Puppet Kingdom Holds Court as Regional Festival Convenes

There are some unusual guests staying at the Hotel San Diego.

Puppets--thousands of them, in all shapes, sizes and colors, including lions, frogs, clowns, hearts, airplanes--have settled into the hotel for this year’s meeting of the Puppeteers of America. The organization is convening its Pacific Southwest Regional Festival here with the theme of “A Carnival of Puppets.”

The festival started Friday and will attract more than 400 puppeteers, educators, therapists and others by the time it closes at noon Monday. It includes performances, workshops on the art and skills of puppetry, a puppet exhibit and a puppetry exchange where books and puppets can be purchased.

“The purpose behind the festival is not only to perform; it’s designed to educate and get the juices flowing,” said Jackee Marks, artistic director of the festival. “It’s a place where people come to exchange ideas and learn new techniques. It’s also great for the public. Some shows cast over 100 puppets. It’s amazing to see life breathed into them.”

There is also a serious side to puppetry.

Don Ave, coordinator of the San Diego City Schools Child Abuse Prevention Project, has incorporated puppetry into his teaching. Using the puppets with third and fourth graders, Ave said he tries to increase the children’s awareness of situations that could develop into sexual abuse.

The puppets are used to tell a story, and afterward Ave opens the floor for discussion.

‘Children React Very Positively’

“Puppets are a very effective tool in the classroom. Children react very positively to them,” Ave said. “Out of almost every presentation, we have two or three disclosures (of sexual abuse).”

Lori Stark-Campriello, a San Jose librarian who said she came to the festival to attend the workshops, also finds puppets effective in teaching.

“I work in the children’s section of the library. There are a lot of ways to bring literature alive, but puppetry has an immediate connection with children,” Stark-Campriello said. “Sometimes I have up to 150 kids trying to listen to a story. When reading books, you lose the attention of the kids in the last rows. With puppetry, you can reach a larger audience.

“I’m learning new ways to use puppets with children. Kids really identify with them; they feel the animal or puppet is real,” she said.

The workshop puppeteers come from all over the United States to share their skills.

“Puppetry is theater in its entirety,” said Norma Bigler, master puppeteer. “It encompasses writing the script, art, music, lighting, character casting and so on. It’s a full-on production. One of my specialties is my apron-pocket storytelling. I wear a floor-length apron with a dozen pockets on it. I stuff the pockets with puppets that I’ll need for certain performances and take them out accordingly. It’s convenient when traveling from place to place.”

The Muppets’ Swedish chef and Pee Wee Herman’s

window flower are on display in the hotel’s San Diegan room, along with hundreds of puppets from various collections. Spotlighted in the exhibit are puppets belonging to some San Diego puppeteers. The city boasts about 100 puppeteers.

“This is one of the largest collection exhibits ever,” said Alan Cook, exhibit chairman. “The quality of the puppets and their uniqueness is just outstanding--it’s a marvelous collection.’

The workshops, collection exhibit and puppetry exchange are being held in the hotel, 339 W. Broadway, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. today, Sunday and Monday. Public performances by the Jim Gamble Marionettes and the Magical Moonshine Theater will be held at the Lyceum Stage in Horton Plaza on Sunday at 12:30 and 2:30 p.m.

There are three more Sunday performances at the Lyceum: one at 4:30 p.m. presented by Coad Canada, another at 6:30 p.m. by Wizard and Groark and a 7:30 p.m. showing by Phil Huber. However, only 100 seats will be open to the public for these three showings.