We had a special couple of days at Mater Christi School when puppeteer Hobey Ford visited with his Golden Rod Puppets. Our students (and more than a few teachers!) loved every minute!
Hobey performed Animalia, a show all about animals and how they move. His puppets, which he calls “Foamies,” are carved by hand from big blocks of foam, and they look amazingly real. We watched whales swim, birds fly, and butterflies flutter by, often right over our heads, since Hobey doesn’t stay behind a puppet stage. He uses the whole room. Using his puppetry talents, Hobey highlighted the metamorphosis of a butterfly, while presenting a creative view of the diverse world of animals.
It was a fun way to connect with what students are learning in science, Latin, and the arts, and a nice chance to talk about caring for the world God has given us.
This visit was a long time in the making. Planning began at the end of last year, and grant funding dedicated to supporting the arts at MCS made the program possible.
Hobey lives in the mountains of North Carolina and designs and builds all of his own puppets. His performances incorporate a variety of puppetry styles: adapted Bunraku, rod marionettes, Foamies, and shadow puppetry. He is a two-time winner of puppetry’s highest honor, the UNIMA Citation of Excellence, a recipient of three Jim Henson Foundation grants, and a recipient of The Hermitage Fellowship. He also works with the Kennedy Center to train teachers across the country.
Thank you, Mrs. M.C. Baker, for all your hard work bringing such a spectacular opportunity to our students. To learn more about Hobey Ford and his work, watch his Emmy Award-winning PBS documentary here: https://youtu.be/V2clNdbwPYw?si=zAG2mX3tB4UrCCka.