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Amidst
escalating concern about the gratuitous violence and dubious
role models which media entertainment offers young people,
there is a counter trend which is getting stronger and
stronger. This trend does not require v-chips or ratings
systems, yet it is responsible for entertaining, delighting
and inspiring millions of our children. This particular
kind of entertainment, more than most, requires a certain
suspension of belief, a connection to one’s imagination, and
an ability to surrender to an innate childhood innocence.
The
name of this trend is children’s puppet theater, and two of
its most honored and creative practitioners are John Potocnik
and Carol Mandigo, co-founders of the Catskill Puppet Theater.
Over the past twenty years, their theater group has performed
in thousands of schools, churches and theaters of every race,
religion and socioeconomic group, entertaining more than a
million children throughout the country. Their thoughts
about this unique form of children’s entertainment—and how
it has the power to not only delight children, but to also gently
impart important life lessons—will be of interest to
parents, educators and clergy.
John
Potocnik points out that puppet theater, in various forms, has
existed since the dawn of man. “Puppetry has always
had a universal appeal for both children and adults,” he
reminds us. “There is a very magical quality about
bringing inanimate objects to life, and this evokes a unique
response. That’s why, through the ages, puppetry has
been used in religious and cultural ceremonies in virtually
every country in the world. It’s only relatively
recently, actually, that children have been considered the
primary audience for puppet theater.”
Today,
as children’s lives become more and more complex and
pressured, and dazzling hi-tech special effects (often
involving some form of violence) are considered almost
mandatory for children’s entertainment, puppet theater is
faced with new challenges, and is creating a special niche.
“It’s
important to our theater group,” says Carol Mandigo, “to
teach children a moral lesson, and give them tools for good
behavior. This has always been the goal of children’s
literature and children’s theater. Luckily, we’re
equipped to do that in very special ways that even the most
resourceful parents cannot, by using magic, enchantment,
special lighting effects, original music and scenery – all
tricks of the trade of good theater. We make a point of
trying to avoid violence or ‘put down humor,’ though we love to
make children laugh. And the children really respond.”
John
and Carol, along with many others, have been troubled by the
themes which nowadays run through children’s media
entertainment.
“The
kind of work we do,” says Carol, “along with others in our
field, is in counterpoint to the gratuitous violence and
wisecracks and insult humor that’s so pervasive today.
Oftentimes children are as admiring of the villains in movies
and television shows as they are of the heroes. It’s
no wonder, since so many of the bad guys today have fashion
model looks, brawn and muscles, and possess super human
powers. Kids think, ‘Well, he may be a bad guy but he
is pretty cool.’ What is that teaching them?”
Interestingly,
being constantly exposed to that kind of entertainment does
not make children too jaded for the kinder, gentler pleasures
of puppet theater. Quite the contrary.
“There’s been a lot said about the shrinking attention
span of children today and their growing taste for hi-tech
violence. And that may be so,” John concedes.
“But we find we can depend on the magical nature of puppetry
to draw even the most ‘jaded’ children in. Most of
our productions are geared for pre-school through fourth or
fifth grade. And we find that even the fourth and fifth
graders can suspend their disbelief and become transfixed by
these hunks of wood and foam and material. There is
something about live theater that is electric. We find
as we interweave art and music our audiences become deeply
involved in a way that does not happen with television or
movies. That’s why we can be effective in teaching
children lessons – because the main focus is always on the
puppetry.
The Catskill Puppet Theater productions run about forty-five
minutes, and each production features unique puppets,
“shadow puppets”, music and scenery to tell a story.
The Catskill Puppet Theater has now dramatized Dr. Cohn's book,
The Christmas Menorahs: How A
Town Fought Hate. This new production,
entitled The Town That Fought Hate,
was created by Carol and John to dramatize the power of
goodness, the power of community, and the power of each of us
– including children – to make a difference.
“Most of our productions start out as a kernel of an
idea,” explains Carol. “In this case we based the
production upon a book because the book itself was based upon
a true story. When confronted with acts of hatred by a
group of skinheads, the town of Billings, Montana acted in a
way that can be an example to every community, and every child
within that community. We wanted to help make that
happen.”
Like the theater’s other productions,
The Town That Fought
Hate features almost life size puppets and shadow puppets,
masks, animated figures, original music (as well as, in this
case, town buildings which come to life).
The Catskill Puppet Theater tours nationally. For
information about their productions, readers can call (607)
263-5820 or visit their web site at www.catskillpuppettheater.baka.com
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