Today New Bern Puppets gave ten performances of “The Great Pumpkin Goes to the Halloween Ball” on the grounds of Tryon Palace. The marionette show was part of the annual All Hallows Eve Celebration for the children of New Bern. We had enthusiastic crowds and beautiful weather. It was a wonderful day sharing Halloween puppetry with our youthful audience.
Act I and Act 3 was in the spooky Haunted Forest. Act 2 was set in the ballroom of the king’s palace and was decorated for the Halloween Ball.
The show opened with a witch and mummy talking about how terrific Halloween was with the help of the Great Pumpkin. Despite the success of Halloween the Great Pumpkin was sad. He was lonely and wanted to find love. The Woodland Fairy would soon arrive and transform him into a handsome prince.
The Great Pumpkin, in the guise of the prince, went to the Halloween Ball. After being rejected by two maidens, he meets and dances with the beautiful Griselda. He falls in love, but as the clock begins to chime, he has to hurriedly depart, as at the stroke of midnight he would revert to his true appearance.
Behind the scenes with Dennis and Cyndi. Our script, written in rhyme, was posted on the back of the stages.
Hanging from the back of the stage are some of our marionettes – the Great Pumpkin, the Woodland Fairy and Griselda (her true appearance).
More puppets, a lovely maiden, another young lady (a Pelham Cinderella), Griselda as an enchanted beauty (our Marie Antoinette marionette), and the Great Pumpkin transformed as a prince (a Pelham Prince Charming character).
After each show Dennis emerged to demonstrate how marionettes operate. Dennis giving some guests a closer look at the Great Pumpkin Marionette (created by David Leech). As the tile paving was hard, the children were encouraged to sit on moving blankets.
Besides playing with puppets, Cyndi gave each child candy from our cauldron. A sweet Halloween treat!
