The art of

puppetry spans cultures. No matter what the nationality

of the performers or the audience, the message can be

conveyed through the movements and the facial expressions

of the puppets.

Two amazing

Chinese puppeteers will be performing at the Center for

Puppetry Arts in Atlanta this weekend, entertaining

audiences with their marionettes and hand puppets.

Huang Yi

Que of Quanzhou Marionettes will engage the audience with

tales from the Far East. Through intricate string

arrangement and manipulation, Que breathes life and

spirit into his marionettes. His performance includes

scenes from classical Chinese stories, as well as

contemporary comedic bits such as his famous monkey

riding a bicycle. Though Que has toured extensively

throughout Europe and Asia, this show will mark his debut

on American soil.

Que also

uses hand puppets during his performance, but not as much

as the other performer this weekend, Yang Feng. Feng is a

fifth generation hand puppeteer, who recently immigrated

to the U.S. He began training in the family tradition at

age 11. He was named to the National Dramatist's

Association in China, making him the only puppeteer and

the youngest member to achieve this status. Often called

the "Jim Henson of China" because of his impact

of his work on the country's puppet masters,

Feng

performs the Hungry Tiger and other tales from China. The

puppets on Feng's hands wordlessly perform great feats of

martial arts and comedic follies. Some characters that

come to life for Feng are a hungry tiger, a fisherman,

dueling warriors, a phenomenal circus balancing act and

more accompanied by music from the Orient.

There is

plenty to do at The Center for Puppetry Arts on top of

viewing the Chinese Masters show. There is a hands-on

museum that can be toured two hours before the show as

well as special exhibits. The exhibits that are currently

running are: Alice on Broadway, Basil Milovsoroff: 21st

Century Artist, and Reflections of Puppetry in Posters.

The show is

suggested for audiences 12 and up. Tickets for the

Chinese Masters show are $16 for adults and $12 for

students and seniors with a valid ID. The show will be

presented at 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday and at 5 p.m.

Sunday. Tickets include admission to the museum. For

information, call 404-873-3391.

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