PuppetFest Midwest - First day at the festival

Trenton, Missouri

Walking up and down Kansas City Airport looking for the Puppet Festival pick up/meeting point for the bus to Trenton, I try to guess what puppet people look like - I really have no idea what to expect. So I proudly show/wear my Elmo T-shirt and smile at people, seeing if the shirt registers - but they look at me as if I’m strange....

After four trips up and down the airport - I finally stumble into a group of friendly looking people, all busily talking as excited as a bunch of preschoolers. These must be what puppet people are. I’m welcomed and praised for “coming ALL the way from Australia” and I feel right at home and just know it’s going to be a fun festival.

My new friends, Kathy and Heather

Finally, I’m on the bus to Trenton, Missouri. However, the drive gets further away from ‘city life’, passing fields and fields of greenery and huge rolled up hay balls... We even see some Amish people pass by in a horse and buggy! I’m having a few second doubts about where I’ve found my puppet journeys taking me... But hey, anything is better then hearing gun shots at night in Downtown L.A. right?

We finally get to the cute little, albeit ghost town, of Trenton and the college where the festival is held. Suddenly it’s like a stampede of elephants - no hang on - they're puppeteers! All swarming to get inside and I feel slightly overwhelmed... But I get to my dorm room to recollect myself and get to meet my wonderful room mate Van, I start to feel more and more at home. She was last years recipient of the scholarship that I now have, and we get along just great.

Phillip Huber and his puppets

*Phew* I can finally relax. I even take the ‘just in case’ money from out of my shoes and place it like a normal person in my wallet. It’s the little things that make you feel human again.

After we all settle, we have orientation, dinner (real American food) - we see the most amazing marionette puppet show I’ve ever seen. It was by world-class puppeteer Phillip Huber. At that point I was so in awe - I said; “This show alone was worth the entire trip to America and this is only the beginning!”

Partying late night...

That night we partied, like only a bunch of crazy puppeteers could. I wasn’t left alone for a second, because everyone wanted to talk to ‘that Australian girl’! I felt so overwhelmed by everyone’s open hearts and arms and how I was welcomed into a family of 50 other puppeteers. It was fantastic - I don’t think I’ve ever felt as welcomed into a community as I did that night.

I didn’t sleep that night. I was too overwhelmed and excited and couldn’t wait to start my ventriloquist class in the morning.