From Inspiration to Reality 

By Jude Mead

For the first time ever, Norfolk residents and visitors will celebrate the craft and magic of contemporary puppetry with some of the best-known artists in the field when the Greenwoods Puppet Festival comes to town. The festival will run from September 13 through 15. 

So how does a small village like Norfolk attract the best puppeteers and get to experience state-of-the-art puppet theater? It is all thanks toEileen Fitzgibbons, the Norfolk Library events coordinator. According to Fitzgibbons, puppets have long been a means of artistic expression and communication.“Puppets are magical. They draw us in and capture our attention. They also entertain people of all ages with their craftsmanship and humor,” says Fitzgibbons.

The spark of creativity struck Fitzgibbons last September, after watching a performance by the innovative and witty puppeteer, Sarah Nolen. “When Sarah walked out on stage dressed in overalls and a baseball cap twisted to the side of her head carrying a tool box, I knew something extraordinary was about to happen,” said Fitzgibbons. It did. In a matter of seconds Nolen turned her toolbox into a puppet theatre and captured the audience with her spellbinding show. Fitzgibbons was bitten by inspiration. “At the end of the show, I asked Sarah if I could ever host a puppet festival in Norfolk. She told me about a tiny European village that had the same desire and made it happen. She said it became so popular that it put them on the map,” says Fitzgibbons.

With the support and encouragement of Norfolk Library’s Executive Director, Ann Havemeyer, Fitzgibbons began her research. She first visited a puppet exhibit in Shelburne, Vt. at the Shelburne Museum. “They were doing a historical view of puppetry. Some very big names were there, including the Jim Henson puppets,” Fitzgibbons reports. 

She then circled back down to Brattleboro, Vermont where she met Eric Bass, the co-artistic director of Sandglass Theater and festival director of the three-day Puppets in the Green Mountains Festival. When Fitzgibbons shared her idea with Bass of wanting to organize a puppet festival in her hometown, the puppeteer beamed, nodded and agreed it was a great idea. He also added, however, that it would be a lot of work. “They told me it would take at least two years to get things in order and to line up the professional puppeteers I wanted to come perform,” recalled Fitzgibbons. Never afraid of hard work and too excited to wait, Fitzgibbons believed she could knock that timeline down to a year.

Determined to make this happen in her time frame, Fitzgibbons started swimming in the world of puppetry. “I read books and articles on it, I spoke with people in the field, and I researched on the Internet. This took time, and I soon realized the amount of material and the number of performers was overwhelming,” said Fitzgibbons. To narrow her search, she focused on puppeteers who won awards or ones that were soon to be stars. “I needed to find a balance. I was also looking for entertainment for both the family as well as a puppet show geared with topics and humor for just adults,” she says.

Fitzgibbons’ efforts paid off, and she has brought the weekend-long puppet festival to life. She recruited an amazingly talented roster of artists to participate and was able to fill the agenda with major headliners and soon-to-be favorites. “Everyone I invited was thrilled about coming here. The groups and individuals coming are innovative, edgy and ready to share their talents,” says Fitzgibbons.

The festivities will kick off Friday evening, Sept. 13, with Jana Zeller of Spybird Theatre performing Puppet Crimes, a show for ages sixteen and up. The following two days will focus on family shows. 

Saturday’s headliners will include noted puppeteers Mark Alexander, Sarah Nolen, Bonnie Duncan, and Doran Hamm. Then Sunday will wrap up the event with Madison J. Cripps, along with Alex Vernon and Sarah Olmsted Thomas.

Fitzgibbons hopes that the Greenwoods Puppet Festival will be embraced by the town and become a collaborative effort for future festivals. She also credited the Library Associates, the Battell Arts Association, the Economic Development Committee and the Norfolk Children’s Foundation for their support and help. “It truly does take a village to pull something this big together,” said Fitzgibbons. 

It also takes a great audience to make it successful, so plan accordingly to attend. The Greenwoods Puppet Festival itinerary can be picked up at the Norfolk Library as well as other locations around town. Fitzgibbons is also looking for volunteers for that weekend. Those interested in volunteering should call the library at 860-542-5075 or email efitzgibbons@biblio.org. 

Programs are free and reservations are necessary. Reserve your spot by calling 860 542 5075 or email norfolklibrary.org.