Puppet slam for grown-ups sure to deliver surprises

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This article was published 09/11/2022 (1441 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

No, there will be absolutely no murders at this year’s Winnipeg Puppet Slam. None. What an absurd idea.

The oddball theatre production — which takes place at the Gas Station Theatre this Saturday — opens on the set of the Super Happy Fun Time Show, a goofy children’s variety program hosted by the exuberantly annoying Air-Head and his disgruntled co-host Socky.

“Socky has made it clear that his goal in life is to be the host of this kid’s show,” puppet slam organizer Curtis Wiebe says. OK, maybe there’s motive for just a little murder.

The puppet show for grown-ups continues with an investigation into Air-Head’s fate, performed by five local puppeteers working with marionettes, hand and rod puppets. In addition to playing the ill-fated Air-Head, a puppet with a balloon for a head, Wiebe takes on the role of hard-boiled detective Sunny Sideup.

The annual slam is a chance for local puppet enthusiasts to share their skills and creations with the world in an enjoyable way.

“We have a lot of fun exploring the characters and their interactions with each other and the audience,” Wiebe says, adding that the show follows a loose storyline with plenty of room for improvisation. “There’s always surprises. Sometimes it’s unwelcome surprises, like a string breaks on your marionette or there’s last minute repairs, but sometimes hilarity ensues.”

This year’s show is a celebration of the range of genres within the artform — from fun explorations of puppetry to darker, more adult themes.

The local slam has been running since 2010 and takes inspiration from a movement started by Heather Henson, daughter of Muppets founder Jim Henson, to encourage audiences to think about puppeteering as an art rather than just as entertainment reserved for children.

Amid the pandemic, Wiebe has tapped into the puppet slam network of North America and grown the festival’s format to include videos submitted by puppeteers across the continent. A series of short films ranging from 30 seconds to six minutes will be screened during the live performance.

As such, putting the show together is a bit of a jigsaw puzzle, Wiebe says.

“When we ask for submissions, we give everybody a theme to work from,” he says. “It’s our job, then, to figure out how to incorporate those videos into the theme and make it make sense — sometimes it doesn’t make sense and that’s just part of the show, it always ends up being a little ridiculous anyways.”

The zany murder mystery will be livestreamed on Facebook, and tickets are available by donation at the Gas Station Arts Centre.

eva.wasney@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @evawasney