Nine years ago my wife and I drove here from Philadelphia with no plan, no contacts and no job prospects. I created the Mudeye Puppet Company in the basement of the bungalow we rented, my first puppet being a cardboard garbage truck who later was named Optimist Grime. My first gig was teaching a giant puppet making class at Robert Gray Middle School that resulted in a puppet show in their library starring a gigantic cow. My next gig was building huge paper mache replicas of the Gates of Babylon and a life size camel for a unit on ancient world cultures.

That was the beginning of the momentum for Mudeye, and it hasn’t slowed since. I have been to hundreds of schools, libraries, street fairs and community events. It has been nothing short of magic. The success of the Mudeye Puppet Company defined in terms of inspiration, education and imagination has far exceeded my expectations. I am honored to have worked with the real heroes in our community: teachers, parents and arts advocates. I was at the St Johns Parade a few weeks ago and started welling up when teachers from James John Elementary starting blowing kisses at me as they marched by.

My reasons for leaving are many. We are excited to be having a second child and our destination, the Boston area, offers a closer proximity to family. Beginning early August, I will depart on a cross country recycled puppet tour that kicks off in Baker City, Oregon. I am also currently working on a puppet musical with the incredibly talented Andy Furgeson of Scrimshander to be performed in Portland later on. Plus, in January 2012, I am also doing an art installation in Portland. Be sure to check that out!

I want to thank everyone. Thank you for your support, attendance, and curiosity over the years. The Mudeye Puppet Company’s last summer in St. Johns and Portland will be a spectacular one. Our new show Hazel and Vel-Crow’s Wacky World Tour premiered to a packed house at Mississippi Pizza last week thanks to all of you. I hope to see all of you before I leave.

Thank you all again.

Yours,
Bruce

School’s almost out and summer’s almost on. June marks the start of Puppetstock, an exciting outdoor summer festival of puppet theater in Lot 13, the garden at N. Mississippi and N. Shaver. We will be performing three colorful shows!

All puppets are handmade entirely from reused materials. Stick around after the show to meet the puppets up close and ask questions about how they were made. All shows $5 per person