Paperhand Puppet: The Magic of Creativity

The Paperhand Puppet Project began in 1998 as an innovation of two creative minds and has grown ever since to bring inspiration and joy to audiences throughout North Carolina. Their giant puppets, masks, shadow plays, and living stories bring together art and theatre and encourage us all to see the world with imagination and possibility. Director Donovan Zimmerman tells the story of how it all began and where the next chapter will unfold from here. 

Carolina Theatre: Can you share more about the history of Paperhand Puppet Project? How did you and Jan Burger come up with the concept? 

Paperhand Puppet: We started out being artists each in our own right, both of us having been inspired by the work of Bread & Puppet Theatre in Vermont. We met at the The Haw River Festival where educators, musicians, and others gathered to educate 4th graders in river ecology and environmental stewardship. This fabulous group of dedicated folks became our community and dear friends. We made our first puppet show for the kids that came to the festival. Those first shows got a lot of attention and generated much excitement! Our collaboration moving forward grew out of that fertile ground. 

CTD: How do you come up with the ideas for each of your puppets and are any inspired by real-life people and stories? 

PP: Our puppets, and the ideas around them, are generated in many different ways. Sometimes there’s just something we really want to talk about and we think, ‘we’ll need a horseshoe crab for that’ or ’that’s gonna require some frogs!’ Other times it will just be led by the wonder that we feel when looking at the natural world. We’ve done shows where insects were part of the theme (I Am An Insect 2008) so dug in and researched and drew in our sketchbooks based on that theme. You have to see what’s sparking joy and excitement. Similarly, we’ve done bird themed shows (Of Wings and Feet 2012) where we made a varied host of bird life from Kiwis to Arctic Terns. It’s all just a process of following our impulses and instincts as well as our thoughts and feelings about what is important to say. 

CTD: How did the partnership with the Carolina Theatre begin and what has been your favorite moment from the Fletcher Hall stage? 

PP: I wish I could say with absolute clarity when we first performed at the Carolina Theatre. The timing gets a bit blurred in my head. I know it’s been at least 15 years and we have had many magical moments on the Fletcher Hall stage. I can remember swooping a 20 ft long dragon over the audience and getting a really big gasp and cheers from the delighted crowd as they reached out to grasp the dragon’s elusive tail.

CTD: What are some of the upcoming community projects Paperhand Puppet has in the works? 

PP: Every year we do a giant puppet production at the Forest Theatre in Chapel Hill. Many thousands of folks come out for that annual tradition. Before that show opens we have hundreds of people come to our studio in Saxapahaw and help us do a wide variety of tasks like papier-mache, sewing projects, etc. It’s our biggest way of connecting with our community here in the Triangle. Throughout the rest of the year we are hired to do parades, roving, weddings, marches, and smaller shows that we take to schools and regional theaters, like Carolina Theatre. 

CTD: You’ve been involved with the Carolina Theatre’s Educational Programming for many years and have entertained thousands of students during that time. What has been the impact of Paperhand Puppet on these audiences and why are the arts so important to learning? 

PP: I’d love to think it was a positive and inspiring effect. I can only gauge the impact by the delighted screams and oohs and aaahs that I hear as we perform. Also by the wonderful letters of appreciation from teachers and students that say how much they loved it. We get a fair amount of feedback (98% positive) from our audiences but are working on ways to measure impact in the future. Our mission:  Paperhand creates art that inspires connection. By practicing, performing and teaching the art of puppetry, we strive to nurture the best in humanity, build creative culture, and help celebrate and protect the natural world.  

CTD: Thinking of the future, how would you like to expand your work with the Carolina Theatre and the greater Durham community? 

PP: I hope to be performing and sharing our work with many more students and families in Durham and beyond. We are always attempting to refine our craft with puppets and storytelling and we want to share that with everyone. We are dedicated to this work and feel it is important to keep engaging with live performance and theatre. It enriches our culture and inspires us all to be better, try harder, and build a resilient culture and future together. We intend to have some fun while we’re at it. 

We are honored to partner with Paperhand Puppet Project on our Arts Discovery Educational Series and to bring the art and joy of puppetry to the Fletcher Hall Stage every year. Please consider making a gift to help share this one-of-a-kind programming with the more than 10,000 youth and families who participate every year. The Carolina Theatre Board of Trustees will match every donation dollar-for-dollar through December 31st and we are grateful for your generous support! 

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