Thursday, May 28, a puppet
performance for preschool aged
children took place at 10 a.m.
at the Moniteau County Library
at Woodplace. As Nancy Lewis
thanked everyone for attending
she shared the show was sponsored
by the Moniteau County
Library, and the "Reading Shapes
Heroes" Summer Reading Program
Grant provided in part by
the Institute of Museum and
Library Services and Technology
Act as administered by the Missouri
State Library, a division of
the Office of the Secretary of State.
This special program kicked-off
the nine week summer reading
program with well over 100 children
in attendance.
Puppeteer Peter Allen, Jamesport,
invited the children to pick
the program as he began the
show. He said, "It is much like
eating your dinner, pick an appetizer,
main course and a dessert."
The children were allowed to vote
from the puppet menu board and
chose "Bigger" for the appetizer,
"Nap Time" for the main course,
and "Joan vs. the Dragon" for the
dessert.
The puppet show began with
Susie telling the children, "Anyone
can be a Super Hero. My
Mom says so!" This hand puppet
adventure was filled with audience
participation and interaction.
During each course Super
Susie would arrive to ask, "What
is the problem?" Puppeteer Allen
placed the selected items together
to create a brand new story
starring the hero, Susie.
Allen has been performing as a
puppeteer and actor for almost 50
years. Born in England, he began
doing puppet shows at the age of
eight. A Canadian citizen, Allen
has performed puppet shows in
England, Scotland, Germany,
Canada and the USA. He moved
to Hawaii when he married puppeteer
Debbie Lutzky Allen in
- They created Parasol Puppets
and successfully performed
and taught puppetry from their
Hawaii base for 10 years. In 1997,
Peter, Debbie and Parasol Puppets
moved to a farm outside of
Jamesport.