A Place for Puppetry

Reporter: Eduardo Olea

PHOENIX – An art form that dates back to ancient Greece has seen a recent surge in interest across different forms of entertainment, but there is still uncertainty about how it will evolve in a technology-dominated culture.

Puppet organizations such as the Great Arizona Puppet Theatre have praised the efforts of puppeteers for ensuring the exposure of the art form continues to grow. However, while interest is growing, younger puppeteers say job opportunities are not.

Members of the Great Arizona Puppet Theatre (GAPT), a local nonprofit professional puppet theater and the largest puppet company on the West Coast of the United States, share the sentiment that they use puppetry to connect communities through storytelling.

Tommy Cannon, the office administrator of the GAPT, said the art form is able to connect with younger audiences through simple, effective storytelling.

“They (puppeteers) definitely keep the dialogue simple to be understood by the children,” Cannon said. “They have some stories where they kind of emphasize a character's wants and needs to match those of a kid.”

Cannon also emphasized that puppets share a physical space with the audience and evoke the audience's raw emotions, especially among younger viewers who empathize with the character's struggles.

The art form of puppetry has been a way for storytellers to tell stories for all ages in a manner comparable to theater and other performing arts. 

A recent example that blends puppetry's old-school techniques with modern technology, such as CGI renderings and robotics, is Rocky, an alien puppet in the 2026 movie "Project Hail Mary," who was brought to life by six puppeteers and a crew of graphic artists. 

The company was founded in 1983 as a touring company and became a staple in the Phoenix area in 1996 after buying the building that housed the Arizona Historical Society Museum Annex at 302 W. Latham Street, in downtown Phoenix.

The building's architecture is in the Spanish Colonial style, with high ceilings and decorative motifs. The theater's gift shop is full of elaborate puppets in all sizes, shapes and colors. 

The puppets are the creations of the late Ken Bonar, Nancy Smith's husband, who co-founded the organization.

Some of the mission statements of the organization are to advance and promote the art of puppetry and to celebrate the state of Arizona - its culture, heritage and ecology - through the art of puppetry.

Cannon said there is a clear disconnect between children and parents regarding technology, which becomes apparent during the shows.

He said the adults during shows put their kids down, get on the phone, check social media or watch sports. Once he passes by, they immediately hide their phones and play it off.

Cannon blames parents for the younger generation's increased use of technology.

“I'm gonna throw the parents under the bus here. You know, the kids are the exact same as they were,” Cannon said. “The kids have not changed. Now, the grownups they just cannot put their phones down.”

Leaders in the organization believe the younger generation of puppeteers will adapt to the changing culture while younger members feel the art form will take longer to adapt as interests change.

Mae Ortiz, who is in charge of social media and marketing for the GAPT, said people of all ages really have to suspend their reality when watching a show. 

She said that most people's main exposure to puppetry is through a ventriloquist and she respects the talent, but does not want puppetry seen only as that.

“A good majority of our shows, the puppet is highlighted and the story follows the puppet itself,” Ortiz said. “For film you don't get the audience engagement that you can get with the puppets that we do here where the kids can shout answers and have that life be back from the puppets back to them.”

She emphasizes that puppetry requires more imagination to engage with and presents it as a whimsical experience.

Ortiz highlights the educational aspect of their shows, where the organization sometimes partners with a dental practice to create a puppet show promoting dental health, as well as with schools.

Some of these educational shows have won awards, such as Hotel Saguaro, which highlights the importance of the Sonoran Desert's natural flora and animals.

Even with the theater's success, Ortiz still worries about the lack of younger puppeteers in the industry, given a clear generational gap.

“There are no puppeteers that are young in their 20s or early 30s, and that's a little bit worrying to me that we have so many of these puppeteers who in the next decades they can be aging out on like what they realistically could do or maybe they don't want to do shows anymore, now that they're getting older,” Ortiz said. “I just would like to see new and younger people step up to the mantle.”

A recent graduate and former member of the ASU Puppet Club, Vanessa Bush, is an advocate for art, especially for young creatives.

Bush talked about her love for the art of puppetry and getting inspiration from famous puppeteer Jim Henson, the creator of the muppets and also by more abstract works like the famous web series “Don't Hug Me, I'm Scared" and movies like "Caroline.”

The process of her puppet-making involves using many materials like felt and latex to create the illusion of skin and fur, and making wire skeletons to help mold the puppets.

Bush excitedly discussed some of the advancements in technology puppetry has seen, noting that it is already being used in some works currently.

She said the job market is not as big as it used to be because many companies are absorbing others.

“I'd really like to work for Cartoon Network, but it's kind of been absorbed. It's kind of hard, because a lot of these companies are getting absorbed,” Bush said. “There's not too many options out there.”

Due to job stagnation in the industry, she has been looking for alternatives to break through and forge her own path, such as teaching art at a community center in Tempe to young children, taking commissions on the side and working with other creatives on a variety of projects.

Bush praised organizations like the GAPT for their commitment to keeping the art of puppetry alive and hopes to continue teaching puppetry and pursuing her artistic passion. 

The one conclusion all these members of the community can agree on is that they want the art form to continue and hope that, no matter what is happening in the industry's job market, the younger generation steps in and carries it forward alongside the old guard.

“My hope for the future is that a new generation in a couple of years is coming and not take the mantle, but work alongside the puppeteers that we have,” Ortiz said.