Growing things takes a lot of sunshine, rain — and time. Puppet shows grow best with support, helpful ideas — and time. Over the past year I’ve been an Artist-in-Residence at Lexington Community Farm, working with Education Director Rachel Curtin to create “Growing Things,” a Cow and Mouse fable about sustainable growing. Rachel patiently shared her work teaching children about how plants grow. And her daughter contributed a plot twist that kept the show interesting: Cow plants hay, while his friend Mouse plants cheese.

At our first programs in May at LexFarm and at Fox Library,  I presented the first 3 scenes. Children planted seeds with Rachel. In summer, I performed the second section, where the cheese still hasn’t sprouted, at LexFarm.  Children picked cucumbers and tomatoes with Rachel. At each program I got to hear a lot from the audience about what was funny, what was interesting, and what needed to be trimmed.

The children’s reactions helped build the show we were happy to present in full in the LexFarm garden on October 19th. Thanks to Peter Lehman for  lively mandolin accompaniment, to Pam Shanley for performing a wicked funny Cousin Rat, and to EVERYONE at LexFarm.

This puppet show was created with generous support from Arlington Commission on Arts & Culture Grants Committee, and the Massachusetts Cultural Council, and we are grateful.

On July 13, Peter Lehman’s lute music brought the peaceful sense of a fairy woodland to the Elm Street tent outside Fall River Library.  Children gathered on a rug, ready to meet fairies, squirrels . . . and trolls! In this interactive show, Peter, Ann Wynne and I want our audience members to have opinions — but we were surprised at how strongly they spoke to Skimpa the troll. “No, you can’t push down the tree!” “But I need space for my beautiful new chair,” she whined. “NO!” the children said.

When the trolls persisted in knocking over the tree, our faithful audience helped them plant a baby tree for distraught fairies. And, after trolls, fairies, puppeteers and our amazing musician took their bows, the children arrested the trolls! We know they will take good care of trees in the future.

THANK YOU, FALL RIVER CULTURAL COUNCIL!! This show was supported by a grant from the Fall River Cultural Council, a local agency supported by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency. And thank you to librarian David Mello for his incredible support of children and those who perform for them.