For the first time in the Kingdom, an American puppet show called “Walls and Bridges” by noted American puppeteer Karen Konnerth was held here on March 5 at Al Shallal Theme Park. The show was part of the cultural activities organized by the cultural department of the Consulate General of the USA. Konnerth, founder and artistic director of the Calliope Puppets based in New Orleans, brought to life three shows of fun and compelling folktales for all ages. The imaginative, wordless presentation incorporated expressive tabletop, miming, rod and shadow-style puppets. The first show titled “The Golden Tree,” an adaptation of a Japanese tale, featured two neighbors, one rewarded for his kindness to nature, the other punished for his greed. Next was “The Whale and the Sandpiper,” an oral tradition of the Marshall Islands, which showed how one must learn tolerance to avoid losing one's home. The third and final show, “The Wall,” is an adaptation of a tale from the North American Appalachian Mountains. In it, two neighbors resolve a conflict by building a bridge instead of a wall between their houses. After her Jeddah engagement, Konnerth will also be flying to Dammam for two days and then to Riyadh to do similar shows there. It was her first time in the Kingdom, and she said the Saudi culture and modern cities like Jeddah impressed her. Before the night's show, she did a special workshop at the Help Center where she met some Saudi male and female instructors who all got involved in a practical puppet performance workshop. “I taught them how to use some very simple storyboards of their own with the use of puppets made out of available raw materials. We discussed how the puppet show could contribute to the process of instructing and educating the children especially those with special needs. I had them write their own storyboards suitable for simple introductory puppet shows,” she said. Konnerth also said that she preferred the “shadow show” employed in the second story, and she used rod-controlled puppets in the third show rather than the marionettes, which are moved by strings. Konnerth is also a specialist in the integration of the arts across the curriculum, with countless hours of classroom experience. She writes shows, designs and builds puppets in a wide variety of techniques, and performs with live voice. Since 1976, Calliope Puppets has been presenting in festivals and tours in theaters, museums, festivals, and schools in urban and in remote communities in the United States, South and Central America, Europe, and Asia. In their New Orleans studio space, Calliope Puppet Center connects with the local community, hosting performances and workshops for children, teachers, and other adults, including collaborative works with community members and visiting puppeteers. __
