Puppets Take Audience on Trip Around the World
By Justin Smith

A giant Buddha, big black birds and a wizard take the stage in Paperhand Puppet Intervention’s latest production “As the Crow Flies.”

The visuals are captivating but what goes on behind the scenes might be just as exciting as the production itself.
The audience doesn't see the people behind the puppets - people like the directors Jan Burger and Donavan Zimmerman.

They spend nearly two and a half months sculpting, painting and sewing the puppets in their studio before transporting them to the Forest Theater.

The puppets and sets made to get the attention of the audience members but not just to entertain. Sometimes the goal is to make a statement.

" I need my art to have a meaning for it in order for me to want to do it. So sometimes that means tackling social issues that really engage me," Burger said.

In this show, performers tackle stories from around the world they hope will resonate with audiences here.

" Puppetry speaks universally because it allows us to transport into another world,” Zimmerman said.

Some of the stories are folk tales passed down through generations in other cultures. There's also a recent true story from the war in Iraq.

As the artists move the puppets on stage they ultimately hope to move the audience members as well, taking them on a journey that starts at the Forest Theater and ends up around the world.

Paperhand Puppet Intervention