Puppet Fair 10:30-4:30 & Guild Meeting 5:00 – early evening
Join us for our annual Puppet Fair at Fairyland. This is an action packed day of puppet shows, a puppet exhibit and events, provided by Fairyland. The Guild volunteers with the puppet exhibit, puppet walkaround “meet & greet,” the puppet craft table and more. The schedule of puppet shows is below and features the popular Bob Baker Marionettes of Los Angeles. The evening is an opportunity for a social get-together, with a potluck supper and Guild meeting.
Admission: Admission to Fairyland is free to Guild members. If your membership needs to be renewed, please do this before Aug 15th, so we can give a current list to Fairyland. At admissions, say that you’re with the Puppet Guild and have come to help. However, if you are bringing friends that are not members of the Guild and are not helping, they must pay admission (unless they want to join that day). Guild members must be inside the gates by 4 pm.
Additional info on directions, parking, etc. is at https://www.fairyland.org/visit-us/directions/.
The Puppet Fair Saturday schedule.
11 a.m. & 2 p.m. & 4 p.m. Puppet Show: Thumbelina. What a big world we live in! Particularly for Thumbelina, who is no taller than a thumb. Born from an enchanted flower, she tries to find out who she is and where she comes from. Her journey takes her from her home and on many adventures before reaching the Land of the Fairies. Adapted from a script, with music, by Forman Brown of L.A.’s famous Turnabout Puppet Theater. Puppets by Lewis Mahlmann with original scenery by Garth Geary. Music performed and re-scored by William Lewis.
12 p.m. Puppet Show: Jack and the Beanstalk. Presented by The Puppet Company.
12 p.m. – 2 p.m. The Marilynn O’Hare Arts & Crafts Center is open with activities geared toward children and their families.
12:30 p.m. & 3 p.m. Children’s Theatre presents: Cowgirls. Saddle up and come on down to see some tall tales of the bold women who rode herd in the Old West. From Slue-foot Sue roping tornadoes to Sally Ann Thunder Whirlwind singing lullabies to bears, these fearless frontierswomen lived large and on their own terms. See what happens when they join forces in an original play featuring familiar tunes about wide open spaces.
1 p.m. – 1:20 p.m. Animal of the Day! Come up close and learn about one of our animal friends. Which one of Fairyland’s feathered, furry or wooly creatures will it be today? Find out at the Humpty Dumpty wall
1:30 p.m. Puppet Show presented by Bob Baker Marionette Theater. Since 1963, the Bob Baker Marionette Theater has been part of imagination and fantasy that thrives in Los Angeles, with over 200 performances a year, utilizing over 2000 handcrafted puppets. Join Alex Evans as he presents his one-man variety show with marionettes from Bob Baker.
2 p.m. Repeat of Puppet Show: Thumbelina.
2:30 p.m. Puppet Show: A Modern Little Red Riding Hood. A twist on this classic fairy tale. Presented by the 4-H Puppeteers.
3 p.m. Repeat of Children’s Theatre presents: Cowgirls.
3:30 p.m. Puppet Show: Perez & Mondinga: a Mexican fiesta tale of a cockroach who marries a mouse. Presented by The Puppet Lady, Rhonda Kay.
4 p.m. Repeat of Puppet Show: Thumbelina.
Note: This event continues on Sunday, Aug 25. The schedule is similar to Saturday’s schedule with a few changes. Find online @ https://www.fairyland.org/events-and-performances/schedule-of-events/.
Visiting Performer: The Bob Baker Marionette Theater was founded by Bob Baker and Alton Wood in 1963. It’s reportedly the oldest children’s theater company in America. His puppetry was featured on TV in Bewitched, Star Trek, Land of the Giants and on film in A Star Is Born, G.I. Blues, Disney’s Bedknobs and Broomsticks and Close Encounters of the Third Kind. Baker was also instrumental in championing union membership for puppeteers. Bob Baker was an American pioneer in the art of puppetry and his theater lives on with dedicated puppeteers like Alex Evans to share his work.
5 pm Guild Meeting
Meet other Guild puppeteers, discuss upcoming Guild activities and more.
5:30 Potluck Supper
Please bring something to share and a beverage. If your dish needs refrigeration, please bring it in a cooler. Main dishes are always appreciated. Guild will provide paper products and utensils.
There may be a short program after the potluck. If so, it will be announced in a Yahoo group email. If you don’t receive these Yahoo emails, please contact our membership coordinator to get your email address on this list. If you don’t do email, then text or call Lee Armstrong 707 738-5906.
Volunteers: We’ll need volunteers! Do you have a puppet and would like to greet kids as you walk around the park? Would you like to help at the puppet making table, monitor and chat about puppets at the puppet exhibit and other important volunteer positions? We’ll have a SignUp Genius available in the next couple of days and will send out that link as a Yahoo announcement. Don’t do email? Call or text Lee Armstrong 707 738-5906.
Puppets for the Puppet Exhibit at Fairyland
If you would like to display some of your puppet creations, contact Randal Metz at 510 609-8704. You MUST have your puppet at Fairyland no later than 10:00 on Sat.
Guild Library will be at Fairyland
The Guild library has hundreds of books covering a variety of topics. Books & DVD’s will be available for checkout at the meeting, to people that have been members for at least 6 months. Are you looking for books or DVD on a particular topic? Contact the Guild Librarian, Lee Armstrong, images@vom.com 707 738-5906, and she will email the library list or do a search and bring related books to next meeting.