An old upright piano converted to a stage, marionettes from the Czech Republic and a director with a lifelong interest in puppets are the ingredients in the newest art form for the Jefferson High Drama troupe.
Their newest performing art came to life at Montana City kindergarten through third grades on Friday, February 2. The new art comes not from live actors, but from imported hand crafted marionettes. Marionettes are puppets that are animated through the use of strings.
Drama teacher Mike Hesford, like many, said he grew up watching the muppets, but it wasn’t until he saw marionettes that he experienced the emotion he classifies as somewhere between funny and creepy.
“Marionettes have this quality that makes them real, which produces both emotions as once,” he said.
“I have always wanted to find a way to bring puppets into our performing arts,” said the JHS drama teacher. “After attending a workshop about puppets this summer at the International Thespian Festival in Nebraska, I decided that they would work really well in our program.
“I started to do some research and stumbled across a website from the Czech Republic that sold hand-made marionettes. I’ve always felt that marionettes were the most interesting kinds of puppets, and this was too good of an offer to pass up,” said Hesford.
“I built the stage out of an old upright piano that had seen its last days, but still had this beautiful oak wood, which I couldn’t throw away,” he added.
Hesford said the puppets are an excellent way for student actors to develop a voice and focus on the importance of non-verbal communication. With 23 hand-carved marionettes, which include Puss in Boots, a Vampire, Little Red Riding Hood and the Wolf, Mozart, Ballerinas, and many more, students have multiple characters with which they can develop story lines.
Hesford said the troupe intends to perform at area schools in the coming weeks.
“Besides doing school outreach, we hope to use the puppet shows as a way to fundraise for our program. Hopefully we can take it to some farmer markets or festivals this summer,” he said.
