Together with his team of adorable "Foamies," Hobey makes animals of all sorts emerge in movement and music to form a full-on puppet ballet. Watch as the habits and habitats of the world's mightiest beasts and tiniest bugs come into furry focus right before your eyes.
Meet Hobey Ford
How did you get started in puppetry? What inspired you to become a puppeteer?
When I was in the 5th grade, a puppet show came to a school assembly and I just never forgot it. When I was in arts college I decided I would try some puppetry and was so taken with the craft that I decided to become a puppeteer.
What were some of your first challenges when you started out doing puppetry?
I had a handle on making the puppets really early on, but going into theater I was really out of my element. Then I started learning some tools and tricks to how to work, one of which was storytelling. It became one of my cornerstones that I would approach puppetry as storytelling with puppets.
What kind of puppet would you suggest a beginner start with?
I would recommend rod puppets. For kids, they’re easier to operate than hand puppets.
With a rod puppet they can just grab the stick or sticks and then move the sticks directly. You can sort of stand back a little bit and watch what you’re doing, observe it yourself.
How do you bring an individual puppet to life?
That’s where the action comes in, so it might be as simple a thing as having the puppet just stand there and breath and how would it move, and then how would it work with its hands – whether it scratches its head or looks around.
Do you change your voice?
Jane Yolen, the children’s author, recommends finding the character, then moving back toward your own natural speaking voice, only giving that character 30% of the emphasis, and keeping close to your own vocal range. I’ve always pretty much done that.
When does set design come into the picture?
I generally keep set design to the very minimum. I create a prop or a set piece only if it’s essential to the story. You’re bringing the character and the action of the character to life, infusing the storytelling with that, and then leaving the set and all of that business to the mere minimum. If it’s not essential, I won’t include it.
What can you tell a teacher who has never used puppets in the classroom before?
Stick with a project that is going to be fun. A shadow puppet can be incredibly easy to make. Work with something that’s going to be doable, and keep it simple. Keep your presentation short. Keep the focus on the process, not the end product, so students can succeed in the process and have fun.
The Butterfly Life Cycle
Producer
Kenny Neal
In this K-2 lesson, students will choreograph an original dance that communicates the life cycle stages of the monarch butterfly. They will read Eric Carle’s book, The Very Hungry Caterpillar, and explore the monarch butterfly migration process.
Is there poetry in the ocean? How can the wind inspire dance? How can the arts represent the change of seasons? Discover patterns and cycles in nature with these resources that address cell composition and reproduction, animal habitats, the metamorphasis of a caterpillar to a butterfly, and an artistic representation of our relationship with the planet.
Help English-learning students build language and communication skills through poetry and puppetry
Sogolon is the puppet show and theatrical company created by Yaya Coulibaly in order to perpetrate and promote the Mali puppet tradition. The group's core mission is to contribute to develop and promote the Bamanan-Somono-Bozo puppet show.
Eric Friedman
Director, Digital Learning
Kenny Neal
Manager, Digital Education Resources
Tiffany A. Bryant
Manager, Operations and Audience Engagement
JoDee Scissors
Content Specialist, Digital Learning
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