/-
Thumbs Up '6'
... to the 1997 Michigan Festival, a family extravaganza
celebrating the performing arts and our state's cultural heritage.
SUZANNE CHESSLER SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH NEWS
T
`The wonderful thing is that I can be all
of the characters. I do all of the voices and
sound effects. There's a lot of slapstick,
silliness and variety."
Katz's puppetry interests started out-
side the United States.
"I lived in England for a time and used
to watch the 'Punch and Judy' shows," she
explained. "The British kids loved them,
and I loved them. When my
daughter had her sixth birth-
day, I asked a neighbor to
make me a stage so I could do
a puppet show for her party."
Katz went on to do birth-
day celebrations for other
youngsters, getting
information before-
hand and tailoring
each skit to the child
with the birthday.
"I was used to
reading to kids in
different voices so I
could change my
voice for the pup-
pets," said Katz, a
member of the De-
troit Puppeteers
Guild and the Pup-
peteers of America.
Formerly a
French teacher,
Katz decided to ex-
pand her theatrical originals
as a consistently good way to
earn money and take care of
her own youngsters at the
same time. Soon, her son and
daughter, now grown, be-
came assistants when Katz
went into synagogues to en-
hance holiday celebrations.
"I used to do a Chanukah
Beth Katz comes out of her stage setup to show off a favorite puppet.
show, 'Why the Dragon Stole
An annual family extravaganza to cel- Mrs. Froglady's
ebrate the performing arts and Michigan's Menorah,' and
cultural heritage, this year's festival com- moved into the
memorates the 100th anniversary of the secular world with
presentations such
Oldsmobile.
Puppeteer Beth Katz brings her walk- as 'The Frilly Frog
ing stage to the festivities, introducing Show,"' explained
some new twists to interactive skits aimed Katz, who stream-
lines productions
at young audiences.
"I'm a one-woman puppet theater," said according to the
Katz, who has been creating these shows audiences she will
for 19 years. "I use a funny stage, which be entertaining.
The puppeteer
keeps me hidden inside a huge contrap-
tion; its openings let me move puppets in added to Her
repertoire by de- I
and out of different sections.
en days packed full of entertain-
ment — international music
stars, children's programs, an In-
dian heritage celebration, parade,
chefs' challenge, displays and much more
— make up the 1997 Michigan Festival
scheduled Aug. 14-24 on the campus of
Michigan State University (MSU) and in
downtown East Lansing.
/7)
veloping more academic programs for el-
Katz mixes the academic with pup-
ementary schools, and in addition to show- petry by rotating her 300 hand-fitting
casing commercial puppets, she crafted dolls for library presentations.
more and more from recycled
"Since I write my own
materials.
scripts, I have a lot of
Building on school experi-
space to improvise," she said.
ences, she devised teacher
"This summer, the audi-
workshops on how to use recy-
ences, puppets and I will
cled materials in the classroom.
find fun ways to celebrate
"Somebody would call and
Michigan." El
ask if I had a show on a certain
topic," she explained. "I would
1' Beth Katz will be on the
say 'yes' and make one up."
1997 Michigan Festival
Her most far-reaching school
Children's
Stage (Old Col
initiative has been a teacher
lege Field at Michigan State
workshop on how to enhance
Randy Travis
University) at 12:15 and
writing
skills in various
ject sub 2:30 p.m. Friday, Aug. 15.
For information, call 1-800-935-1eEST.
areas.
Michigan Festival Events
There are many entertainment styles booked for the 1997 Michi-
gan Festival. The Main Stage lineup ; on the Michigan State Uni-
versity campus at the corner of Mount Hope Road and Farm Lane,
starts at 8 p.m. every day except for the Aug. 23 show, which starts
at 7 p.m.
Some of the programs and dates are listed below. To check oth-
er events, times and places, call 1-800-935-FEST.
Sheryl Crow
OLDSMOBILE
MAIN STAGE LINEUP
Aug. 15:
KC & the Sunshine Band
Aug. 16:
Rosemary Clooney
Aug. 17:
Daryl Hall & John Oates
Aug. 18:
Lonnie Brooks Blues Band
Aug. 19:
Lansing Symphony
Broadway Night
Aug. 20: Little Richard
Aug. 21: Steve Miller Band
Aug. 22: Sheryl Crow
Aug. 23: Randy Travis, Tammy
Wynette, Deana Carter
& Daryle Singletary
Tammy
Vtlyilefte
OTHER STAGES
Aug. 14-17: MSU Museum Festival of
Michigan Folk-life "Car
Culture/Workers Culture"
Aug. 15-17: Children's Festival
Aug. 15-17: MSU on View (Singers,
Musicians, Dancers)
Aug. 16:
Michigan Writers Day
(Readings About the Auto
Industry)
Aug. 16-17: Daytime Music Stages
Aug. 17:
Chefs' Challenge Micro-
brewery/Homebrewers'
Competition
Aug. 20-23 Oldsmobile's 100-Year
Celebration (Parade, •
Display, GM Plant Tours,
Future Exhibit, Birthday
Party)
Aug. 2.3-24: .MSU American Indian
tierita e Pow Wow'