The Puppet Co

We went to a tiny tots show earlier this year and were very disappointed. It’s probably great for kids with long attention spans, but we have a toddler that needs to move and wiggle. He kept standing up (he was not blocking any other children’s view) and was asked to leave. Frankly I wish I’d told off the old busybody of a lady running the place then and there!
If it’s a tiny tots show you need to know that there are a lot of toddlers (esp boys and those with special needs) who haven’t learned how to sit still and behave. They need their own section to stand and wiggle in. This was such a horrible experience for my family.

I’ve never experienced a person who was more inappropriate or rude than the woman who looks at your wrist bracelets and ushers you into the theatre. You couldn’t even believe that someone with that job could do so much to ruin the experience, but she was absolutely vile, to the point that she scared the 3 year old we were with. She heckled us on the stage in front of the crowd, and even had the audacity to tell us to our faces that we were bad parents, all in front of the children. The fact that she works there with children and parents is enough to tell everyone to stay away! The puppet show itself was okay, but who could enjoy it after experiencing this woman. Go to the park and play on the playground, but don’t waste your money to be heckled and lectured by this woman at the playhouse.

We went to the toddler show last week (old macdonald’s farm). I expected a puppet show with interaction between puppets, and a story of some sort, but no, this was different from the puppet shows in my childhood memories. This was a one-​man show with a series of about 10 puppets, one after another, doing a little number. Very sweet, though one of the puppets was frankly not appropriate for children (a pig with giant bouncing breasts???). The show was 30 minutes, but DD tuned out after 20 minutes, and it was really challenging to keep her in place, partly due to the crowded conditions in the theater. Seating is on the floor and is not comfortable. At 5 dollars per person, it’s not a bad deal though. The outdoor playground was incredibly crowded after the show. No good food options at Glen Echo park though. We were hoping so use the carrousel but it only opens at 12, and the puppet show ended at 10.30…

We attended the puppet co’s production of baby bear this morning with my two nanny kids. And wow! I was floored with how professional it was, everyone involved! The puppiteer was amazing, what talent he has! The kids loved it and left smiling and talking all about the animals we met at the picnic! Perfect for toddlers and young kiddos at 10 on a Wednesday! Thank you for a wonderful performance.
One thing to note, no cell phones. I understand they want to preserve the show for paying guests, but the few workers there chasing moms down that pulled out their phones was a bit much. :)

This is wonderful, old-​fashioned (and I mean this in the best sense of the word) entertainment for kids ages 4 to 7. (Slightly older kids may not stay entertained for as long. More on that in a bit…)The hardest part about getting here is taking your child’s electronic device away from him or her for 50 minutes.
In this day and age, kids do not know what it’s like not to be sucked into a television screen or some other screen. They relate to each other by sitting side by side, not talking, and tapping away on something. My little brother’s first question when I picked him up was, «Do you have anything else for me beside the puppet show? Games?» Sigh.
Though he wasn’t too enthralled by the idea of attending a puppet show, I knew I had succeeded halfway through the show, when he proclaimed «cool!!!» after a dragon appeared on stage.
The costumes are fantastic. The acting is superb. Even though I couldn’t see the actors/​puppeteers’ faces, I could tell by how they expressed their emotions (hurt, sadness, joy, etc.) using gestures or by how they maneuvered the puppets. There are nice special effects (snake charmer floating in the sky). The puppeteers and actors show a real dedication to their craft.
Besides the sugarplum fairies, my little brother really enjoyed the show and stayed entertained for longer than I expected, though I think kids older than him would bore a little more easily because some of the dances can be exaggerated or repetitive.
Overall, the performance we attended was unique and very enjoyable. We saw «The Nutcracker,» appropriate around this time of year. I would highly recommend this as a family outing.
What to expect: carpeted stadium seating, lots of families, being packed rather tightly, an appeal for donations at the end (understandable since this is a nonprofit-​organized performance)

Over the past few years we’ve seen the «Nutcracker» twice and «Cinderella» once. Many of the fairy tale plays are probably best for children 4 — 8 years old, but they are short enough for younger children and pleasant enough for adults. There are a few moments in the «Nutcracker» that might be scary for children who are easily frightened – at one point a dragon comes on stage and roars at the audience. Our granddaughter, who is not easily frightened, scooted back a few feet when he lunged forward*. But there are shows that are targeted more for younger children and also apparently some for a more mature audience.
There is a brief walk from the parking lot to Glen Echo and the theater. If there is handicapped parking closer I’m not aware of it. The waiting area in the theater is fairly small and more like a corridor so it fills up fast, especially with a sold-​out performance. The theater itself has bench seating around the perimeter and steps toward the back for additional seating. Children are invited to sit on a rug in front of the stage (*thus the «dragon scooting» incident) with all adults further back as to not block the little ones view. The company uses a number of different style puppets (sock puppets, hand puppets, shadow puppets, rod puppets, & marionettes) with actors in elaborate costumes playing many of the main characters. After the show the actors all come on stage for some photo-​ops and revealing who played who (some surprises!).
When we saw «Cinderella» the weather was warm and the carousel was running so we got to ride on that. There is a picnic area and a small carry-​out restaurant was open with some surprisingly decent food. And there was a large playground area.
The people involved with the Puppet Co. seem very dedicated, the shows are entertaining, the Glen Echo environment is fascinating.

Tiny tots shows are great. My daughter LOVES this place. Wish there were more places like this around here.