Traveling puppet troupe delights audience with theatrical old-Iowa tales

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By Mary Louise Speer | Saturday, August 16, 2008 11:03 PM CDT | () comments

Iowa folk heroine “Sal Fink,” Catfish Wrangler, her father, keel boatman “Mike Fink,” and her favorite pig, bear and catfish appeared Saturday during the Eulenspiegel Puppet Theatre presentation at the Family Museum, Bettendorf.

The feisty little puppet shared tall tales — well according to her they were true tales — of her experiences growing up in Iowa. As a baby she learned to swim in the Mississippi River, and in later years managed to tame a tornado and bear and wrestled a snake caught skulking around her home on the prairie.

“Melon, I said I planted you by the house. Now stay,” Sal told an errant melon that seemed determined to vine off on its own during the performance.

The puppet company was founded in 1974 as a touring troupe and the performers have appeared in venues in 25 states and internationally. Eulenspiegel is headquartered at the Owl Glass Puppetry Center, West Liberty, Iowa.

Monica Leo is the founder and master puppeteer and there’s very little she doesn’t love about her job. She appreciates the combination of being able to build puppets and work with children, travel and take on the roles of blunt spoken Sal and other characters.

The group sponsors outreach programs, a bilingual show and community shows where people have an opportunity to participate. Eulenspiegel received the 2000 Iowa Arts Award for long-term commitment to excellence in the arts.

The foray into Iowa’s wild West days kicked off with musical director Ron Hillis playing his guitar. He slipped into a cantankerous persona as he squinted at Leo, who wore a fish hat, and asked, “What is that on top of your head, that big old ugly fish sitting on top of your noggin?”

Hillis appreciates having the opportunity to write songs and perform in public. “I like doing sound effects, too. I like being on stage and entertaining kids,” he said.

Youngsters tried out their hands at crafting rod puppets during a workshop between performances.

“You can make all the characters for a story. It’s kind of like making a cartoon,” Leo said.

She explained how children can make their own illuminated theatres using a three-sided cardboard box, sheet and a light suspended on a rod. “Make sure it’s an old sheet,” she cautioned.

Children created a series of aquatic dwellers with movable tails for the show. Ely Pettit, 6, of Port Byron, Ill., experimented with “swimming” his killer whale across the light stage. “Splash, splash. Hey mom, I want to see yours on the stage,” he said.

Hillis shifted into the eerie duh-dum sounds from the movie “Jaws” as Ely’s killer whale took his turn at swimming solo during the performance.

“He’s supposed to swim and eat seals. They eat seals and fish,” Ely said.

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