Chanukah Symbols
Maureen Schiffman
has built a career
through her puppets,
songs and holidays.
SUZANNE CHESSLER SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH NEWS
colorfully-crafted, minia-
ture monkey dangles from
each of Maureen Schiff-
man's pierced ears. When
she speaks animatedly
about her expanding ca-
reer as a children's en-
tertainer, the monkeys
move with her, a re-
minder of the monkey
hand puppet, Coco,
that stars in her
shows.
Coco, along with hundreds
of other puppets in Ms.
Schiffman's collection, will
appear in two programs help-
ing youngsters learn
Chanukah traditions.
One presentation will be-
gin at noon Saturday, Dec. 4,
in a tent at the Downtown
Center in Farmington, where
her lifelike troupe will be part
of many winter holiday fes-
tivities. The second presen-
tation will start at 2 p.m.
Saturday, Dec. 18, at the Per-
formance Network in Ann Ar-
bor, where a number of
holidays will be dramatized.
"I love to have fun with the
kids, include them and teach
them something, too," said
Mr. Schiffman, a former ed-
ucator, who uses puppets,
some homemade and some
bought, to involve young au-
diences with stories, songs,
dances and instruments.
Since launching her career
almost 15 years ago enter-
taining at children's birthday
parties, Ms. Schiffman has
developed about 20 distinct
shows covering religious and
non-religious themes.
Besides taking her pro-
grams to schools, synagogues,
churches, community centers,
libraries and shopping malls,
she sells an audio tape of her
original songs, "Sing
a Little Happy Song,"
and a videotape fea-
turing classic chil-
dren's music, "A
Warm Summer's
Eve With Maureen
and Coco." These
can be purchased
after performances.
"When I'm work-
ing with the gener-
al public, as I will for
these Chanukah
shows, I try not to get Coco and Maureen prepare for a show.
too religious," said the
As she was growing up,
puppeteer, who has taught at
Ms. Schiffman studied danc-
Akiva, Temple Emanu-El and
ing and instrumental music,
Temple Kol Ami.
taking piano lessons and
"I think people want to
teaching herself guitar and
know about a holiday, but
mandolin, the last winding
they don't want to hear
up as the instrument she
preaching. I've spoken to dif-
prefers in front of groups be-
ferent members of the clergy
cause of its
about this and
light sound.
decided to go
Through her
into the sym-
many classes
bols, making
she appeared
the programs
on local televi-
light, enter-
shows
sion
taining and
as
such
sensitive to the
"Milky's
Party
audiences.
Time," which
"I focus on
spotlighted a
ideas like shar-
clown interacting with young-
ing, caring and giving and try
sters. As a teen, she was part
to put some meaning behind
of Hebrew dancing group that
the holidays."
performed at special events.
Although Ms. Schiffman of-
"I thought with teaching I
fers programs about Christ-
could
do it all," said Ms.
ian celebrations, she does not
Schiffman, who earned a
go beyond capturing the hu-
bachelor's degree in educa-
man values the events repre-
tion from the University of
sent.
Michigan. Finding that she
"I've always felt very com-
could not be as creative as
fortable around small chil-
she liked, the arts specialist
dren," said the puppeteer,
left the schoolroom for an of-
who believes her current suc-
fice environment.
cess evolved naturally from
After her husband Leonard
her background. "I prefer
finished
college and found
younger kids because they
work in special education, she
have big imaginations."
When she started
at Akiva, she made
puppets as a
teaching tool.
gave up her job and volun-
teered at the Southfield Child
Development Center, grad-
ually moving back into in-
struction.
"When I first started at
Akiva, I made little hand
puppets as a teaching tool to
help children act out stories,"
said Ms. Schiffman, who lat-
er brought puppets along
when she entertained at chil-
dren's parties.
"Animal Fsir" was the first
program she developed for
larger groups, and it remains
the most popular among se-
lections that cover travel, out-
er space and nutrition.
"I write shows for the li-
braries," said Ms. Schiffinan,
a member of the Detroit Pup-
peteers Guild and the Asso-
ciation for the Education of
Young Children.
"There's a Michigan read-
ing theme every year, and
many libraries follow that. I
was at 58 libraries this past
summer and presented
`Oceans of Books' for those go-
ing along with the theme."
When Ms. Schiffman de-
cided to pursue entertain-
ment full time, her school
SYMBOLS page 82