Where can you

find a fox, a hen, a bear, a piglet, a donkey, a rabbit, a fish, dinosaurs

and more? The Center for Puppetry Arts in Atlanta, of course.

The Center

for Puppetry Arts recently released their schedule of shows for the 2002-2003

season, which will feature some classic tales such as "The Velveteen

Rabbit" and "Winnie-the-Pooh" and some new shows such as

"Weather Rocks" and "Dinosaurs." Audiences will also

get a chance to walk through the Center's museum and participate in hands

on workshops with the staff.

The series

kicks off with "The Fox and the Little Red Hen," which runs

Aug. 20-Sept. 15. The story focuses on a sly fox who tries to outwit the

hen and make her his dinner. The show is told with hand puppets and rod

puppets and children can create a fox hand puppet in the Create-A-Puppet

workshop after the show.

Starting Sept.

19, the center will present "Winnie-the-Pooh." Eeyore loses

his tail and Piglet chases a Heffalump in this adaptation of the classic

story. Following the show, children can learn about author A.A. Milne

and create a Pooh Bear Shadow Puppet. "Winnie-the-Pooh" runs

through Dec. 15.

"The Velveteen

Rabbit" returns just in time for the holidays, running from Nov.

29-Jan. 5. The story focuses on a shy bunny, snubbed by his mechanical

companions. His one wish is to become real. To find out if his dream comes

true, you will have to see this beloved production featuring hand puppets,

rod puppets and marionettes. At the workshop after the show, children

will get to create a Velveteen Rabbit Rod Puppet and will compare and

contrast other rabbits in children's literature.

Audiences will

learn amazing facts about weather with "Weather Rocks" which

runs Jan. 9-March 16. The show infuses gospel, boogie, country, folk and

more with over 25 hand puppets, rod puppets, marionettes, shadow puppets

and body puppets. The workshop will allow children to create a Shining

Sun Hand and Rod Puppet. Several famous stories will come together in

"The Gingerbread Boy and Tales You'll Enjoy", Feb. 11-Apr.6.

Hand and Rod Puppets will bring the stories of "The Fisherman's Wife,"

"The Three Wishes," "The Little Red Hen" and "The

Gingerbread Boy" to life. Children will learn how gingerbread is

made and will get a chance to create a Gingerbread Boy shadow puppet at

the workshop following the show.

The final show

of the season is "Dinosaurs," which will run from Apr. 10-June

23. Audiences will trace the steps of such dinosaurs as Tyrannosaurus

Rex, Triceratops, Ankylosaurus and more. The show uses amazing body puppets,

a thrilling score, and startling special effects, including an erupting

volcano. Children will get a chance to create a Terrific Pterodactyl marionette

and will compare and contrast the characteristics of herbivores and carnivores.

As always,

audiences can wander through the museum before or after the show, looking

at over 350 ancient and contemporary puppets from around the globe. Special

exhibits will include "Winner's Circle: ten years of the UNIMA-USA

Citations of Excellence in the Art of Puppetry"; 1996 Revisited:

Puppets of Olympic Proportions" and "Posters International:

A Puppet Perspective."

The Center

for Puppetry Arts is located at 1404 Spring St. at 18th in Atlanta. It

is open Tuesday through Saturday from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. and Sunday from 11

a.m-5 p.m. The Center has limited free parking but is accessible from

Marta. Phone 404-873-3391 for showtimes or visit www.puppet.org.

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