The Menlo Park Belle Haven Library is hosting a three-month-long puppetry celebration, including performances by various professional puppet companies and puppet arts and crafts, beginning this month.
There will be a puppet performance every other Sunday at 2 p.m.; on Sundays with no show, there will be puppet-themed crafts and coloring.
The next puppet show, “The Itty Bitty Variety Show” by Caterpillar Puppets, is set for June 17.
Six different puppet companies will perform during the summer, including the Puppet Art Theater, which tours all over California; the Caterpillar Puppets, which tours domestically and internationally; the Magical Moonshine Theatre, which has toured in 15 countries and in eight different languages; and the Fratello Marionettes, which tours domestically and internationally.
Fans of puppets and ventriloquists might enjoy Randel McGee & Groark the Dragon, which closes out the festival on Sunday, Aug. 26.
In addition to the Sunday programs, there will also be a special performance on Wednesday, July 25, by Silly Goose and Val, which features ventriloquist, musician, composer and performer Valerie Leonhart Smalkin, who is on tour from Maryland. Both McGee and Smalkin have performed all over the world.
All performances are free, thanks to funding from the Friends of the Menlo Park Library. To find a complete list of the events and times, visit menlopark.org/puppetry.
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