Yeah, you read the title right. I actually couldn’t breathe! It gave me the same feeling as when I watched A Walk to Remember. The performance had so much heart and was just visually stunning, the complete opposite of what I thought the initial showing would be like. This Thursday I had the delight of seeing the Papermoon Puppet Theatre company that was visiting from Indonesia here at HC this week in Prior. I won’t lie, I did have reservations about this performance because I kept thinking, “Aren’t puppets for kids?”Â
Well, that’s where I would be wrong. I was required able to attend the workshop on Wednesday through my Advanced Acting class. After watching how the puppeteers and actors improvised a seamlessly coherent scene by just talking with each other for about 15 seconds, I was beyond impressed.Â
The detail that went into these puppet figures was honestly remarkable (and they were honestly so cute to look at—well, some of them). Anyway, after that workshop I was intrigued, and dare I say…excited to see what they would do with the puppets with a prepared script. And may I just say I was NOT prepared. It was a story about grief, loss, the little moments in life that we cherish, and about feeling carefree and having childlike wonder and playfulness.Â
I was silently sobbing by the end of the performance, though. It was so bittersweet but so necessary. It made me think of the moments I shared with my siblings and parents in my youth over the years. It made me realize how much we need to be appreciating every moment with our loved ones, because we never know when it will be the last. I’d also apply that advice to anything we do in life: cherish EVERYTHING you do because you never know when it will be the last time. Like when I was young and making pillow and blanket forts, I didn’t know that the last time I took it down would be the last time I ever did it—but now that I think about it, it’s long overdue.Â
The point is, this performance gave me a newfound perspective and appreciation for life, different types of theatre styles and –not to be cliche but— not judging a book by its cover, and honestly, puppets too.