The wide red eyes of an albino animal head, attached to a lace-covered wire base, greet visitors as they enter Pandora Gastelum’s studio in the Marigny. The studio is bustling with activity as puppeteers prepare for New Orleans’ annual Giant Puppet Festival.
Gastelum, who heads the Mudlark Public Theatre, has been a key figure in the New Orleans puppetry scene since 2009. She started the New Orleans Giant Puppet Festival to further promote the art, and now, in its 12th year, the festival is a vibrant five-day celebration with performances by local and traveling artists.
A Diverse Range of Performances
The festival features a wide range of puppet performances. At Allways Lounge, Naughty Little No Good will perform a psychedelic vampire fantasia, while Beanlandia will host family-friendly puppet shows by Honey Goodenough.
The New Marigny Theater will showcase Boxcutter Collective’s sci-fi musical theater. With over 50 shows spread across various venues in the city, there’s something for everyone to enjoy.
Gastelum’s Mudlark Puppeteers play a major role in the festival, with Gastelum herself starring in a performance titled “Cinderella and Charlie.” The show, written by her partner Jack Norcross, is described as a post-modern fable.
Gastelum’s Artistic Approach to Puppetry
Gastelum explains that puppetry is an honest form of storytelling. “The puppets are a physical representation of the story,” she says. “They have a uniquely persuasive nature, and they’re very pure in that way. It’s a very accessible and even universal art form.”
Gastelum, who made her first puppet at age 15, is dedicated to creating her own puppets. She crafts everything from the heads to the intricate painted details. For “Cinderella and Charlie,” she created marionettes, rod puppets, and giant-suit puppets. She also produced nearly 100 shadow puppets for the show. Each animal head takes about 20 hours to complete.
“I think when you have a really strong vision, it’s better to do it yourself to avoid disagreements,” Gastelum says.
Harlem Berry’s Passion for Puppetry
Gastelum also runs workshops to help other puppeteers. One of her students, Samille Ganges, will be performing at the festival for the first time. Ganges’ performance “Butter Woman” is a reimagining of an oral story from southern Nigeria. She uses upcycled materials like cardboard, clay, clothing scraps, and chicken wire to create her puppets.
Ganges, who has a background in drama, talks about the challenge of performing with puppets: “The way that you design their faces and the way they move help us ground them as characters. They always stay the same throughout the story, and this consistency is important.”
Playdoh Kolo’s Found-Object Puppetry
Another performance at the festival comes from Playdoh Kolo, who uses found objects to create their puppets. Kolo’s performance is centered around the Batture, a natural area in New Orleans, and reflects the city’s history and heritage.
The puppets are made from reclaimed items like foam, shotgun shells, and broken piano parts. Kolo describes their show as more of a meditation than a traditional story, with the audience encouraged to walk around or sit down as they watch.
Crazy Hard Stuff: A Mixed-Media Puppet Show
Anthony Sellitto-Budney, who performs as Crazy Hard Stuff, has been a part of the festival for three years. This year, their performance features a gigantic foam puppet called the Rave Wizard, painted in fluorescent colors. Sellitto-Budney describes their work as mixed media and says the festival is a place where artists can push boundaries and explore new, “crazy” ideas.
“I feel like I have seen a lot of puppet shows, and I am always surprised when I come to the festival,” said Sellitto-Budney. “Some folks are doing some crazy stuff, and their aesthetic is shining through in a very different way.”
Festival Details
New Orleans Giant Puppet Festival
- When: April 9-13
- Where: The Mudlark Public Theatre (1200 Port St.) and other locations around the Marigny
- Tickets: $15-$25, with a $150 weekend pass available
- More Info: neworleansgiantpuppetfest.com
