Breckenridge Library brings puppet show to town
By Carla McKeown/Breckenridge Texan
The Breckenridge Woman’s Forum was filled with the sound of children’s laughter and cheers Thursday afternoon as Pix Smith with the Dallas Puppet Theater delighted the audience with his marionettes.
Cirus Foley, 8, was picked to assist puppeteer Pix Smith for a portion of the puppet show at the Breckenridge Woman’s Forum on Thursday. (Photo by Tony Pilkington/Breckenridge Texan)
Performing locally as part of the Breckenridge Library’s Summer Reading Program, Smith used the show to not only entertain the children and adults in attendance but also to educate them about the history and making of puppets. He also encouraged everyone to get library cards at the Breckenridge Library and check out books about a variety of topics, including puppets.
During the June 15 show, the kids sat on the floor right in front of Smith, giving them an up-close look at the puppets, including Dancing Dog, Oliver, Scarecrow and others. As Smith and the puppets performed for the audience, Smith explained how the puppets are made, the type of puppets he has (marionettes, also known as string puppets) and how they work. He also shared information about the history of puppetry and showed the kids how each puppet is packed up to travel safely between shows.
The show included some dancing cactus puppets, a pig balancing fruit on her head, and a scarecrow that tended to fall all apart, much to the audience’s delight. As the show wrapped up, Smith invited the kids to line up and shake hands with or even give a hug to one of the puppets.
The Breckenridge Library’s Summer Reading Program will continue throughout June and July. The regular reading program activities begin at 2 p.m. on Tuesdays at the library, located at 209 N. Breckenridge Ave. The usual program includes a story and activity.
The library is open from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 1:30 to 5:30 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays. In addition to offering books and DVDs that can be checked out, the library also has computers available for the general public to use (the computers automatically shut down at 5 p.m. daily).
To see more photos from last week’s puppet show, click here to see the Breckenridge Texan’s Photo Gallery.
Toward the end of the June 15 puppet show, Pix Smith, director of the Dallas Puppet Theater, took down the curtain surrounding his stage set-up and showed the kids how the puppets are packed up for safe traveling. (Photo by Tony Pilkington/Breckenridge Texan)
After the show, the kids had an opportunity to meet one of the puppets up close for a handshake or a hug. (Photo by Tony Pilkington/Breckenridge Texan)
Cutline, top photo: During the show by the Dallas Puppet Theater, the kids in the audience were allowed to sit on the floor directly in front of Pix Smith and his puppets. That gave them a closeup look at the marionettes as they performed. Click here to see more photos from the event. (Photo by Tony Pilkington/Breckenridge Texan)
