Berkeley Parents Network: Puppeteers & Puppet Shows

Berkeley Parents Network

Puppeteers & Puppet Shows

Berkeley Parents Network > Reviews > The Arts, Entertainment, & Media > Puppeteers & Puppet Shows

Puppet show for 5-year-old's birthday party
Puppeteer/storyteller for 5-year-old's birthday party
Puppeteer to put on a show for toddlers
Puppet theatre other than Children's Fairyland
Storytellers
Where to Buy Puppets & Puppet Theaters

Puppet show for 5-year-old's birthday party

Oct 2003

We would like to have a puppet show for our daughter 5th birthday party. By word of mouth I was given the name of Peter Brizzi from P&T puppets. Has anyone seen one of his shows and has a recommendation? DO you know of other puppet shows that you could recommend? Thank you.

A really good puppetmaster is Nick Barone. He does an excellent job, as he performed ''Puss and Boots'' for our school last year. The best part is the ''behind-the-scenes'' after the show. He removes the curtain, answers questoins, and shows the kids how the puppets work. It's amazing all that he does, considering he's just one person. You can even see his shows for free at some public libraries. His website is at www.nbpuppets.com Melanie

puppeteer/storyteller for 5-year-old's birthday party

April 2002

I am looking for entertainment for a 5-year old birthday party. I haven't done much research but does everyone charge $150 for 30-40 minutes of entertainment? Can you recommend a puppeteer/storyteller or other fun entertainment for five year olds that is less expensive? Thank you for any leads.

Call the drama departments in the local colleges and see if any of the students are available for less. You might be surprised at the talent that can be found there. Marianne

You can take a group of kids to Fairyland in Oakland and have a birthday party there in their private party space. They have wonderful puppet shows and other fun stuff to see and do. It used to cost about $10 a kid (may have gone up since the renovation) so it keeps the cost down. Christine

We saw a wonderful classic Punch and Judy show at the Dickens Fair this year. The kids absolutely loved it and interacted enthusiastically with the puppets. I don't know how much they would cost to hire but they are worth looking into. Be forwarned though that they do use slapstick and some parents may be sensitive to the rough play. Their web site is: http://www.misterpunch.com/ Donna

Puppeteer to put on a show for toddlers

2001

Could anyone recommend a good puppeteer to put on a show for toddlers? (I've already checked the website--any new recommendations would be appreciated.) LawsonFmly

Linda Zittel does puppet shows andstory telling. I think she does private parties and works in schools. Her number is 234-6266. You can tell her that June Kamerling gave you her #. June

Snapdragon puppets is a one man show with a whole set and theater that he can bring with him. I've seen him the past several summers at Dimond Public Library doing his shows, and he's very funny, and very good. I don't know his phone number, but I expect you could get it from the children's librarian at Dimond. (I think he's going to be there 6/26, at the pajama story hour, 7:00 Tuesday, (free)

I'd like to second the recommendation for Roger Mara - Snapdragon Puppets. He brings his puppets to life brilliantly and also has great rapport with the children in the audience before and after the show. I've seen his shows quite a few times as my son is a puppet show devotee, and both of us enjoy them every time. His web site, which includes a calendar of public shows, is at: . We hired Snapdragon Puppets to perform at a 7-family combined birthday party (3 year olds) in April, and Roger did a great show. Another excellent puppeteer is Nick Barone. His web site is at: and includes a calendar of public shows too. Both of these guys perform at Oakland Public Libraries (and other libraries in the Bay Area), as well as Habitot, and the like. Go see them! Peter

Puppet theatre other than Children's Fairyland

Does anyone know of a puppet theatre in the Bay Area other than Children's Fairyland in Oakland? Thanks. Laura

Puppet Theater Folks: Madame Ovary 222-8684 Does an amazing child/adult puppet show using puns centered around eggs. All of her puppets are made from L'eggs panty hose containers and recycled materials from the EB Depot for Creative Reuse. She is my favorite of all time, funny and intelligent. Lisa

Piccolo Puppet Players 663-7289 Do a Punch & Judy type show. I have had them come to the Solano Stroll once since they are new to the area. I didn't catch their show but I did get a photo and it looked great. Nice folks. Brian & Heidi

The Oakland Public Library hires some wonderful puppeteers to perform at the various branches (though the wonderful guy who just did The Mousecracker during December is moving to Portland. What a shame.) You can check with any branch about upcoming puppet events. The quality is MUCH better than Children's Fairyland. Janet

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