Puppets To Go Bids Adieu By Elise Handelman and Bob Nathanson
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uppets To Go (Bob Nathanson and Elise Handelman) recently retired after a 40-year career as full-time puppeteers. These are things Bob WILL NOT miss and things Elise WILL miss:
Bob: I will NOT miss performing outdoors in Florida in the summer, when the temperature approaches that of the surface of the sun. In addition, the rainy season lasts approximately 362 days. At any given time, it can rain. It may rain only a few minutes, but that is enough to ruin the curtains, the sound equipment, etcetera.
I will NOT miss loading and unloading in Manhattan. It is nearly impossible to get even one block from a venue to unload. I will NOT miss traffic. Approximately one billion people live in the New York metropolitan area. It is 12 miles from our apartment to the George Washington Bridge. If you drive that route at 3 a.m., it takes about 10 minutes. Any other time, it can take several days.
I will NOT miss trying to find a parking space in Manhattan and then dealing with the parking meter. When Elise came with me to shows, she could put money in the parking meter as needed. Prior to Elise coming with me to shows, I had to feed the meter
seats away from them, I could see the child facing away from the stage, holding his mom’s neck. Bob’s show began with a little boy puppet. Several minutes into the show, the child turned his head around, facing to watch the show. I heard him say, “I’m so glad you brought me here.” That statement was like winning the lottery—
I will NOT miss loading and unloading in Manhattan. It is nearly impossible to get even one block from a venue to unload.
it made me feel so good knowing the power of the puppet! At the end of the show, I leaned over to say that my husband was the puppeteer.
Her reply almost made me cry. “Thank your husband for making my child’s first experience so positive and wonderful.” This made me feel absolutely terrific. I saw such a change in that child from the beginning of the show to the end.
Another time, Bob was performing for a community center with
several hundred people in the audience. One boy stood up and sat down a few times during the show. When the show was over, the mom came over to say hello to us. She told us that her child was autistic and had never before sat that long. Another rewarding moment.
Elise Handelman and Bob Nathanson with puppets from The Frog Prince. Photo: Dahlia Katz Photography
myself. Right in the middle of the chase scene between Red Riding Hood and the Wolf, as the meter was expiring, I would say, “Excuse me boys and girls, I have to go and feed the meter.” Elise: I’ll miss seeing the kids looking at Bob’s shows with mesmerized faces. I loved how kids related to the characters, many of which I designed, such as Little Red Riding Hood and The Tortoise and the Hare. It was fun seeing kids coming dressed as Little Red Riding Hood or a princess when they came to see The Frog Prince show. We also performed personalized shows for adults. We’ve performed four weddings, a 50th birthday party, a retirement party, and a college graduation party. These personalized shows were some of the most gratifying experiences of our career. At a JCC in Orlando, Bob was set to perform his production
of Jeremy’s Jungle Adventure. One mom came in with her child hanging around her neck. She sat in the back of the theater and said to a friend, “I have to start taking him places.” Sitting three
I’ll miss nice, welcoming introductions about Puppets To Go, especially from repeat sponsors, some of whom had hired us for 25 consecutive years. We’ve become friends with several sponsors. I’ll miss traveling to venues, whether in the U.S. or Canada, and visiting with numerous puppeteers, including many who hosted us at their homes. Sometimes puppetry guilds hosted receptions for us. We attended so many Puppeteers of America regional puppet festivals and national festivals, where we made so many friends. We will miss the annual Puppets Up! International Festival in Almonte, outside of Ottawa, directed by Noreen Young. We performed at their mainstage a few times, as well as for their cabaret. We became good friends with Noreen, and our theater managers, and other puppeteers. Sadly, Puppets Up! has ended, but remains one of our most memorable experiences. I will miss it all, and guess what? So will Bob!
PUPPETS TO GO was founded by Bob Nathanson and his wife, Elise Handelman, in 1979. Bob and Elise studied puppetry with Lea Wallace and Carol Fijan. Bob’s column “Bob’s EyeView” appeared in Puppetry Journal for 10 years. Elise has written about regional and national festivals. Bob and Elise recorded 12 video interviews with famous puppeteers. They have driven many thousands of miles to support the art of puppetry. Bob is the author of Diary of a Dolly Wiggler: Bob’s-Eye View into the Wacky and Wonderful World of Puppetry, Charlemagne Press, 2008.
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