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Youth & The Arts

Dinner and a Show
Find the Lost Art of Puppetry at the Brownstone Puppet Theatre

By Juliet Piccone

Deep in New Jersey’s Pinelands and  just minutes from all shore points is the historic Smithville Village were amongst other activities one can enjoy the art of puppetry. Puppetry is an endangered art and Brownstone is one of only 26 puppet theatres still active in the United States. Puppetry encourages children to use their imagination unlike much of the technologically-advanced media they are exposed to today.

My family and I traveled to Smithville to see 100 Years of the Teddy Bear, one of the 13 different puppet shows at Brownstone Puppet Theatre. A large sign in illustrated relief directs visitors to the theatre in the center of quaint Smithville Village. Then you’re transported to a magical fantasy world upon entering the tiny lobby. Puppets and souvenirs can be purchased from a counter decorated to resemble a puppet stage. We handed in our tickets at a small podium surrounded by posters advertising different puppet shows produced by Brownstone. Nancy Brownstone, the owner and founder, greeted us at the door and invited the audience to look around the Puppet Museum while she set up for the show.

The Puppet Museum displays an eclectic collection of puppets from 1937-today from all over the world. It has all types of unique decorations like a teddy bear tree made from teddy bears stacked up in the shape of Christmas tree, with a slightly larger bear on top that is dressed in different costumes for different holidays. After looking around, everyone took their seats and the lights dimmed. All eyes were on the stage when Nancy appeared in character but not in costume, giving a brief description of the 100 Years of the Teddy Bear, after that she introduced some of the puppets. The audience loved how silly the puppets were and how well they performed. Nancy played a piece of music on an instrument her husband built and explained how the puppets were coordinated with different pieces of music.

The performance began with two bears cleaning off the stage for the first act. The audience laughed at the bears’ silliness. For the next few acts, the audience was asked to interact with the puppets by clapping their hands to the rhythm. Throughout the show, children of all ages and adults laughed and clapped, enjoying themselves and learning. The show incorporated some history of the origin of the teddy bear and one act described culture in the 1900s. Puppet characters ranged from small hand puppets to life-size puppets, and all were wearing unique costumes, some had ice skates, others wore clothes characteristic of the 1900s and others wore hats and mittens.

The show continued for a few more acts, running for about half an hour. Overall the production was very well done, 100 Years of the Teddy Bear is strictly comedic but other productions at Brownstone have morals and lessons. 100 Years of the Teddy Bear was a pantomime show, a silent comedic form of theatre, instead of words the puppets danced to music communicated through dramatic actions. The staff at Brownstone theatre makes one’s visit special and unforgettable. After the show children are allowed to take their picture with the puppets, and take one last look around the museum. Our group even met Annabelle, Brownstone’s star. Annabelle was very nice and friendly – she always wears a red and white polka dot dress and she is one of the life-size puppets!

Every season Brownstone hosts different productions—visit their Web site www.BrownstonePuppetTheatre.com  for a schedule of shows and be sure to attend their Halloween and Christmas shows. Birthday parties are available and I would expect that Nancy and her lively puppet characters would make a party at Brownstone Puppet Theatre magical and unforgettable.

While you’re in Smithville...

While visiting this old mill village preserved in time, make time to see its small wooden buildings, candle and soap shops, and the Brownstone Puppet Theatre. Smithville village is an enjoyable full-day or half-day outing for families of all ages and budgets. There is shopping, dining (breakfast, lunch or dinner), remote control boats, and paddle boats on the lake, with a sprawling lawn and an old-fashioned gazebo all contributing to a fun filled adventure. The Theatre’s usual weekend performances are at 12 p.m. and 2 p.m., so you can go to breakfast before the 12 o’clock showing, lunch before the 2 o’ clock performance or a dinner after the 2 p.m. showing. We ate at AJ’s on the Lake (which has a diner-like menu) for a late lunch and had a snack at Scoops, the ice cream parlor and snack shop. The food at both was very good and the service was prompt efficient and family-friendly.

Juliet Piccone is a junior at Moorestown High School.