Atlanta - The Center for Puppetry Arts

However heartbreaking leaving Kansas City was, I’m not even half way through my adventure and I must press on . So, I board my 5th plane so far to Atlanta in Georgia to visit The Center for Puppetry Arts.

Security on Segway: usatoday.com

Atlanta airport is one of the world’s busiest airports - however, I don’t seem to have much trouble getting around as the airport is pretty efficient - it even has its own underground train network (to get from terminal to terminal), so I found it all pretty exciting! Also, I found it amusing that all the security guards driving around on segways and scooters!

Pigs in Space

I catch an airport bus to my hotel and sleep the best night’s sleep I’ve had since I left home - however, I woke feeling like I could do with another another day or too - but I’m up and ready for my big adventure to the Center of Puppetry Arts!

THIS WAS INCREDIBLE! Highly worth the whole little side-stop to Atlanta. I don’t have any photos though, as cameras weren’t allowed inside, so here’s a couple I got of the website: http://www.puppet.org

‘Star struck’ is probably the right word to use. I came face to face with some of my childhood (and adult) heros - such as the puppet cast from The Muppets and Sesame Street, Fraggle Rock, The Labyrinth, The Dark Crystal and pretty much puppets and memorabilia from every Jim Henson production to date. Along with hundreds of all other kinds of interesting puppets from all around the world, which was just fascinating.

The Electric Mayhem: amoeba.com

I was eye-ball to ping-pong ball with Kermit the Frog, the original Swedish Chef, Ernie, Sir Didymus (The Labyrinth), Big Bird, one of the Skeksis (Dark Crystal), Dr. Teeth, the list goes on and on... It was so incredible.The lovely Kiera took me on a guided tour throughout all the exhibits, including the Jim Henson exhibit and told me a great deal of background on all the things I didn’t know yet!

I also got the chance to hang out with Kiera and some of the staff at the center who were kind enough to take me backstage and behind the scenes to see where all the actions happens! I also met a whole TEAM of puppet-builders who work downstairs full-time just making and developing puppets! Now there’s a fantastic job!!!

Everyone was so lovely to me and I almost felt like royalty being shown around, since I came “all the way from Australia to see the centre!”.

All Hands Productions

As well as trying to absorb what felt like information overload about all the puppets and trying to take as many mental images as possible, I also got the chance to see a puppet show while I was there! The show was called Billy Goats Gruff and Other Stuff by All Hands Productions (David Stephens) and performed by Jeffrey C. Zwartjes. It was just fantastic and really good fodder for inspiration towards the kind of show I want to eventually create - full of music and original songs! I was later told by David himself - that normally he performs the show playing banjo live, but since he had such a heavy tour schedule this summer, he recorded his banjo so Jeffrey could perform the show as well.

Jim Henson with Sam & Friends - late 1950s

The show had so much life and character and the puppets were so funny and fantastic! I loved it! I was laughing and smiling the entire time and totally forgot that I was the only adult sitting in a hall together with a couple hundred school kids.... (yes, some thought I was rather odd sitting there by myself...)

After some quick purchases at the fantastic gift shop (a badge, a book on Elmo’s life and a CD with music from Seseme Street all around the world), I caught the airport bus straight from the center back to the airport to catch my flight to Wilmington in North Carolina...

Phew! That was a busy day and luckily, my meticulous planning paid off and it all worked out! However, after relying on myself and my planning and being slightly stressed - I was relieved to find smiling faces at the airport with a wonderful welcoming sign proclaiming “Puppeteers here”! Brilliant.