Dozens of children flooded in front of the puppet show set, waiting restlessly for the lights to go down. Their excitement for a puppet show may seem like a thing of the past, but the organizers say the Chicago International Puppet Theater Festival is making sure that puppetry stays timely and accessible.
Running Jan. 15-26, Chicago Puppet Fest offers several events including theatrical performances, workshops, exhibitions and a “Free Neighborhood Tour” of shows. Chicago community members gathered Jan. 17 in the Old Town neighborhood at the Marshall Field Garden Apartments and Art on Sedgwick space to watch “The Amazing Story Machine.”
The Chicago Puppet Fest website provides information about where and when Chicagoans and puppet enthusiasts can see free performances near them. The local settings provide audience members with up-close interactions with the puppeteers.
Attendee Paige Gomez said she would not have come across the event on her own.
“My granddaughter has a classmate and they were coming so we came along,” Gomez said. “I like that there are so many types of children’s programming in the city — and this was unique.”
The show’s set doubles as an amazing story machine itself, bringing classic Grimm Brothers’ fairy tales to life using repurposed materials.
When the story machine breaks down, the performers must think of creative ways to piece together puppets from spare parts. “This is not part of the show,” the puppeteers said, looking at the audience as gears and switches broke off from the story machine. Children yelled and giggled nervously, wondering what to make of the joke.
Gomez liked the message of the show.
“It hits on so many different levels for kids but also it was very entertaining for me,” Gomez said. “I think it is awesome to let the children see how … you can take normal things out of the house and make puppets.”
The audience gasped as a rabbit made out of tape measures leapt onto the set. The Hansel and Gretel puppets made from kitchen utensils left children hollering.
“The Amazing Story Machine,” along with other free programs, is making several stops in surrounding neighborhoods.
Shoshana Bass, a puppeteer in “The Amazing Story Machine” program, said that her favorite part of performing in the neighborhood tour is getting to travel throughout Chicago.
“I think we are in the most privileged position as visiting puppeteers to this festival because we get to see parts of Chicago that are not central,” Bass said. “It is really special to humbly step into that role and feel we are welcomed into all these little corners of Chicago.”
Ben Hemmendinger, a performer and musical accompanist for the same show, agreed and said it takes a lot of time to perfect the music with the movement of the puppets.
“(Chicago has) a history of awesome theater and great community from all over,” Hemmendinger said. “We rehearse a lot, weeks and weeks of this.”
Stomping along to the accordion music, the audience snickered as puppet flies swarmed “The Brave Little Tailor,” a character and story written by the Grimm Brothers.
Bass, the puppeteer, said the “The Amazing Story Machine” show is a co-production between the groups Doppelskope and Sandglass Theater. The founders of Doppelskope, Ora Fruchter and Stoph Scheer were also the creative team responsible for transforming some of the Grimms’ stories into a puppet show.
“I think a fairy tale, of course, lends itself to puppetry,” Bass said. “What puppetry is especially good at is putting a twist on fairy tales.”
Hemmendinger said the Grimms’ fairy tales adapt well to all art mediums.
“I think they work great in our show because people know these stories and it is fun to see us reinterpret it,” Hemmendinger said.
With the cheers, singing and clapping from the audience, the children attendees engaged with innovative retellings of stories like “The Hare and the Hedgehog.” At one point, the children took part in the performance with the puppeteers, flapping their playbills as if they were birds flying.
Bass said the participation surprised her.
“That was unusual that all the kids stood up … ,” Bass said. “They sang along with all the songs of the show. I was surrounded by children supporting the story … and we seemed to all be having a great time together.”
Bass said that many puppeteers get into puppetry because of a love for playing.
“You kind of have to let go of your sense of controlling anything,” Bass said, “and be receptive, be inspired and be filled with that energy.”
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