Summer will be moving into fall soon and that means touring time for schools and theatres! We are excited to offer A Birdy Told Me So, a show that stars my bird puppet Magrau who has become more colourful and vibrant thanks to Dusty Hagerud, puppet maker at Color Sound Lab. Our tour last spring in BC’s Cariboo region brought this colourful show to schools who had not seen a performance since the beginning of COVID. We celebrated together. It felt great to be back in schools and theatre stages again.
Do you ever feel like things in your life have come full circle? This show was inspired by my life growing up with a bird puppet that I received as a gift. I remember that thrill when I opened the present that had Magrau inside, back in the 1970s. At the beginning of each performance, I see the audience’s surprise when a bird puppet pops out of the present for the first time and talks by himself!
I find myself transported from the gym at Winger School in Southern Ontario where I performed in my first talent show as a student, to today’s gyms and theatres. Puppetry and ventriloquism are very popular artforms these days, and more and more students are picking up puppets and waking them up!
Playing with puppets helps young people express themselves and find their voices. Through play comes learning and connecting with others. Just ask Magrau the bird who gets help from audience members all the time when he gets scared of trying new things. Magrau is very happy when students come up after the show and tell him about their own experiences and how they’ve overcome obstacles. Maybe a little help from a friend is all a bird needs to get back on his bicycle.
See you soon!
Kellie
The students and staff loved having Kellie and Greg at our school. The energy, fun and laughs were an amazing experience for our students. This was our first whole school assembly since the pandemic hit. It was so wonderful to have all of our students together laughing and singing, clapping along. Kellie was so upbeat and talented with her amazing ventriloquist skills. Thank you so much.
Mrs. Kristina Beaulne
Principal
Marie Sharpe Elementary School