As the lights dim at the Alderney Landing Theatre, a hush falls over the audience. The patrons, who range in age from under five to over 80, wait patiently as the puppeteers emerge onto the stage. The music begins, and the narrator (in this case the recorded voice of MLA and actress Lenore Zann) intones the first words of the timeless fairy tale The Bremen Town Musicians.
“Look! A donkey!” squeals a tiny young girl in the front row. She laughs uproariously as the donkey—both in shadow puppet and marionette form—tumbles and brays. The same little girl proceeds to lead the audience’s enthusiastic applause at the end of each scene.
It’s this kind of exuberant response that has made the past 25 years of operating Maritime Marionettes a joy and a “calling” for both Heather Bishop Taylor and her husband Darryll Taylor.
“People can’t complain about children spending too much time in front of the computer or television if we don’t offer them other alternatives,” says Darryll, explaining why he feels that exposure to the arts is such an important part of childhood. “And we often get comments from people who can’t believe how attentive their kids are at our shows. We work really hard to captivate them with the whole package of visuals, music, movement and stories.”
The puppets themselves are also a labour of love for Darryll and Heather, who hand craft and dress the intricate figures. The rotunda at Alderney Landing is festooned with dozens of examples of their craftsmanship, from cuddly animals, ornately robed princes and princesses and even a startlingly life-like Obama puppet.
While the troupe has found a permanent home at the Alderney Landing Theatre, part of the year is also spent taking the shows on the road. Heather and Darryll have toured Canada and the world with their marionettes, staging shows in places like Taiwan, France, Germany and Hawaii.
“We like to think we’re taking a bit of Nova Scotia to the world,” says Heather. “And especially in Europe, we’ve found that people are startled by the level of artistry in our shows. It’s like they didn’t expect that from Canada.”
Next up for the popular puppets is Jack and the Beanstalk which runs from February 11 through 19. A complete schedule and more information are available at www.maritime.marionettes.com
