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HOW PUPPETRY BREATHES LIFE INTO SCROOGE’S STORY STORY BY
Amanda Watkins
I
must admit it – growing up I didn’t know much about the exquisite artistry behind the puppets in my life. I just took for granted that Kermit could strum a guitar while singing “Rainbow Connection.” While watching reruns of Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood’s “The Neighborhood of Make-Believe,” I didn’t understand that there were human hands behind Lady Elaine Fairchilde. I just knew she was sassy and instilled in me a belief in my own self-empowerment. I was perplexed by Pinocchio wanting to “become a real live boy” because I assumed he already was just that – with a beating heart, deep blue eyes, and a joyous honest soul. The art form of puppetry has been engaging audiences since the earliest of times, enhancing our willing suspensions of disbelief as we watch stories unfold onstage. One of the many ways in which the Alliance Theatre is breathing new life into A Christmas Carol is found in the puppetry created by Tom Lee and Blair Thomas, co-founders of the Chicago Puppet Studio. I recently spoke with Tom about his history with this art form, and his and director Leora Morris’ decision to enhance this adaption with puppetry. “I grew up immersing myself in Asian Theatre traditions,” said Lee. “When I began my career at La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club in NYC, one of the artists there planted the seed for my interest in puppetry because of its unique combination of design and performance. One of the most crucial things to ask is, ‘How is it going to move?’ The puppet figure itself can be fueled with life and breathe and exist on its own more effectively in telling a story than just purely being representative of a character. The performers inside the puppets make them live and are in service of making the connection between bodies and breath so that the puppet is energized and engaged.”
