The Mikado

Paul Mesner Puppets is proud to present Gilbert & Sullivan’s opera, The Mikado, with an all puppet cast, orchestra and singers. This production is perfect for children 5 years and older.

This rich and lavish production of the classic Gilbert and Sullivan opera features a whole Japanese Village, life-sized puppets, live orchestral music and singing. Hear favorites such as “Three Little Maids from School” and “The Flowers that Bloom in the Spring” as the all puppet cast untangles a timeless story of youth, love and family honor.

Puppet Design: Paul Mesner
Script Adaptation: Paul Mesner
Stage Director: Paul Mesner
Set Design: Thomas Sciacca
Costume Design: Christopher Leitch

basic ground plan
The Mikado Technical Information
The Mikado Residency


To book this show, call the Paul Mesner Puppets at 816-756-3500!

Sleeping Beauty

Have you ever wanted to sleep late? Like for 100 years? Well that is what our heroine does in this Paul Mesner Puppets production Sleeping Beauty. Paul Mesner pulls out all the stops in this hilarious one-man tour-de-farce. In 2000, Sleeping Beauty was given the UNIMA-USA Citation for Excellence in the art of Puppetry, an award created by the late Jim Henson to recognize and reward high standards in puppetry in North America. Children of all ages will enjoy watching good overcome evil as timeless and amusing characters are brought to life by Mesner’s masterful storytelling. Set in a tall, majestic castle, this is the classic fairy tale you already know, retold with some slightly quirky twists. Besides Beauty’s fateful curse, good and evil fairies and a dashing Prince battling a dragon, Mesner includes two finicky Royal chefs, a helpful hound who does tricks, a fortune-telling frog, a tuneful Royal trumpeter, a cooing and curious baby Princess, a Queen who loves to take baths and a King who can’t get enough of his pet polo pony!

This production was presented at the Henson International Festival of Puppet Theater held in New York City in September, 2000. Mesner has also performed Sleeping Beauty at Long Island University, The Detroit Institute of Arts and many other venues across the United States.

Puppets construction by Paul Mesner; puppet faces sculpted and painted by Steven Shipman and costumes by Mary Susan McCrae, Marian Mesner and Paul Mesner.
Set design by Jim Webb, Lighting by Art Kent; Music by Steven Dillman

To book this show, call the Paul Mesner Puppets at 816-756-3500!

Wiley and the Hairy Man

Wiley and the Hairy Man is an African-American folk tale that recounts the story of the strong bond between a son, Wiley, and his mother who live close the Tombigbee River with their dog, farm animals and the friendly neighborhood pest – The Hairy Man. Wiley and his mother match wits with the hairy monster that lives in the nearby swamp. Through cooperation and listening Wiley works with his mother to drive away the clever menacing hairy man forever.

Paul Mesner has received the highest honor in puppetry for Wiley and the Hairy Man, being only one of five U.S puppeteers in 1992 to receive an UNIMA/USA (Union Internartionale de la Marionette ) Citation of Excellence in Puppetry (an award created by Jim Henson).

Hand and rod puppets were designed and built by Steve Shipman and Paul Mesner. Lighting design is by Art Kent and music design by Steven Dillman.

To book this show, call the Paul Mesner Puppets at 816-756-3500!

Beauty & the Beast

Working from early and first-published versions of this classic tale, the Paul Mesner Puppets’ Beauty and the Beast brings to fore some quirky and unusual details that are left out of the streamlined and sanitized versions so often presented. These variations offer vivid glimpses into our rich cultural heritage and a different approach to the story.

Script adaptation by Paul Mesner
Puppeteer: Paul Mesner
Puppet and set Construction: Paul Mesner, Mike Horner, Thomas Sciacca
Music: Brad Cox

Production Requirements. The purchaser agrees to provide the following production requirements:
1) Elevated floor space: area measuring at least 20’ wide x 12’ deep with a ceiling height of 10 feet. Area should be free of activity at least 90 minutes prior for setup and 45 minutes after for teardown. *
2) One table of banquet size or equivalent for back stage. One pitcher of water and glass for artist.
3) Electrical: at least two separate circuit 110V (normal house current) grounded outlets on a minimum 15 amp fuses or breakers; located within 50’ of the staging area. If further than 50’, Sponsor agrees to supply addition al extension cable.
4) An adequate sound system consisting of the following:
• Cassette player to play music through the sound system
• Mixer capable of controlling at least two separate inputs
• Artist will supply an EV NRU-H1 wireless body pack and headset
• Speakers should be in front of the stage and not behind the performer
5) Basic stage lighting to illuminate the performance area
Production Assistance. The Sponsor agrees to provide the following production assistance: 1) Two volunteers to help unload van before performance, and load van after performance.

To book this show, call the Paul Mesner Puppets at 816-756-3500!

Aesop's Fabulous Tales

For thousands of years Aesop’s Fables have taught us slow and steady wins the race and you are never too small to help someone in need. The Paul Mesner Puppets presents these enduring tales with comical rod puppets and classic Mesner humor. This show includes the fables such as “The Boy Who Cried Wolf”, “The Fox and the Grapes”, “City Mouse & Country Mouse”, “The Tortise and the Hare” and “The Lion and the Mouse.”

Appropriate for ages three and up.

Puppeteer – Mike Horner
Script - Paul Mesner
Puppets - Paul Mesner & Thomas Sciacca
Set design - Thomas Sciacca
Music – Brad Cox

Production Requirements. The purchaser agrees to provide the following production requirements:
1) Elevated floor space: area measuring at least 20’ wide x 12’ deep with a ceiling height of 10 feet. Area should be free of activity at least 90 minutes prior for setup and 45 minutes after for teardown. *
2) One table of banquet size or equivalent for back stage. One pitcher of water and glass for artist.
3) Electrical: at least two separate circuit 110V (normal house current) grounded outlets on a minimum 15 amp fuses or breakers; located within 50’ of the staging area. If further than 50’, Sponsor agrees to supply addition al extension cable.
4) An adequate sound system consisting of the following:
• Cassette player to play music through the sound system
• Mixer capable of controlling at least two separate inputs
• Artist will supply an EV NRU-H1 wireless body pack and headset
• Speakers should be in front of the stage and not behind the performer
5) Basic stage lighting to illuminate the performance area
Production Assistance. The Sponsor agrees to provide the following production assistance: 1) Two volunteers to help unload van before performance, and load van after performance.

To book this show, call the Paul Mesner Puppets at 816-756-3500!

Think you know the real story behind the huffing and puffing? Think again. There’s only one individual who knows the true story about one wolf, three houses and three little pigs: Alexander T. Wolf. In this revealing no-squealing adaptation of Jon Scieszka’s popular book, A. Wolf has a chance to tell his side of the story. He only wanted a cup of sugar and he did have a cold. For years we have only known this story from the pigs point of view. Mr. A. Wolf tells all about what really happened to those three little houses made of straw, sticks and bricks and the three pigs who lived in them.

Production Requirements. The purchaser agrees to provide the following production requirements:
1) Elevated floor space: area measuring at least 20’ wide x 12’ deep with a ceiling height of 10 feet. Area should be free of activity at least 90 minutes prior for setup and 45 minutes after for teardown. *
2) One table of banquet size or equivalent for back stage. One pitcher of water and glass for artist.
3) Electrical: at least two separate circuit 110V (normal house current) grounded outlets on a minimum 15 amp fuses or breakers; located within 50’ of the staging area. If further than 50’, Sponsor agrees to supply addition al extension cable.
4) An adequate sound system consisting of the following:
• Cassette player to play music through the sound system
• Mixer capable of controlling at least two separate inputs
• Artist will supply an EV NRU-H1 wireless body pack and headset
• Speakers should be in front of the stage and not behind the performer
5) Basic stage lighting to illuminate the performance area
Production Assistance. The Sponsor agrees to provide the following production assistance: 1) Two volunteers to help unload van before performance, and load van after performance.

Read Review of the Show!

To book this show, call the Paul Mesner Puppets at 816-756-3500!

Rapunzel

The Paul Mesner Puppets presents a veggie wonderful love story about two avid gardeners, Okra and Romaine, who meet, marry and have a beautiful daughter named Rapunzel. An evil witch who forced Romaine to promise that he would give up his first-born child many months before, returns to claim the lovely child for her own. Rapunzel is taken to live in a tower and her future looks bleak until the Prince arrives…and Rapunzel hatches a plan to escape her evil captor and leaf happily ever alfalfa.

Production Requirements. The purchaser agrees to provide the following production requirements:
1) Elevated floor space: area measuring at least 20’ wide x 12’ deep with a ceiling height of 10 feet. Area should be free of activity at least 90 minutes prior for setup and 45 minutes after for teardown. *
2) One table of banquet size or equivalent for back stage. One pitcher of water and glass for artist.
3) Electrical: at least two separate circuit 110V (normal house current) grounded outlets on a minimum 15 amp fuses or breakers; located within 50’ of the staging area. If further than 50’, Sponsor agrees to supply addition al extension cable.
4) An adequate sound system consisting of the following:
• Cassette player to play music through the sound system
• Mixer capable of controlling at least two separate inputs
• Artist will supply an EV NRU-H1 wireless body pack and headset
• Speakers should be in front of the stage and not behind the performer
5) Basic stage lighting to illuminate the performance area
Production Assistance. The Sponsor agrees to provide the following production assistance: 1) Two volunteers to help unload van before performance, and load van after performance.

To book this show, call the Paul Mesner Puppets at 816-756-3500!

Anansi the Spider

Anansi the Spider is a lively telling of four classic folk tales from Africa and the Caribbean. All these humorous stories feature a trickster spider who sometimes gets tricked himself. In “How the Stories Came to the World”, “Tiger Becomes a Riding Horse”, The Magic of Five” and “Dinner for Two”, Anansi the Spider offers universal lessons of wit and cleverness.

Traditional African and Caribbean stories adapted by Paul Mesner

Puppet construction is by Paul Mesner. Live musical accompaniment by drummer Patrick Conway.

Production Requirements. The purchaser agrees to provide the following production requirements:
1) Elevated floor space: area measuring at least 24’ wide x 14’ deep with a ceiling height of 14 feet. Area should be free of activity at least 90 minutes prior for setup and 45 minutes after for teardown. *
2) One table of banquet size or equivalent for back stage. One pitcher of water and glass for artist.
3) Electrical: at least two separate circuit 110V (normal house current) grounded outlets on a minimum 15 amp fuses or breakers; located within 50’ of the staging area. If further than 50’, Sponsor agrees to supply addition al extension cable.
4) An adequate sound system consisting of the following:
• Cassette player to play music through the sound system
• Mixer capable of controlling at least two separate inputs
• Artist will supply an EV NRU-H1 wireless body pack and headset
• Speakers should be in front of the stage and not behind the performer
5) Basic stage lighting to illuminate the performance area
Production Assistance. The Sponsor agrees to provide the following production assistance: 1) Two volunteers to help unload van before performance, and load van after performance.

To book this show, call the Paul Mesner Puppets at 816-756-3500!

Puppeteers: Paul Mesner, Mike Horner and Gabby Baculi
Scenery and puppet design: Paul Mesner, Kriss Miller and Pix Smith
Music: Steven Dillman

Production Requirements. The purchaser agrees to provide the following production requirements:
1) Elevated floor space: area measuring at least 20’ wide x 12’ deep with a ceiling height of 10 feet. Area should be free of activity at least 90 minutes prior for setup and 45 minutes after for teardown. *
2) One table of banquet size or equivalent for back stage. One pitcher of water and glass for artist.
3) Electrical: at least two separate circuit 110V (normal house current) grounded outlets on a minimum 15 amp fuses or breakers; located within 50’ of the staging area. If further than 50’, Sponsor agrees to supply addition al extension cable.
4) An adequate sound system consisting of the following:
• Cassette player to play music through the sound system
• Mixer capable of controlling at least two separate inputs
• Artist will supply an EV NRU-H1 wireless body pack and headset
• Speakers should be in front of the stage and not behind the performer
5) Basic stage lighting to illuminate the performance area
Production Assistance. The Sponsor agrees to provide the following production assistance: 1) Two volunteers to help unload van before performance, and load van after performance.

To book this show, call the Paul Mesner Puppets at 816-756-3500!