It’s Time for PuppetPalooza

The Muppets may be the most famous puppets these days, but their ilk have been around since ancient times. Appearing at least as early as the fifth century bce in theater shows, puppets have since infiltrated all forms of entertainment, including television and film. This weekend, Santa Barbarans have a chance to meet puppets from stage and screen during PuppetPalooza, a four-day festival devoted to the art of puppetry that takes place Thursday-Sunday, March 1-4. In this issue is a profile of event organizer Mitchell Kriegman, interviews with Muppeteer Peter Linz and boundary-pushing puppet master Tarish “Jeghetto” Pipkins, a chat with John Palminteri about his new sidekick, and a list of all of the workshops, shows, and events planned for the festival. Geared for kids and adults, PuppetPalooza’s goal is to entertain, educate, and delight, all of which puppets were made to do. To quote Kermit, “As long as there are singing frogs and joking bears, Swedish chefs and boomerang fish, the world can’t be that bad of a place.” See you at the festival.

1. Mitchell Kriegman’s Puppet Kingdom: PuppetPalooza founder has roots in children’s television and performance art.
2. John Palminteri Meets Palminteri the Puppet: PuppetPalooza creates handheld version of Santa Barbara’s TV and radio star.
3. Muppets in the House for PuppetPalooza: Puppeteer Peter Linz talks animating the beloved characters.
4. Tarish ‘Jeghetto’ Pipkins and His ‘Homemade Abstract’ Creations: Puppeteer presents ‘Time Machine,’ a show about a robot boy’s adventures through time.
5. PuppetPalooza Brings Myriad Events to Santa Barbara: A guide to festival happenings, from performances to meet and greets to workshops.