From the PST Vault: Aesop's Fables

Mary performing her rendition of Aesop's

Aesop's Past...

Greetings, Readers!  Welcome to the PST Vault.  Feels pretty cozy, right?  That's because you're surrounded by lots of fun facts and what not.  Yes, get ready, because you're about to learn about (*drumroll, please*) the woman who founded PST, Mary Churchill!

Now, you may be wondering: what's the connection between Mary and Aesop's Fables?  Well, in addition to being a very skilled puppeteer, Mary was also a visionary educator.  She believed that puppet shows are a great way to educate young children about everyday issues.

You see the connection?  Mary believed in education and Aesop's Fables is all about educating its audience.  You know the stories, I'm sure.  Take a look at "The Ant and the Grasshopper" and "The Tortoise and the Hare."  One is about the virtues of hard work and planning for the future and the other is about how ingenuity and trickery (rather than doggedness) are employed to overcome a stronger opponent.  These are just some of many lessons Mary considered to be valuable when performing for children.  Why?  Because, in a way, morals like these help boys and girls grow into fine men and women.

Mary's puppets

Also - just for fun - did you know that Mary had a Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon-like relationship with a very special person?  You know The Muppets, I'm sure.  What about the man behind The Muppets, Jim Henson?  Well, he visited PST once and took a liking to some of Mary's puppets.  Take a look:

Jim Henson (*Oh my god!*) with the Lion

Did you just die and go to heaven?  Me, too!  How cool is that - Mary knowing Jim Henson way back when?!  I mean, what a woman, right?  Thanks to her, we puppet enthusiasts here at PST are able to look back and revisit a wonderful history she left behind - and we love her for that.

And Aesop's Present...

Aesop's Fables by Tuckers' Tales

Now, this week we welcome back Tuckers' Tales as they perform Aesop's Fables for the PST Feast of Food and Folktales.  We hope you're just as excited as we are because not only is this show a fun and interactive sing-a-long, but it's also a steal - three stories in one: "The Fox and the Crow," "The Ant and the Grasshopper," and "The Tortoise and the Hare" - all of which are guaranteed to teach the wee ones several valuable lessons.

In case you didn't know - Tuckers' Tales Puppet Theatre is the performing division of Puppet Perceptions, Inc., a Philadelphia based performing company founded in 1981.  Co-directors Marianne and Tom Tucker have performed at puppet, folk, ethnic and street festivals as well as craft fairs, shopping centers, theaters and schools around the country.  In addition to Aesop's Fables, they've also performed Three Bears!, The Sorcerer's Apprentice, and Peter Rabbit Tales.

The Tuckers themselves!

Tuckers' Tales Past Performances

Yes, be sure to come on down to PST this week and see the Tuckers perform their version of Aesop's Fables (BUY TICKETS).  We promise you this: it's going to be a blast!

Till next time!  Yours truly, Esra Erol - marketing intern at PST.