Frankenstein- The Paul Mesner Puppets’ production of Frankenstein is a light hearted version of the story about a man who wants to build a beautiful creature but instead makes a monster of a mess! When Mary Shelley wrote Frankenstein on a dare, she was just 17 years old. Paul Mesner Puppets, with its own unique brand of wry wit and humor, puts a new spin on the tale of creature creation gone awry. This production of Frankenstein will have the humor and silliness you have come to expect from the Paul Mesner Puppets. Be sure to bring your giggles and be ready to laugh out loud. (Rod puppets)

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The Best Pet of All By David LaRochelle
Based on the book, The Best Pet of All by David LaRochelle and Hanako Wakiyama. Text (c) 2004 by David LaRochelle. Illustrations (c) 2004 by Hanako Wakiyama. Produced by arrangement with Dutton Children’s Books, a division of Penguin Young Readers Group, a member of Penguin Group (USA) Inc. All rights reserved.
On Monday I asked my mother if I could have a dog. “No,” she said, “Dogs are too messy.” On Tuesday I asked my mother if I could have a dog. “No,” she said. “Dogs are too loud.” But the little boy’s mother says he can keep a dragon for a pet – if he can find one. Enter the coolest-but naughtiest-pet ever. The Dragon is messier and louder than any dog. And he won’t leave. How will the boy ever get a dog? Any child who has ever longed for an animal will relish this irresistible tale of a boy’s comical search for the best pet of all. (Rod and mouth puppets)

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The Nativity- Between the twelfth and fourteenth centuries, miracle or mystery plays began in the churches of England and France. These pageants began with the nativity and then grew to other stories from the Bible. They were first performed by the priests but eventually the guilds took over their production, and the performances moved outside of the church and became more secular. Some early references to the figures called them “motions,” an early word for puppet. In France, the story goes that these dramas were called “little Marys” or marionettes. The priests and later the guilds would set up stations and the dramas could be viewed throughout the church as the audience moved from station to station. Today you get to sit still, but we hope our little play moves you as well.

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Flossie and the Fox- By Patricia McKissack -Paul Mesner Puppets’ adaptation of this contemporary children’s story is a jaunty retelling of the Little Red Riding Hood story peppered with the rich dialect of the rural South. Flossie and the Fox tell the story of Flossie Finley’s first encounter with a sly egg poaching fox. Upon meeting in the woods, Flossie challenges the fox by calling him a rabbit, a rat, but never a fox. Just what will it take for the slick-talking fox to prove he’s the real thing? (Rod and hand puppets)

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Jack and the Beanstalk- This classic fairy tale is set in the Dust Bowl of Oklahoma in the 1930’s. Because of his mother’s spendthrift economics, Jack is forced to sell his beloved bovine, Bossy, in exchange for three magic beans. Jack’s mother throws the beans out the window, setting the scene for a hilarious account of a little boy, his mother and a giant. (String puppets)

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Father Goose's Tales- A new variation on the familiar Mother Goose Tales
Trouble in the Nursery.... Mother Goose has taken the day off and Father Goose must do all her chores, including the Storytelling! Try as he might Father Goose just can’t get the stories right. Father Goose’s Tales is a modern retelling of nursery rhymes, stories and children’s songs that will entertain the whole family. People don’t recognize Jim Napolitano even though he has been broadcast to millions of television sets nationwide. That’s because he’s a puppeteer. He’s performed for the PBS show Between the Lions, Disney’s The Book of Pooh and Nickelodeon in A show of Hands. His puppetry has taken him across the country and around the globe. (Shadow puppets)

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Puppet Slam

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The Dinosaur Show By Paul Mesner & Mike Horner - No bones about it – The Dinosaur Show will tickle your funny-fossil and stimulate your imagination. Paul Mesner Puppets digs into the past to bring the dinosaurs to life, using hand, rod, shadow and body puppets in a prehistoric tale. The play explains scientific facts of how dinosaurs became extinct and includes a few whimsical and improbable theories. The cameo appearance of Dr. Dino Sawyer is sure to entertain with a fascinating look at what was and what might have been. (Hand, rod, shadow, and big puppets)

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