SCERA Kicks Off 22nd Annual Utah Puppet Festival Today

While puppetry originated more than 5,000 years ago-likely predating human performances-it's an art form puppeteer Nat Reed is dedicated to introducing to new generations through an annual Utah Puppet Festival at the SCERA Center for the Arts.

Scheduled today, April 20, this all-day event with workshops and performances, is designed for puppet novices, experts, educators, kids, families and everyone in between. It will begin at 9:30 a.m. and continue until 5 p.m. with workshops and performances.

Tickets are $8 for an all-day pass or $25 for a family of five, which includes two puppet shows and several workshops. Tickets are available online at www.scera.org or by calling (801)225-ARTS or at SCERA Center weekdays from 10am-6pm (745 S. State St., Orem). Registrations at the door will be accepted at the door beginning at 9 a.m.

Many workshops are planned and will include the art of building marionettes, teaching with puppets, working with materials for puppet making, creating shadow puppets, manipulating puppets, using lightweight materials, turning stuffed animals into wide-mouth puppets, fashioning toe sock marionettes and sculpting with shadow puppets.

"Our participants in the past have really enjoyed learning how to make and use puppets," says SCERA's Technical director Nat Reed, whose passion for puppetry is frequently evident in SCERA productions including the recent Theatre for Young Audiences' "Rapunzel: A Very Hair Fairy Tale," for which he designed and helped manipulate a 20' dragon named Socrates. The dragon will be on display at the festival.

Members of the Puppetry Arts Guild of Utah will direct the day, offer a puppet display and feature the puppet talents of Nat Reed, Mark Pulham, Joe Flores, Carla Schulz, Thomas Pope, Lori Hawley and Dallin Blankenship.

Two performances are planned. Coralie Leue will present a 45-minute show at 11 a.m. called "Super Bunny to the Rescue!" Designed for children ages three and older, the show features a bully bear who gets in the way of Betsy Bunny, who wants to give a party. Through the magic of puppetry-as well as a mysterious red cape-the day is saved. Also planned is Puppet Follies, a puppet revue featuring guild members beginning at 4 p.m. Tickets to each performance are $3/person or are included in the all day pass.

"This is a nice event for families because it is geared toward all ages, ability levels and interests," Reed says. "There are many wonderful materials for making puppets, including a thermoplastic material called Variform, which is lightweight and can be heated to make several shapes. Kids can even bring their own stuffed animal for a workshop where they will make that into a wide-mouth puppet."

Reed, who has a background in drama, fell in love with puppetry after taking a class at BYU. When he came to SCERA, he incorporated puppets into the organization's educational programs and is the force behind a series of monthly puppet shows at the Center.

"I find puppetry really fun, and I love to share it with others and see them become enthusiastic about the art" Reed adds.

Pictured: Nat Reed designed this 20' dragon puppet, which was operated by two people. It appeared in SCERA's Theatre for Young Audiences production of "Rapunzel: A Very Hair Fairy Tale" and will be on display at the puppet festival. Photo courtesy SCERA.

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