giant puppets and magical pageantry

Each summer, Paperhand Puppet Intervention puts on a massive pageant and it's a real gem for the folks in our area. Masks, stilt walkers, shadow puppets, puppets of all shapes and sizes take over the Forest Theater in Chapel Hill for several weeks and then move on to the NC Museum of Art in Raleigh for several more weeks.

Aside from the magical puppetry, the music is just awesome. Performers move through a routine like clockwork, each musician playing multiple instruments and creating sound effects in most ingenious ways. For any musician, watching these artists is a real treat. This years music for the show "Invisible Earth" was created by Ari Picker and performed by his band Lost in the Trees. It was amazing and equally as wonderful as the puppet performance itself.

Since 1998, the folks from PPI have been creating their giant puppet creations using recycled materials, bamboo, found objects, old house paints and donated fabrics. According to their PPI Facebook page "We tell stories, beat drums, paint cardboard, sew cloth, get sweaty, push boundaries and carry heavy things to help make the world a better place." Their shows are indeed celebrations in themselves and an expression of love.

Community is vital to PPI. The volunteers and supporters come to open work days where the puppets and masks are created and also are involved in the performances.

You can find out more about Paperhand Puppet Intervention at http://paperhand.org/