Wednesday, July 31, 2002
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Wednesday, July 31, 2002 |
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Center for Puppetry Arts has season full of old favorites and new friends By MICHAEL
BOYLAN
Where can you find a fox, a hen, a bear, a piglet, a donkey, a rabbit, a fish, dinosaurs and more? The Center for Puppetry Arts in Atlanta, of course. The Center for Puppetry Arts recently released their schedule of shows for the 2002-2003 season, which will feature some classic tales such as "The Velveteen Rabbit" and "Winnie-the-Pooh" and some new shows such as "Weather Rocks" and "Dinosaurs." Audiences will also get a chance to walk through the Center's museum and participate in hands on workshops with the staff. The series kicks off with "The Fox and the Little Red Hen," which runs Aug. 20-Sept. 15. The story focuses on a sly fox who tries to outwit the hen and make her his dinner. The show is told with hand puppets and rod puppets and children can create a fox hand puppet in the Create-A-Puppet workshop after the show. Starting Sept. 19, the center will present "Winnie-the-Pooh." Eeyore loses his tail and Piglet chases a Heffalump in this adaptation of the classic story. Following the show, children can learn about author A.A. Milne and create a Pooh Bear Shadow Puppet. "Winnie-the-Pooh" runs through Dec. 15. "The Velveteen Rabbit" returns just in time for the holidays, running from Nov. 29-Jan. 5. The story focuses on a shy bunny, snubbed by his mechanical companions. His one wish is to become real. To find out if his dream comes true, you will have to see this beloved production featuring hand puppets, rod puppets and marionettes. At the workshop after the show, children will get to create a Velveteen Rabbit Rod Puppet and will compare and contrast other rabbits in children's literature. Audiences will learn amazing facts about weather with "Weather Rocks" which runs Jan. 9-March 16. The show infuses gospel, boogie, country, folk and more with over 25 hand puppets, rod puppets, marionettes, shadow puppets and body puppets. The workshop will allow children to create a Shining Sun Hand and Rod Puppet. Several famous stories will come together in "The Gingerbread Boy and Tales You'll Enjoy", Feb. 11-Apr.6. Hand and Rod Puppets will bring the stories of "The Fisherman's Wife," "The Three Wishes," "The Little Red Hen" and "The Gingerbread Boy" to life. Children will learn how gingerbread is made and will get a chance to create a Gingerbread Boy shadow puppet at the workshop following the show. The final show of the season is "Dinosaurs," which will run from Apr. 10-June 23. Audiences will trace the steps of such dinosaurs as Tyrannosaurus Rex, Triceratops, Ankylosaurus and more. The show uses amazing body puppets, a thrilling score, and startling special effects, including an erupting volcano. Children will get a chance to create a Terrific Pterodactyl marionette and will compare and contrast the characteristics of herbivores and carnivores. As always, audiences can wander through the museum before or after the show, looking at over 350 ancient and contemporary puppets from around the globe. Special exhibits will include "Winner's Circle: ten years of the UNIMA-USA Citations of Excellence in the Art of Puppetry"; 1996 Revisited: Puppets of Olympic Proportions" and "Posters International: A Puppet Perspective." The Center for Puppetry Arts is located at 1404 Spring St. at 18th in Atlanta. It is open Tuesday through Saturday from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m-5 p.m. The Center has limited free parking but is accessible from Marta. Phone 404-873-3391 for showtimes or visit www.puppet.org. |
