The group that brought Haines puppetry bow-legged cowboys and oversized gizmos from distant worlds returns to the fair with “Spare Parts,” the story of a mad scientist searching for pieces of himself.
“He’s lost his marbles and he just can’t remember where he left them,” said Geppetto’s Junkyard puppeteer Melina Shields, who was decorating the group’s big-top tent in the fairgrounds’ Raven Arena this week.
Characters in the play include a spaceman and two young, lonely hearts who come to life in a series of connected vignettes featuring musical accompaniment and hand puppets, marionettes, shadow puppets and one puppet that requires three people to operate. Members of the 12-member group collaborated to write the script.
Inside the tent are rooms made of colorful stage curtains, lights and sound systems, and seating for 100. “We’re all about creating an atmosphere where you walk in from outside and it transforms your world. We tend to use some materials from past shows, but every performance is unique,” Shields said.
Geppetto’s shows typically mix humor, homemade fairy tales and satire. “It’s appropriate for kids but there’s adult humor and subject matter. Nobody will be bored,” Shields said of this weekend’s show.
Performances are Friday at 4 and 6:45 p.m. and Saturday at 1:30 p.m., 4:30 p.m., and 8:30 p.m. Admission is $10 for adults and $5 for youths.
A version of “Spare Parts” was performed last year in Skagway.