DETROIT – When you think of Detroit, you think of Motown music or the auto industry, puppets don't necessarily come to mind. But PuppetART theatre, in the heart of Detroit, has been bringing this age old art form to life for years.
"Puppetry dates back to the 1700's in Detroit," says Igor Gozman, the theatres founder. "It's one of those art forms that just grabs ahold of you."
PuppetART Theater is a part of Detroit's theatre district, just a few blocks from the Michigan Opera Theater, Music Hall and the Gem and Century Theaters. It includes an intimate 70-person theater, a museum that accommodates a growing collection of puppets and a studio featuring various workshops.
"Once we engage your child it's case closed," said Marketing Director Julien Godman. "They're not going anywhere, they are sitting in their chair and excited to experience something that's not on television."
Founded in 1998 by a group of puppeteers and artists trained in Moscow & St. Petersburg, all members of the PuppetART troupe are masters of puppetry art theater. PuppetART offers a repertoire of thirteen productions.
Whether it's by the delicate strings of a marionette or the precise movement of a handle, story telling through puppetry takes serious skill.
"You're not just operating a puppet with strings or a rod like you think a human would move, the puppet is the human and you have to embody that mindset," Godman said. "True object animation is the object coming to life."
Shows run weekly and change monthly. For the full schedule, visit PuppetART's official website.
Tickets are $5 for children and $10 for adults. Workshops (after every public show) are $8 per participant.