Puppets thrill audience

Tiny, smiling faces lined up outside of the Monroe County Library auditorium Saturday. Members of the audience arrived 15 minutes early to get their tickets for the Puck Players' production of "Babar." Playing at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m., the show was free to the public and geared toward children ages 2 to 6.\nChildren clutched their parents' hands and walked into the dimly lit auditorium. Nina Ost, master puppeteer and organizer of Puck Players, greeted them. Her voice was warm and friendly and she acknowledged every child as he or she walked through the door. \nOst has been with Puck Players since it began in 1967. She said all of their props and puppets are handmade. Today, the group includes 10 puppeteers, who rehearse at Ost's house.\n"We do not have a studio," Ost said. "We store everything in a bedroom at my house, and we also rehearse there."\nPuck Players has been performing at the library auditorium since 1971. \n"The show, 'Babar,' is 15-20 years old," Ost said.\nThe show began with Ost interacting with the children. They sang "Three Little Monkeys" under the her direction. She then told the children to stand and jump up and down three times. The children participated enthusiastically and were responsive to the activities Ost had planned for them.\nIU graduate student Greta Gard said her daughter said they had a lot of fun at the show. This was the second puppet show the two had seen by Puck Players at the library. Gard's daughter jumped up and down beside her mother while Ost led the audience in a song. When the show began, the little girl sat on her mother's lap and watched intently as the characters came alive on stage.\n"She was very drawn into the performance," Gard said.\nThe first puppet that appeared on stage was a little, old lady that introduced herself as a friend of the animals. She talked to the children about how some animals do not belong in cages, like her friends Babar and Celeste. \n"We do not have a set script," Ost said. "We use an outline, instead. We want to stay flexible for the children, so they can be included."\nThe impromptu structure of the show allows children to communicate to the puppets without changing the plot of the story. During the show, children helped the two elephants, Celeste and Babar, by telling them where the Ringmaster took their friend, Zephir the monkey.\n"Where's Zephir?" Babar asked.\n"Someone took him," the children answered back.\nGard said her daughter's favorite character was Zephir, and her daughter did not like the part where the "bad man takes the animals."\nThe ringmaster took Zephir away in a hot air balloon, a train and then a truck. The elephants followed closely behind using the same transportation as the Ringmaster. They arrived at the circus tent unable to find Zephir. The Ringmaster distracted them from finding their friend by hypnotizing them.\nGard's daughter laughed loudly as the Ringmaster waved a gold watch in front of Babar and Celeste's faces and then forced them to do "stupid, silly tricks."\nIn the end, the old lady rescued Babar, Celeste and Zephir. She hypnotized the Ringmaster and forced him to do "stupid, silly tricks." Babar asked what would happen to the wicked Ringmaster and the old lady answered, "He will remain mean and nasty." \nShe then told the elephants they had to hurry so they can could their ride on the 747. The adults in the audience laughed at the idea of two elephants and a monkey riding on a 747.\nThe Friends of the Library funds the puppet shows. Frasier said the members of this organization pay a fee of $10 per individual or $25 per family. The group helps to fund the book sale at the library every Tuesday from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. as well as helping to pay for the collection of books located in the children's department, special guests, entertainment and different activities for children, such as the puppet shows. \nGard said they will definitely attend future shows.\n"My daughter really enjoys the stories, and the atmosphere in the auditorium is very relaxed and comfortable," she said.\nChildren's librarian Mary Frasier said Puck Players normally performs for the library three times in the fall and three times in the spring. Puck Players will perform Babar for a second time at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m., Saturday, April 5. This will be the last show of the spring season. All shows are free to the public, but tickets must be reserved ahead of time by calling the Monroe County Library Children's Department at 349-3100.