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Clinton News-Record, 1977-05-19, Page 21Clinton, Ontario Second section After each show Richard Keelan and Cheryl Smith of "No Strings Attached" must pack away Ms. Pettitoes and a cast of others, dismantle the sets, put away the props and move on to another showplace. (News -Record photo), Thursday, May 19, 1977 "No strings attached" Puppeteers bring stories "alive" r ll2th Year -No. 20 By Shelley McPhee It's a "known fact" that stories such as "Hansel and Gretel" and "Jack in the Beanstalk" are merely tales of imagination, filled with whimsical characters who are in- volved in eccentric plots. However, the "No Strings At- tached" Puppeteers from Exeter would clearly disagree with anyone who held that opinion. For Cheryl Smith and Richard Keelan, fairytales are their livelihood and through the assistance of such characters as the giant, Jack, the evil step -mother, and the wicked witch the stories quickly come to life. Smith, 30 and Keelan, 35, formed Not even Jack in the Beanstalk's mother can resist the musical talents of Richard Keelan. Keelan performs a number of opening songs for the "No Strings Attached" puppeteer duo. audience feel at The musical prelude helps to make the ease with the cast. (News -Record photo) their puppetry duo two years ago Attached" use fairytales for their Smith explained, "I never grew up." after they met in the Black Swan performances. Along with Ms. Pettitoes as a Coffee House in Stratford. At the One of -a child's greatest fears is favourite, Smith and Keelan have a time, Keelan, a Michigan native, abandonment, from its mother or special attachment for their Irish was working with the Perth County when the lights are turned out at peddlar puppet. He is Keelan's Conspiracy and Smith, from night, according to Keelan. character and is used in almost Hamilton, was running the coffee Therefore they can easily relate to every play. Prince Bellay, the house with a group of people. With such tales as "Hansel and Gretel" pompous royal character in their Keelan's musical talent and Smith's where the two children are sent into French Canadian play, is also a knack for puppetry, the two moved the woods and must fend for ' favourite and the most fun to do. to Exeter and began booking themselves. Each show is a new experience for Christmas shows and performances Also, growing up is another child "No Strings Attached", and there is in libraries. fear and Keelan clearly illustrates little room for boredom. According Last summer, the couple received this through his lyrics, "I am to Smith, "We're never doing the a Cultural Olympics Wintario Grant growing, I am growing, I am same show, every audience is and this helped them- finance a growing too. Someday I'll be a man, unique." French Canadian puppet show someday I'll take care of you." The duo does have a weak spot for which toured through Huron County. These words are sung by Jack to pre-school audiences and feel that In November 1976 they received a his mother in "Jack in the Bean- they're at the ideal age to watch the LIP grant which enabled them to stalk". The main purpose of this tale show, since they have no qualms tour old age homes, nursery schools is to show that all little children will about getting totally involved. and day care centres, institutes for grow up, to be giants. Keelan, who starts the show with the mentally and physically Ilan- Although the giant figure, played songs and a dialogue, has different dicapped as well as public schools. by Keelan, often frightens the pre- introductions for each audience. For They hope to next tour separate school children,he takes special grade eight classes he explains that schools in the county. care at the end of the show to explain fairytales aren't silly and there's no Smith's interest in puppetry began that he was the giant and only wore a need to be embarrassed by them. To eight years ago when a puppetry mask. By allowing the children to the older people he explains the program was set up in the Hamilton try' on the mask this brings them facets of puppetry, the making of the Public Library. She made the back to reality and allows them to show and children's appreciation of puppets and followed a bookmobile become actors themselves. it. Smith notes that older people tend on her bicycle to playgrounds, "No Strings Attached" feel that to relate to it in regards of their own nurseryschools, community centres fairytales work perfectly for puppet grandchildren. and neighbourhood associations. shows because - theystart "Anyone Yone can enjoy puppetry as Through the puppet show, Smith realistically, take on a fantasy and long as they don't think it's kids was able to entice children to come then come back to reality again. stuff," she said. to the library and from there she In order to have a nice, gentle Music and songs are also a was able to get them to read books. introduction Smith takes on the valuable part of the show to any Ater spending two summers at character of Ms.. Pettitoes the pig.audience. With guitars ' and a the Black Swan in Stratford, Smith This southern belle acts as mistress dulcimer Keelan can quickly cap - met Keelan, a composer and of ceremonies for each play and she ture the audience's attention arid musician, and between the two they talks to the audience to make them explain the basic theme of the story. have made puppets, written music, feel at ease and comfortable at the Songs often help the children relate built stages and edited fairytales for beginning of each show. Likewise to the tale and they are quick to clap puppet shows. she re -appears at the end to bring and sing along. From their rural home in Exeter, the children back to reality, to calm "No Strings 'Attached" is now the two create their shows and show down their excitement and say sitting in a stage of limbo, and its premier performances to their goodbye. . future is unsure. It's unlikely that children, Simon, 2 and Raphael, 4. • She is a soft, cuddly puppet made the couple will receive any more Their children often accompany out of felt and the children's grants for their program, however them on the road and Smith feels favourite. After the show, Smith they hope to continue their pup - that this is a good way to expose often takes Ms. P. into the audience peteering throughout the county by them to other people and children. and lets the children play with her charging a fee. Through this they now can accept and her voice can be easily imitated. In the meantime, Ms. Pettitoes, and understand the meaning of Smith has some 20 hand puppets Jack, the Irish peddlar and Hansel mentally handicapped and have no that she has made. Most of them and Gretel will continue to entertain fear of older people. have been created out of paper the old and young alike. They will Children are very complex people mache and she is attached to each also aid in workshops being held'at with many feelings and fears and it's one of them. ARC Industries and continue to because of this that' "No Strings "That's why I play with puppets," travel around the county. 'Parent volunteers helping Clinton Public School pupils By Shelley McPhee It's a popular myth that parent volunteers, who help at schools, are *making the teacher's job easier: It's also a common complaint that parent volunteers are merely nosey, gossipy women who spread ill- founded rumours.. about the school system. Others feel that parent teachers are only used to save the school board the extra cost of hiring additional professional instructors. However l Al Taylor., principal of Tinton Public School quickly misses these opinions, "It's Waking use of the interests and the abilities of parents for the benefits of the student." Following in the —footsteps of Turnberry; Howick and Usborne, the Clinton Public School has recently set uli its own parent v lunteer program. The fife volunteers, Mrs. Margret Tugwell,, Mrs. Ken Clynick, Mrs. J. Cameron and Mrs. Sharon Carter, come to the school four and one-half days a week to help students. • The volunteers assist the pupils in remedial reading, 'multiplication drills, library aids as well as special 4 education classes for those who have difficulties in the classroom setting. "Everyone dabbles into every situations" said Taylor, and once the program is more established they may specialize in one field. The school also has an additional list of volunteers for special events. They may »elp with field trips, school sales, concerts and added supervision. Arong with working in the classrooms, private areas have been designated for the volunteers to help small groups of students. Here they listen to reading, review lessons for absentees, read to the group and assist with research. "The children were elated with more individual help and drills," Taylor noted, "anyone different or varied is a novel idea to them." The idea of the volunteer program began last year after the school staff learned of similar programs in the county. A meeting was held to discuss the possibilities for such a project in Clinton and Mrs. Eady, a volunteer from Turnberry came and talked on the subject. After further research into the nrniPct, Clinton decided to create its own program. Some 25 people showed interest in the .program, and their only requirement was to be interested in children. On Tuesday, May, 10 the program saw its first day at the Clinton. Public School. Taylor felt that the response from the first week was good and the parents will help to reinforce, enrich and develop the students' educational capacities. Mrs. Clynick, one of the volun- teers, felt that her first day with the children was successful. She found them most;willjng to work for her and explained, "Kids are so flexible, they don't question you, they just accept you." She is quite enthused about the program and noted, "In our society there's lots of. room for the extra help, over and above what the bureaucracy can provide." Most importantly, the program is trying to stress that the volunteers are not taking over the teacher's job. "They are not teaching, they are not taking their jobs, they're under the teacher's guidance at all times," explained TAvinr .. ..a. .:.M p... ,.. .,..,. Sharon Carter (left) works with a group of grade three children in their reading class. She is one of the four parent volunt('rs currently donating their time to the Clinton t - Public School in order to ,give children individual help. (News -Record photo)