Tag Archives: play

Puppet Masters

19 May

I’m proud to be a card-carrying member of the Center for Puppetry Arts in Atlanta. We experienced our first visit and performance this weekend. “Brer Rabbit and Friends” had us all giggling, singing along and learning about how they put on the entertaining show. They are such talented entertainers – the person as an actor bringing the puppet to life. Such a unique talent.

After the play, the kids enjoyed walking around to see all the puppets on display – especially some of Jim Henson’s stars from the Muppets, Labyrinth, Sesame Street and Fraggle Rock. I also loved the Skeksis from the Dark Crystal. So cool (and still creepy all these grown up years later) to see up close.

The museum also offered us the chance to create our own puppets after the show – something both kids and adults found fun.

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Nate & Nia Bear Puppets

Happy Puppet Masters

Happy Puppet Masters

Can’t wait to go back! (I see Dr. Seuss’ The Cat in the Hat and Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer are on the calendar!)

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Dear Sister Note about the Play that Wasn’t

27 Mar

The play was for Literacy Day. Nate’s class had been learning songs about vowel sounds, rhyming words and speckle frogs for weeks. He sang in the shower and at the breakfast table to Nia, rehearsing – complete with finger snaps and an air guitar. He excitedly asked if we could watch him sing. The night before the big day finally arrived. He fell asleep singing, knowing I was going to be in the audience to see him shine with the other Kindergartens. Then, hours later, he woke up with a terrible coughing fit.

Sadly, he would miss his play – too tired from a rough night and too sick to sing on stage. He sang for me at the doctor’s office (white-wall video at the bottom of this post) and wrote Nia a note:

Signed: Sweet, Sicky Boy

Translated: “Nia, sorry I cannot come to school today because I am sick. I can do another play next year. Don’t worry, Nia. I have a bad cough. One thing why I can’t come. Two, I have a cold.”

He later added, “I hope I don’t have it anymore and I wish you don’t have it like me.”

Sweet, sicky boy. I’m glad you are feeling better now.

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An Introduction to the Theatre

4 Dec

“Can we watch all the plays?” A wide-eyed and entertained Nia asked me after the curtain closed on the first play she ever watched.

It really was the perfect play for her to call her first. She was reading The Best Christmas Pageant Ever in class last week and this weekend our community theatre was performing the play of it. She was enjoying the book and reading us excerpts so I knew the performance would be wonderful for her.

Loved the book.

It was perfect because it had so many young actors – even a few who Nia knew – so that kept her really interested. She was happy to have her beloved reindeer doll to sit with her through the show too. I was happy that I didn’t have to pay for a ticket for Clarice. (The tickets were a great price though, $5 for children and $10 for adults. Some of that money even goes to varying charities.) On top of all the specialness, Nia also got to enjoy refreshments after the show. Festive cookies and a candy cane. I love the question she gave me as we walked back to the car, almost finished with both cookies, “Aren’t refreshments usually meat and cheese and crackers?” Not a complaint, just a little girl trying to figure out her world.

Excited for the show to start.

Mommy/Daughter Date

Talented Cast

Enjoying refreshments.

The sweetness of it all made me tear up. The carols at the end of the play really did me in. Luckily, Nia was there to hug my arm and distract me with her forward thinking. Can we watch all the plays? I promise to take her to as many kid-appropriate ones that our schedule allows.

Checking our calendar now …

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When you don’t get out much…

5 May
  • you forget your wallet at work the night of your romantic surprise date with your wife.  Andrew planned a trip to a play in Atlanta while my mom was here and it all turned out perfectly despite his driving without a license and my initial reaction to the surprise.  If I could go back in time, I would definitely not ask, “What’s this?” with a look of confusion when shown the e-tickets. And, I would absolutely not be all like, “What’s this play, *Doubt, all about? I never heard of it.”  Poor Andrew. He knows how sorry I am.  I only hope it doesn’t discourage him from any possible future surprises.  (I really appreciate and love what you did.)
  • you act like an idiot and tell anyone who listens what’s going on in your life at that very moment.  I’m pretty sure the clerk at Old Navy did not care that my mom and I were going to go see a *movie and I was going to order nachos and cheese – oh, I really hope they have nachos and cheese – I’m sure they do right? I mean, it’s an IMAX theater after all….   Yeah, I had uncool written all of my face – and probably my outfit.
  • you have to get a ride from security after the movie is over because you parked on the complete other side of the largest mall in Georgia.  Not only was it silly enough that we were being slowly chauffeured around the mall, but then some “real” action happened (a car backed into a yellow pole) and the security guard was all disappointed that he had to take my mom and I (or as he kept repeating on his walkie talkie, the “10-15”) to our car.  My mom kept hysterically giggling every time he called us the “10-15.” It was all so hilarious, especially when the guy said “I’m going try to get there as soon as I can but I still gotta find this 10-15’s vehicle!” It was at that point that my mom and I told him to go get that “41” or whatever it was and let us out to walk.  Man, I feel bad for that “41.”  He had one geeked up guard coming after him!
  • you enjoy every second of your special time.  Thanks for the wonderful memories Andrew and mommy!  I had a blast!

*If you were wondering, Andrew and I both really liked the play and the movie my mom and I saw was Made of Honor and we both enjoyed that as well!
 

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