Breath of Life, creating the illusion of life, that’s Puppetry.

Have you ever wondered how they did that? What would it be like to work with that kind of puppet? Is it hard to learn how to do that. Well now is your chance to try your hand at animating some of the different kinds of puppets from eight foot tall body puppets to  the simple rod puppets  with Master Puppeteer Steven M Overton. With over 55 years in the puppet industry Mr. Overton will guide you through the art of manipulation and the joys each style brings. This is a fun and exciting workshop, from beginners to professional.  Everyone is welcome to this adventure! So come on out and lend a hand, as we journey into the world of different puppets and just how they operate and create the illusion of life. 

Steven M Overton has dedicated the majority of his 55-year career to the art and craft of Puppetry. Working in the area of film he has worked with such directors as Blake Edwards, George Lucas, Morgan Neville, and David Poulshock creating puppets for the fantasy film Wee Sing Under the Sea to the extremely realistic creation of the Rick Rubin marionette for Showtime’s Mini-Series Shangri La. Nationwide television shows such as Grimm and Jesse Blanchard’s new horror comedy film Frank and Zed have also used the talents of Mr. Overton. Puppets in print adds such as the Barq’s Root beer dog to the futuristic hockey players for Pepsi Cola to the animated Sports Wear of Niki have been some of the amazing and fascinating projects he has accomplished. He continues to work with folks in the motion picture industry, live stage productions such as Disney’s Hollywood Studios Hunchback of Notre Dame to Triangle Productions Avenue Q, as well as smaller private companies to bring their vision to life in the world of puppetry. Currently Mr. Overton operates and curates the Portland Puppet Museum in Portland Oregon one of a hand full of museums in the United States dedicated to preserving the art of puppetry.

Visit the Portland Puppet Museum website for more information and upcoming events.