The Encyclopaedia Britannica defines Renaissance man, also called Universal Man, as an ideal that developed in Renaissance Italy that “a man can do all things if he will.” The ideal embodied the basic tenets of Renaissance humanism, which considered man the center of the universe, limitless in his capacities for development, and led to the notion that men should try to embrace all knowledge and develop their own capacities as fully as possible. I consider today’s guest to be such a man. It is my honor and pleasure to introduce you to the Director of Dreamlike Puppet Company, Arthur Poore.
A Hindu fable retold by Lucia Turnbull from “Fairy Tales of India”, Criterion Books Incorporated New York 1960 by permission of the publishers. (download a transcript of this podcast)
Whether you are planning a puppet show for
an intimate birthday party or a puppet show for a
fundraiser, Fantasy Puppet Theater will be the highlight of your event!
Discounts for libraries and not for profit organizations!
“Fantasy Puppet Theater” was founded by Marshall Katzman, who received his M.A. in Television and Radio production from the University of Michigan and was a Fellow at Princeton University. “Fantasy Puppet Theater” is a member of Union Internationale De La Marionette, Puppeteers of America, The Puppetry Guild of Greater New York, The Garden State Puppetry Guild and is listed in the 2nd edition of Who’s Who in Entertainment. Katzman is an Emeritus Professor of Communications at Bergen Community College, in Paramus, New Jersey.
In 1956, at the age of eight, Marshall Katzman and his puppets first appeared in Zurich, Switzerland with a backyard performance of “Sleeping Beauty”. Influenced by Russian puppeteer Sergei Obratsov as well as Frank Paris, creator of the original Howdy Doody, Larry Berthelson, creator of the Pickwick Puppet Theater and mentored by Marcel Jovine, the award-winning toy designer, sculptor and designer of coins as well as Walt Disney animator and jazz watercolorist Jim Tanaka. The Muppeteer from Sesame Street, Richard Hunt, started his career in puppetry after purchasing a collection of puppets from Katzman.
In 1965 Katzman performed a puppet production written by the world renown Sergei Obratsov at the New York World’s Fair. “Fantasy Puppet Theater” made its debut in the summer of 1973 with Rock-A-Day Johnny, a Rock and Roll puppet, performing at The Ark in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The one man troupe then began a tour of the United States, which included performances for museums, nightclubs, libraries, camps, major armed forces installations including Fort Knox as well as recreation departments in Charleston, Columbus, Miami, Nashville, and San Francisco. “Fantasy Puppet Theater” has also conducted puppet workshops and performances at Appel Farm Arts & Music Center. In 1986 Marshall Katzman produced a television documentary, “Stars on Strings”: a tribute to Frank Paris the creator of the first Howdy Doody. “Stars On Strings” is available for rental from the Puppeteers of America A.V. Library.“Fantasy Puppet Theater” presented “Humpty Trumpty” as part of the 2017 La MaMa Puppet Slam currated by puppeteer and theatre artist Jane Catherine Shaw.In 2019 “The Drunk” by Sergei Obratsov, premiered at The Jim Henson Carriage House and was also performed for the 106th birthday party of Bernice Silver at The Actors Fund Home in Englewood, NJ.
“The Aladdin’s Lamp show was awesome! The children residing at the shelter with their mothers were thrilled by your puppets and it certainly brightened up everyone’s day! The music…
Thursday, July 5th, 2018
Ridgewood Public Library
125 North Maple Ave.
Ridgewood, NJ 07450
***
“The Recycling Show” Photo Credit: Rebecca Katzman
The 8th Annual Secaucus 2018 Green Festival
Secaucus Xchange (5000 Riverside Station Blvd)
Saturday, May 5th, 2018
***
Sunday, April 29th 2018 “Little Red Riding Hood” with
“The Frog Prince” and “Mortal Danger”
Private Party Ridgewood, NJ
***
Our 2017 Season
***
2017 La MaMa Puppet Slam
September 29, 2017 – September 30, 2017
Fantasy Puppet Theater presented “Humpty Trumpty”
as part of the 2017 La MaMa Puppet Slam.
This slam was SOLD OUT because the caliber of the work has been consistently high, and
so a following is growing for these short form works being presented at La MaMa.
Puppeteer and theatre artist Jane Catherine Shaw curated a two-night puppet slam featuring contemporary
short-form puppet and object theatre from both emerging and veteran puppet artists.
This puppet cabaret, challenges artists to make their best short-form work and to bring a variety of puppet
forms to audiences. Shaw is co-founder of the Voice 4 Vision Puppet Festival.
“Aladdin’s Lamp”
Saturday, June 6th, 2017
Private Party
Ridgewood, NJ 07450
***
“Jack And The Beanstalk“ Friday, July 7th, 2017
Ridgewood Public Library
125 North Maple Ave.
Ridgewood, NJ 07450
***
“The Recycling Show” & “The Shoemaker And The Elves” Wednesday, July 12th, 2017
Gloucester County Library, Mullica Hill Branch
389 Wolfert Station Road
Mullica Hill, NJ 08062
***
“Aladdin’s Lamp”
Monday, July 17th, 2017 Maurice M. Pine Free Public Library
10-01 Fair Lawn Ave.
Fair Lawn, NJ, 07410
***
“The Recycling Show” and
“The Shoemaker And The Elves”
Tuesday, July 18th, 2017 Montclair Public Library
50 S. Fullerton Ave. Montclair, NJ, 07042
***
“The Recycling Show” & “The Frog Prince”
Saturday, July 22nd, 2017
Avalon Campground
Cape May Court House, NJ 08210
***
“The Recycling Show” with
“The Frog Prince” and
“The Shoemaker And The Elves” 2:00 PM Monday, August 14th, 2017 The Franklin Township Public Library
485 DeMott Lane, Somerset, NJ , 08873
Now Booking Puppet Shows For 2018
For Metropolitan New York and New Jersey!
Our 2016 Season
“The Frog Prince”
“The Shoemaker And The Elves”
Monday, December 12th, 2016 Garfield YMCA Preschool and Day Care Garfield, NJ, 07026
“The Frog Prince “ & “The Shoemaker And The Elves”
Sunday, September 25th, 2016
Temple Beth Or
Township of Washington, NJ 07030
***
“The Recycling Show & Jack And The Beanstalk”
Wednesday, July 27th
Gloucester County Library, Mullica Hill Branch 389 Wolfert Station Road Mullica Hill, NJ 08062
***
“The Recycling Show & Jack And The Beanstalk” Saturday, July 23rd, 2016 Avalon Campground Cape May Court House, NJ 08210
***
“The Recycling Show & The Frog Prince”
Sunday, July 17th, 2016 Paramus, NJ 07652
***
“Justice For All” Part of the exhibition “Picturing the ‘Garden State’ Now”
Opening at Bergen Community College’s main campus March 1, 2016.
Artists living or working in New Jersey will exhibit in media that address current visual aspects of social, economic, environmental or other conditions in the State of New Jersey.
Opening Reception March 1 6-8 pm Tuesday, March 1
Remains on view through Friday, April 8
Gallery Bergen Bergen Community College West Hall, 3rd floor 400 Paramus Road, Paramus, NJ 07652
***
Seasons Greetings from Rockaday Johnny!
Annual USR Members Art Show from December 13th 2015 through mid-January 2016
The Unitarian Society of Ridgewood, New Jersey
***
Saturday, May 6th, 2016
Premiere Of “The Recycling Show” with
“Jack And The Beanstalk”
and
“Aladdin’s Lamp”
Puppeteer For All Ages
Puppet Shows for Children’s Birthday Parties, Puppet Shows for Schools, Puppet Shows for Libraries, Puppet Shows for Camps & Puppet Shows for Organizations!
Now Booking Puppet Shows For Metropolitan New York and Puppet Shows for New Jersey!
Puppet shows produced by a puppeteer who has entertained thousands of children and adults all over the United States.
Whether you are planning a puppet show for an intimate birthday party or a puppet show for a fundraiser for large audiences this puppet show will be the highlight of your event!
Need a last minute puppet show for your birthday party, a puppet show for your school, a puppet show for your library, a puppet show for your camp or a puppet show for your organization?
To schedule your puppet show and get a no obligation quote for your puppet show here are two ways to contact “Fantasy Puppet Theater” :
"That all citizens will be given an equal start through a sound education is one of the most basic, promised rights of our democracy. Our chronic refusal as a nation to guarantee that right for all children.... is rooted in a kind of moral blindness, or at least a failure of moral imagination.... It is a failure which threatens our future as a nation of citizens called to a common purpose... tied to one another by a common bond." —Senator Paul Wellstone --- March 31, 2000
Since 1956!
Fantasy Puppet Theater 