Paul Mesner Puppets

TOURING PRODUCTIONS
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*The Mikado*		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!

Little Red Riding Hood		Little Red Riding Hood Paul Mesner Puppets tells this tale of Little Red Riding Hood with a contemporary flavor. When Little Red finds the wolf disguised in her Grandmother’s clothes, she uses her self-defense moves to teach him a lesson he won’t soon forget. Hand and rod puppets were built by Paul Mesner, Gabby Baculi. Mike Horner and Tom Sciacca

Wiley and the Hairy Man		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. 1992 Citation of Excellence Winner To book this show, call the Paul Mesner Puppets at 816-756-3500!

*The Long Story of Corinthian Hall*		The Long Story of Corinthian Hall A Paul Mesner Puppet Show During renovation of the doors and windows at Corinthian Hall, the Kansas City Museum will not be able to accommodate school tours on site. However, the Museum is offering an outreach program featuring Paul Mesner Puppets which is available to visit local schools. An original script written for the puppet stage by Paul Mesner, this show is geared to school-age audiences. The show tells the story of Kansas City lumber baron R.A. Long who built Corinthian Hall and lived there with his wife and two daughters. Mesner is artistic director of Paul Mesner Puppets, Inc. and winner of many prizes and awards, including the prestigious Unima-USA Award from the Henson Foundation. The Long story offers much to a puppeteer, according to Mesner. “They were an interesting and important family for Kansas City, and Corinthian Hall is such a work of art itself,” he says. “And Loula! What a character! She kept so many different pet animals, which is a real boon to me on the puppet stage! And her puppets all had outstanding hats!” Please call the Museum at (816) 483-8300 or email Rebecca Schroeder at rschroeder@unionstation.org for information on booking this program. Limited scholarship funding is available for schools who qualify thanks to support from the Francis Family Foundation.

St. George & the Dragon		St. George & the Dragon The Paul Mesner Puppets go back to the time of dragons, damsels and dungeons with the production of St. George and the Dragon. This production features a princess named Georgette. Her father, the King wants her to stay in the kitchen, do her needlepoint and get married. But Georgette has ideas of her own. The story unfolds as Georgette disguises herself as “George the Knight” who fight the earth shaking the dragon. Georgette conquers the dragon with brains and wit, which forces her father to recognize her true talents. The King sends her to college and they all lived happily ever after. To book this show, call the Paul Mesner Puppets at 816-756-3500!

*Puss In Boots*		Puss In Boots The Paul Mesner Puppets presents the tale of an old miller who divides his property amongst his sons, leaving the youngest son with nothing but an old cat. The cat promises the miller’s son riches in exchange for a pair of boots. With this new feline footwear, the cat leads his master on a rollicking adventure. Puss in Boots and the miller’s son meet the king and his daughter, become local celebrities, and defeat an evil ogre that has been terrorizing the countryside. Script adaptation: Mike Horner Directed: Paul Mesner and Mike Horner Set & puppet construction: Paul Mesner, Mike Horner and Gabby Baculi, Anja Sieger and Thomas Sciacca Music: Brad Cox Puppeteers: Mike Horner and Gabby Baculi To book this show, call the Paul Mesner Puppets at 816-756-3500!

*The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs by A. Wolf*		True Story of the 3 Little Pigs by A. Wolf (used with the permission of Jon Scieszka) 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: Tech Diagram Tech Diagram Side View Elevated floor space: area measuring at least 20 feet wide x 12 feet 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. One table of banquet size or equivalent for back stage. One pitcher of water and glass for artist. 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 additional extension cable. Paul Mesner Puppets will supply 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, headset Speakers should be in front of the stage and not behind the performer Basic stage lighting to illuminate the performance area This production uses a small amount of smoke produced by a standard Rosco Fog machine supplied by Artist. Tech Lighting Diagram Production Assistance: The Purchaser agrees to provide the following production assistance: Two volunteers to help unload van before performance, and load van after performance. Read Review of the Show! 2008 Citation of Excellence Winner Citation of Excellence Online Souvenir Book To book this show, call the Paul Mesner Puppets at 816-756-3500!

*Rapunzel*		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) 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 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) 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!

*The Stinky Cheese Man*		The Stinky Cheese Man, by Jon Scieszka Adapted for the stage by Paul Mesner and Mike Horner The story contains zany versions of classic tales with the fabulous humor that has made this Caldecott Award winning book by Jon Scieszka and Lane Smith so popular. You will have fun with Jack, the narrator, who takes you through the twists and turns of this wacky tale. Learn the real story of Chicken Licken or is that Chicken Little? And then there is Cinderumpelstiltskin. Will she have to spin her own dress? Will she go to the ball? The Really Ugly Duckling will make you laugh and cry and everyone will leave with a somewhat revised view of that Little Red Hen. The story is not only entertaining but also explains how a book is constructed. This is the second Jon Scieszka book that Paul Mesner Puppets has turned into a puppet production, the first being True Story of the Three Little Pigs. 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) 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!

Pulcinella		Pulcinella By Paul Mesner Puppets Paul Mesner brings his own personal touch to this production of Pulcinella, an Italian puppet tradition over three centuries old. Pulcinella is part Saturday morning cartoon, Three Stooges, the slapstick and physical comedy of WWF with a lot of hand puppet ballet. Pulcinella is the hero of this story, however he is all but pure innocence. After dancing with his girlfriend Teresina, his antics, joy for life and noise making get him into trouble with his neighbor, who consequently suffers from Pulcinella’s stick. The neighbor suffers so much that he falls into a coffin. Later when Pulcinella falls asleep Death comes to claim his property. Pulcinella awakes, and while unable to defeat Death, escapes from his clutches. Soon the police arrive to find what has happened and Pulcinella insists the man is asleep. Failing to elude the law, Pulcinella finds himself in prison awaiting the hangman. While in prison a priest comes to hear Pulcinella’s confession and leaves without insuring his absolution after hearing Pulcinella’s sins. When the hangman finally arrives to ready Pulcinella for his death, Pulcinella tricks Death again with his antics and survives to dance with his girlfriend, Teresina. Paul Mesner uses hand puppets built in the Neapolitan style, the traditional method taught to him by Bruno Leone, a pulcinella master from Naples, Italy. To book this show, call the Paul Mesner Puppets at 816-756-3500!