GOAT ON A BOAT PUPPET THEATER
The past year must have been tough on puppets stuffed in a closet for a year. At long last, they can go back to performing. Long time puppeteer Liz Joyce is presenting her original puppet show this summer, "The Marzipan Bunny." As Joyce describes it, "In this production, the puppeteers are bakers and also do puppet characters. Together, during the show, they make a bunny out of marzipan." Joyce’s shows often have an underlying theme. She explains, "The Marzipan Bunny is about unlikely partnerships and friends at odds. Becoming friends with others you wouldn’t necessarily be with." The show can appeal to a diverse audience since it’s written with very few words. Joyce says, "It’s more of a pantomime."So much goes on behind the scenes to create the magic in puppet theater. For example, Joyce dreams up her own scripts. "I get my inspiration from things in life that I love to do," she says. "While I’m doing what I love, I’m making up stories. I’m a gardener, so I have a lot of shows about life in a garden. I also love cooking and baking. I think I chose to do a baking show because it’s messy and funny, and it’s tasty." If you’d like to get a feel for what it takes to sculpt your own marzipan bunny before or after the show, try it at home with clay or Play-Doh.
INFO
Performances this summer at the Southampton Arts Center are on July 15 at 4 p.m. and Aug. 19 at 4p.m. Admission is free; 631-725-4193; 25 Jobs Lane, Southampton.
Email info@goatonaboat.org for more info.
In August, Goat on a Boat is planning on launching a new puppet truck at Amber Waves Farm in Amagansett.
Puppeteer Liz Joyce with marzipan puppets at her home studio in Sag Harbor on June 5. Credit: Morgan Campbell
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By: Cathy Turow