Jessica Lorence *

I am a puppet fabricator and co-artistic director for Little Did Productions, a theater company that creates innovative and exemplary puppet based theater for audiences of all ages. I work with teams of artists to turn words on a page into three dimensional characters with personality and movement. Form and function are both important in puppetry; I regularly utilize creative solutions for creating a dynamic figure that is also lightweight, has natural movement, and is strong enough to withstand weeks of rehearsals and performances. The result is a resilient and easily manipulated puppet that brings a story to life and captivates a crowd. 

​It is important in my aesthetic to use familiar materials to motivate the audience, especially children, to create art at home and see their everyday world in a new way. Felt can become feathers, PVC pipes can become a shadow stage, papier-mâché can make the body of a rooster, toy foam balls can become legs, a colander turns into a planetarium, anything is possible with an everyday object and a little imagination. While my supplies are simple, I push what is possible with these materials, transforming them from craft to art. I lay LED lights into hollowed out plastic to create glowing teeth, I inlay wire into felt to create a feather that springs with each step, I use hidden spandex and boning to create an owl’s neck that can expand and contract. With bright colors and seemingly simple origins, my puppets are easily relatable while still being able to inspire.