Pre-Festival Workshops

Spend Friday afternoon learning puppet techniques!

When: Friday afternoon, Sept. 13, 2019
Where: TBA
Cost: $15 per workshop; $40.00 for all three; $5.00 material fee for the crankie workshop.

This year we're offering three puppetry workshops, all taught by our fabulous guest puppeteers, the day before the West Liberty Children's Festival! Choose one or two workshops for $15.00 each or attend all three for $40.00. Add a $5.00 material fee for the crankie workshop.

1:30-2:45 

Finding the Story

Strong story structure featuring plenty of action is crucial to engaging puppet theater. Using simple templates, puppeteers will collaborate to create a plot from their choice of prompt, make quick shadow puppets, and refine their story through a positive critique process. This fun, fast moving, participatory workshop is applicable to any puppetry technique. Karen Konnerth, of Calliope Puppets, has presented variations of this workshop worldwide.

3:00-4:15

Puppets on Hand - A Puppet Manipulation Review 

Whether you are a beginner or an old hand at puppet manipulation, your puppets will be put through an array of activities, testing their emotive powers and reactions. After basic warmup exercises with practice puppets provided by Pam, put your personal puppets through their paces. We will focus on hand puppets and Czech rod marionettes. Bring your own puppets - or use provided puppets.

4:30-6:00 or 6:30

Make a Crankie!

What is a Crankie you ask? It’s a long illustrated scroll that is cranked along to tell a story. Crankies can be made in lots of different ways. In this workshop each participant will walk away with their very own crankie! Teacher Liz Howls has been performing and creating puppetry for over 20 years. From shadow puppetry, to miniature marionettes, to crankies, she excels at visual storytelling and has won numerous awards.