The Fever River Puppeteers Board has been meeting regularly (or more than usual) to better plan next year's Day of Puppetry at the Hazel Green Opera House.
We've settled on Saturday, May 19 -- which is the weekend AFTER Mother's Day but still avoids the dreaded graduation party time which has been sucking away audiences.
We're aiming for more of a children's festival -- taking a cue from West Liberty, Iowa, home of Monica Leo's Eulenspiegel Puppets and a wonderful Children's Festival in late September.
Our plan is to offer 2 or 3 guest shows, plus our children play-writing contest winners (we're opening it to grownups this year) and to alternate the shows with Something Else at the church hall. Our board members felt strongly that we need to offer kids something physical to do, so we've got a couple of possibilities -- a gymnastics teacher, yoga teacher and mom-and-tot music activity teacher.
Instead of a puppet workshop at the church hall, we hope to have some make/take booths on the street, along with concessions and vendors. The local Women's Club is interested in being part of it and possibly some groups from the high school. Maybe musicians (the high school music teacher's tuba ensemble has been a big hit), giant puppets milling around.
Maybe the Wis. Puppetry Guild could have a booth of its own?
Please mark your calendars for next year.
Feel free to email us at voight@mhtc.net.
Sandye Voight
