OUR EVENT PARTNERS
Children’s Theatre of Charlotte
From their humble beginning in 1948, Children's Theatre of Charlotte has grown to become one of the most respected arts and education organizations in the country. As creators of high-quality professional theatre for young audiences, they are committed to the mission that children have the right to explore the wonder of their world safely and confidently with kindness at its core.
Sigmon Theatrical
From performers flying through the air to close up character encounters, Sigmon Theatrical is dedicated to creating memorable and magical experiences that audiences will cherish. Their interactive performers and roving puppets spark imagination and wonder and turn any event into an immersive experience.
PARTICIPATING PUPPETRY TROOPS
(in performance order of the day)
Center for Puppetry Arts
The Center for Puppetry Arts’ mission is to inspire imagination, education and community through the global art of puppetry. Since 1978, the Center has introduced millions of visitors to the wonder and art of puppetry and has touched the lives of many through enchanting performances, curriculum-based workshops, and the hands-on Museum, as well as Digital Learning and Outreach Programs.
Ed’s Dinosaurs Live
Ed's Dinosaurs Live are the Dinosaur Entertainers for your party, corporate event, festival, parade or any appearance of your needs. Started in 2011, with Mr. Ed, a homemade dinosaur, some balloons, and a few tricks up his sleeve, the company is now one of the largest dinosaur entertainers in the country.
The Lurnsters
The Lurnsters are a video-based entrepreneurship education platform that uses social emotional learning to teach students the skills they need to be successful entrepreneurs. Their puppet shows are engaging, entertaining, and full of monster fun for the whole family.
Charlotte Mecklenburg Library Frontline Puppeteers
The CML Frontline Puppeteers are a team of staff members of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library system who develop and perform puppet shows for young children adapted from children’s picture books. They believe in bringing stories to life through puppet play and are committed to making puppetry accessible, free, and open to the public.
Ms. Melanie Puppetry
Ms. Melanie has been engaging children with puppetry for over 15 years. With her sidekicks, Frank and Betty, literacy, music and comedy come together to thrill audiences of all ages.
Grey Seal Puppets
Well known for their trademark whimsical approach to storytelling and exquisite puppet design, Grey Seal Puppets offers a variety of puppet performances sure to tickle your fancy. Their repertoire includes a variety of productions from familiar fairy tales (The Emperor's New Clothes) to original stories (Bathtub Pirates). The company’s thirty-year history includes such honors as three Citations of Excellence from UNIMA-USA (International puppetry organization), the President’s Award from the Puppeteers of America, and the Award for Leadership in Theatre from the NC Theatre Conference. In addition to touring productions, Grey Seal also performs regularly on television with clients such as The Reimler Agency (Bojangles), WTVI-Channel 42 (local PBS affiliate), the Muppets, and Silver Burdett Ginn.
Jeghetto
Jeghetto is a self-taught master builder and puppeteer residing in NC. His puppets are abstract moving sculptures made of mostly found and recycled materials. He has received two grants from the Jim Henson Foundation prior to becoming a board member himself. Jeghetto has worked with Missy Elliott, Pharrell Williams, Alec Baldwin and Terence Nance. He was a guest on The Steve Harvey Show and performed puppetry on The Voice and HBO’s Random Acts of Flyness.
Magda Guichard
Magda has been working with Children’s Theatre of Charlotte for nine years, designing costumes and puppets for such shows as Narnia: The Musical, The Velveteen Rabbit, The Best Christmas Pageant Ever: The Musical, Madagascar: A Musical Adventure, Roald Dahl’s Matilda the Musical, The Ghost of Splinter Cove and Coraline as well as the designing and creating of the Dragons in both The Reluctant Dragon and Shrek: The Musical. Magda earned her Master of Fine Arts from Savannah College of Art and Design in production design with a costume design focus.