Puppets in Portland (and now Seattle) with Penny!

Last week I had the unusually wonderful opportunity to reconnect with a dear family friend, Penny Walter. Unusual, because not everyone you meet is a professional puppeteer. And wonderful, because not every puppeteer you meet will break out her puppets after dinner and give you a full show, complete with traveling theater stage and sound track.

Penny with one of the stars of her shows, Robin!

In a word, it was fantastic!

And, it was unexpectedly educational. Even though Penny’s forte is with the 3-6 year old crowd, her witty characters, charming plot lines, silly songs, and lots of audience participation were enough to keep an audience of five adults (who often take themselves too seriously) happy as clams.

It became quite obvious that although Penny is a professional at having fun, that there’s more than just creative spirit going into her trade. She’s also a writer, an actress, a singer, a teacher and a small business owner. I was blown-away-impressed. Moreover, Penny’s use of the magic of puppetry to translate stories of friendship and morality was obviously more effective than a stern talking to from a grown up ever could be.

Penny has her Masters degree in Education, and her thesis was on using puppetry in early childhood education. She saw how puppets could help even the most “precocious” children learn new things. After a few years in the classroom, she realized that her true calling as a storyteller and puppeteer offered her even more rewards than being a full time teacher.

After four years as the Storytime Lady at the Portland Children’s Museum, Penny’s Puppet Productions recently struck out on its own. Now, Penny and her array of more than 40 shows (all written and performed by Penny herself) are in high demand from community organizations, festivals, libraries and even parents who want a more educational birthday party option than Whack-a-Mole at Chucky Cheese.

Penny performs just about every day of the week at various libraries and other institutions in the Portland area, and just had her first show at the Seattle Children’s Museum last week. She also offers puppetry workshops and seminars for folks of all ages!

Check her out online at her website www.pennypuppets.com or on her TeachStreet profile.

Penny and her cohorts, represent a modern take on an ancient art. Puppetry and story telling have a long history as tools for youth education. For a recent example, think of Mr. Roger’s Neighborhood or Sesame Street, or for something with a little more history, note the ancient oral traditions of Homer. Both are examples of how storytellers have aided in the education of entire cultures and generations.

p.s. Is it true that PBS is no longer showing Mister Roger’s Neighborhood? Tell me it’s not. (Photo by simonk)

If you haven’t been to a puppet show recently, I highly recommend you getting yourself to one in the near future. Take your 4-year old niece or neighbor if you need an excuse, but I can promise you that you might just get a bigger kick out of it than they do!

To learn more about puppeteering and storytelling, I recommend: Portland Puppet Power, Mudeye Puppet Company, Portland Story Theater, and the Portland Storytellers Guild.

And in Seattle, please check out: Seattle Storytellers Guild, the Thistle Theater, and the Northwest Puppet Theater.