For my daughter, it was Lamb Chop, Big Bird, and Kermit. For me, it was Cecil the Seasick Sea Serpent, Kukla and Ollie, and Farfel. For my parents, it was Charlie McCarthy and Mortimer Snerd. And for some ancestor way back when, I’m sure it was Punch and Judy. For generations, puppets have been captivating kids, and the spell they cast is as powerful in the Internet age as ever. (Just ask any wee Biscuit Brothers fan about Tiny Scarecrow.) So when Geppetto Dreams Puppet Company offers a series of Sunday-morning workshops where children can learn to make their very own puppets, well, you gotta figure that the young ones will jump on that faster than you can say “Snuffleupagus.”
The twice-monthly workshops (first and third Sundays, 11am-12:30pm) will cover a range of puppet styles for various ages: paper puppets (4 and older), trash toys (5 and older), glove puppets (6 and older), sock puppets (8 and older), trash puppets (8 and older), and deco-puppets (12 and older). Costs vary, with suggested donation prices ranging from as little as $4 to $18. But for families who live in the 78702 ZIP code, the workshops are free of charge, and special workshops are also available free to nonprofits serving children. (It’s a way for Ricki Vincent and the Geppetto Dreams puppeteers to give back to their community.) Space is limited, however, so reservations are suggested. Geppetto Dreams is located at 1715 E. Seventh. For more information, call 358-4632 or visit www.geppettodreams.com.
This article appears in July 3 • 2009.