This past Friday, Anouk and I were lucky enough to be able to spend some time with the Fischer Sundae Puppets at the Virginia Beach Central Library. The FSP is a nonprofit organization run by a fabulous husband-and-wife team, based out of Chesterfield, who put on shows at libraries, schools, and other locations throughout the community to promote a love of reading. The theme the day we visited was "Amazing Dreams," and with the help of Noah Goodbook, the Billy Goats Gruff, and Strega Nona, Mr. and Mrs. Fischer encouraged all of the kids in the audience to use their imaginations to make their dreams come to life.
The auditorium was packed -- some advice, if you're planning on going to a future show: get there early if you want the best seats up front and center (although sitting off to the side offers a glimpse of the man literally behind the curtain, which is kind of cool and behind-the-scenes). Our crowd ranged in age from infant to elementary school aged, but the bulk of the audience seemed to be energetic toddlers. Luckily, the Fischers have gotten into a groove of managing audience rowdiness pretty smoothly. They also encourage audience participation, which was just about the funniest thing ever, a crowd of babies, children, parents, and grandparents all hollering out a resounding Moos and Quacks when prompted by our puppet friends.
A nice touch was the DIY packet they handed out at the end of the show, with a paper bag and a list of folk tales, tips, and tricks to inspire a puppet show of your very own. I fully intended to post pictures of the puppets that Anne and I made when we got home, but we (I) obviously lack the talent of the pros and our "Baby Anne" puppet ended up looking pretty creepy and deranged, so I will spare you all. But we sure did have fun playing with her.
You can read more about the Fischer Sundae Puppets here or follow them on Facebook for a list of upcoming events.
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