An ordinary day turned into a magical journey to an
extraordinary theater. The show was absolutely fascinating and the occurrence
unforgettable!
Penny Jones and Co. Puppets
For the Puppet show lovers I
would also strongly recommend Penny
Jones and Co. Puppets, The Early Childhood Puppet Theater for children
aged three to eight, created by Penny Jones in the 1970's and located in the
West Village, Manhattan. The theater specializes in informal puppet shows, and
puppet ballets with live music.
I took my daughter to see “The Magic Forest
In the introductory part, Ms. Jones
herself helped children to understand a plot, learn about the characters and their
roles. During the first break the kids
were able to move their hands and legs to the rhythm and get ready for more stories.
The nursery rhymes which appeared half way let the children break the silence.
Along
the show the audience was asked several questions which required creative
thinking to find the best answers and solutions. In addition the children practiced
their language skills.
The children left the show with the filling of being an
active part of the performance. They learned how to make crowd noises, sound effects or a
magic mixture to bring spring sooner. At the end
Barbara had a chance to get a backstage tour, touch and maneuver the puppets or
asked variety of questions related to the process of making and operating them. The whole experience was exceptional.
David Syrotiak’s National Marionette Theater
If you are willing to travel further
it is worthy to go to Brattleboro ,
Vermont
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