Local troupe offers free puppet theater

A little boy almost 3 years old eagerly claps as he sits on top of a book his mother just checked out of the library. His light-up shoes beam flashes of red in the dark theater as he kicks his feet together in excitement.\nSaturday, the Puck Players Public Theatre puppet troupe performed "The Little Red Hen" and "Chicken Little" free of charge to a large audience at the Monroe County Public Library. \nIf the phrase "puppet show" conjures thoughts of putting a holey black sock on one's hand, the PPPT can change that image. \n"(Puppetry is) better than dope," said Nina Ost, story teller and director for PPPT. "Not better than pinot grigio, but better than dope."\nAs a member of the puppet troupe for the past 38 years, Ost has performed every role imaginable. She has made puppets, acted, directed and created props. Now, as the story teller, she performs songs and dances between the skits to get the audience more involved in the show. \nPPPT, one of the oldest repertory puppet troupes in the country, uses a "commedia dell'arte" performance style where the lines of the production are unscripted. The story and plot are established, but how you get to the story itself is undetermined. The informality of the shows helps break the monotony for the puppeteers and the spectators. \nThe play is also interactive, allowing the audience to dance, sing and respond to what it is observing. \n"Watching puppet shows is much more active than watching television," said Tom Zoss, MCPL volunteer and puppet enthusiast. "The TV laughs for them, claps for them."\nOst agreed, but said this is exactly what makes TV so attractive to children.\n"It's kind of the narcotic of television," Ost retorted.\nNot only do the performances give the audience a more active role in what they're watching, but they also teach audience members classic stories, oral literacy, listening and prediction-making skills, Ost said.\nYoung children and their parents made up most of the audience. Those involved with BloomingKids, Big Brothers Big Sisters or even babysitters can find solace in this amusing activity free of charge. Ost said the troupe also has a large population of the international community in attendance. \n"Puppets are a bigger deal in almost every country other than the United States," she said.\nThe puppetry popularity in Bloomington continues to grow, in part because it is affordable. Events such as the puppet shows are free of charge because of a group called the Friends of the MCPL and their donations. \nWith the Friends' help, PPPT performs two shows on two Saturdays each month. \nPPPT will have puppet shows at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. Saturday at the Monroe County Public Library, 303 E. Kirkwood Ave.