(Columns often contain opinions and those opinions belong to the author)
Somewhere over the rainbow in Atlanta, sticking out like a quirky green architectural thumb among the shiny skyscrapers, stands the Center for Puppetry Arts.
And it is not an Emerald City building devoted to Oz; its rainbow within is the “rainbow connection.”
Particularly now because there are two sections devoted to the late rainbow-connected puppeteer, founder of the Muppets, and co-founder of the Jim Henson Creature Shop, Jim Henson himself (one on-going exhibit and one temporary). The temporary one, on display through Oct. 26, is “Affectionate Anarchy: Creating with Jim Henson” and the World of Puppetry Museum part with some of Henson’s puppets is open every Tuesday through Sunday (holidays are potentially excluded).
As a long-time Jim Henson and puppetry fan in general, I asked a good friend of mine, Lex, to go to the Center of Puppetry Arts during a recent vacation. I highly recommend it for a break from some families’ usual treks to Six Flags over Georgia or instead of with various other cultural opportunities if single and creative couples go. Many aspects exist there for the young-at-heart and one in particular, the current “Harold and the Purple Crayon” puppet show, which runs through Aug. 3, is quite good for children 4 and up.
In fact, I geeked out at the center at times. Muppets from my childhood metaphorically cried out for me, including as follows: Kermit, Miss Piggy, and Gonzo and even some Fraggles among others. (Some of these were in the “anarchy…” exhibit and others were in the Worlds of Puppetry part of the museum.)
The “Sesame Street” ones, within the Worlds of Puppetry, almost brought a tear to my eyes as I remembered much simpler days. At times when I saw them in the glass cases, I yelled out some of the names of the more famous Muppets — and even some obscure ones — and apologized.
But my friend took it all in stride. He has known for a long time that I am basically a big kid. In fact, I became somewhere between five and 12 again. A flood of clips from “The Muppet Show”, various Muppet movies, and even the theme to “Fraggle Rock” played in my mind.
What appealed to my mature side as a “creative” was the exhibits which showed the materials involved in the construction of puppets at Jim Henson’s Creature Shop, the tech behind some of them, and Jim Henson’s desk itself. I noted to my friend that the late Jim Henson was over six feet tall with long skinny legs, so it would fit that his desk would have two large openings beneath for both legs.
Plus, his desk reminded me of Walt Disney’s. So, many creative touchstones, books, and other materials were there. Behind the glass on the patron side, I half-jokingly reached out to the desk and told my friend, in my best hippie voice, that, as a creative, I would like to absorb some of the energy there.
Next, I saw Muppets from my early adolescence such as the dog from “The Storyteller” series. I explained this obscure one to my friend and stated it was a show like “The Princess Bride” with a framing device where the storyteller, played by John Hurt in prosthetics, would tell fairy tales, legends, and fables to his talking dog. A comparable one existed with a narrator from the ancient world with Greek myths
In addition to these TV and “Muppet Show” puppets, I saw film puppets from my childhood and adolescence. I used to and still do love “The Dark Crystal” and even, at one point, had something like Topps collector cards from the film which I think made a giant poster on the back if you got all of them. I have been known to go “Hmmmmm” like that one Skeksis and to do a Mystic voice from time to time.
They not only had puppets from that film but from the series remake on digital streaming. I found myself humming the original orchestral theme to the first film – even when it was not playing on a flatscreen in the background.
I was fascinated when I saw the gloves which were used by a puppeteer to go behind David Bowie and juggle glass balls in “Labyrinth”. The film came out when I was around fifth or sixth grade (Bowie did not directly contribute to that effect and juggling). I became in awe at the painted labyrinthine background and the tiny and large puppets used within the production. The worm puppet particularly amazed me with its tiny control. Not all of the puppets who were the main crew of Sarah’s friends were not present. But the talking canine one, Sir Ditymus, was. Thinking back to my youth and the film, I could imagine him saying the line, “If you should ever need us…” (We all do sometimes need the characters from our childhood and youth. I know I do. Going to the museum reminded me again.)
By the way, my friend Lex and I are big science fiction and fantasy fans, so when we saw the deposed alien dictator puppet, Dominar Rygel XVI, from “FarScape”, we both geeked out on some levels. That puppet and various controls caught our interest in the lobby.
I have not even scratched the surface of the other aspects of the museum. They have puppets from cultures from throughout the centuries and puppets from other TV shows and films from pop culture. Their exhibits run the gamut from terra-cotta-looking architectural finds to fairly ancient shadow puppets to puppets from the early days of U.S. television.
And the live puppet show my friend and I watched in the upstairs theater was based on “Harold and the Purple Crayon.” (Note that the elevator was not working when we attended, so please give this in mind for disabled patrons.) The show had amazing effects with florescent-painted puppets and a Pepper’s ghost effect where the purple crayon markings and animation were projected upon glass. The Disney Imagineers and many stage veterans for centuries before used this effect to create the illusion of ghosts and more. Next, the musical score was cute as were the voices used for the characters. Whether using hand-puppets or rod puppets, the puppeteers created a grand believability of the story.
However, unlike some films and television for adults, no hidden jokes that only the adults would appreciate were incorporated. I would strongly recommend adhering to the recommended ages of 4 and above because those who tried to take toddlers and younger into the show sometimes had to take them out because they became restless.
By the way, the director of the production was Amy Sweeney, and the puppeteers were Luis Hernandez, Anna Elizabeth Oakley, Evan Hill Phillips, Daniela Santiago, and Molly Ann Tucker with understudies Kristin Storia and Amy Sweeney. Jimmica Collins provided narration, and S.J. Sweeney performed Harold’s voice. Dolph Amick composed, performed and directed the music.
These are a few of the many others who were involved in the production.
Whether you are looking for something for the young or the young at heart to do — and there is so much more to see such as not only more obscure Muppets such as Emmet Otter and props but Slimer from “Ghostbusters” and even Lambchop — move right along on I-20 to Atlanta to find that rainbow connection soon. The puppets from “Labryinth” and the Muppets themselves are all calling out from their green kingdom, “If you should ever need us…”
The Center for Puppetry Arts, nonprofit arts organization, is located on 1404 Spring St. NW in Altanta. For more information, call (404) 873-3391 or visit them on Facebook at CenterforPuppetryArts or on Instagram or Tiktok @centerforpuppetryarts .Or visit their website at Puppet.org .
South Carolina author, former teacher and veteran journalist Ron Baxley, Jr. is a social media manager working on a Southern television series. His latest novel, “O.Z. Diggs the Fifth Estate” is available in regional comics shops, bookstores, and gift shops. Reach him at ronbaxleyjr.com.
