Nick Barone Puppets brings a full theater experience to your library or school, complete with lighting and a sound system.

The puppet stage requires a performance space of 8 feet wide by 6 feet deep, with at least a 7 foot ceiling. The stage should be set up on a level surface or on an elevated platform with one standard power outlet near by. The audience should be seated at least 3 to 4 feet in front of the stage to comfortably view the performance.

More people can fit in a space when sitting on the floor rather than in chairs, especially children. A few chairs at the back or sides of the room for adults are always a good idea.

My puppet theater has its own lighting to help focus the audience's attention on the performance. Whenever possible, dim or turn off the room lights during the performance. The room does not need to be completely dark, in fact, total darkness can make some children uneasy.

For more information about setting up the puppet show, please visit the QUESTIONS page.

A puppet show at the library or school should not only entertain children, it should also educate them and get them interested in reading.

In a library: A display near the puppet show filled with books matching the theme of the performance is a great way to generate excitement about borrowing books from the library. I have listed below some subjects to display that will go along with each of my puppet shows.

In a school: A puppet show can tie into the current curriculum, such as 'dinosaur week' or 'ocean week'. I have listed belowthe most appropriate subject tie-ins for each performance.

Subjects in The Princes Mermaid include:
Puppetry - Theater - Mermaids - Pirates - Coral Reef - Sea Creatures - The Ocean

Subjects in Tales from the Enchanted Forest include:
Puppetry - Theater - Insects - Trees - Forests - Fairies

Subjects in T-Rex Thunderlizard's Wild West Revue include:
Puppetry - Theater - Dinosaurs - Cowboys - The Wild West - The Gold Rush

Subjects in Puss in Boots include:
Puppetry - Theater - Charles Perrault's, 'Puss in Boots' - Cats - Ogres - Dragons - Princesses - Medieval Times

This show is my own adaptation of the classic story (not the movie).
It is a good idea to give the children access to the original book so they know where it all started.

Subjects in Holiday Treats include:
Puppetry - Theater - Christmas - Monsters - O Henry's 'The Gift of the Magi' - Charles Dickens' 'A Christmas Carol' - 'Twas the Night Before Christmas' - 'The Twelve Days of Christmas' - 'Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer'

Although this show is 99% Christmas, the puppets do sing Hanukkah's beloved Dreidel Song.

Subjects in Tricks & Treats include:
Puppetry - Theater - Halloween - Bats - Monsters - Mummies - Robots - Ghosts - Zombies - Werewolves