Hobey Ford’s Golden Rod Puppets (Loyd Artists) – Puppet Storytelling

Program Description

SEA SONG – K-6th & family
SEA SONG is the story of a boy discovering nature for the first time through a fascination with the life cycle of the sea turtle. When a city boy comes to spend his summer at the coast, he is suddenly cut off from his digital world and turns his attention to the natural world of a remote coastal beach. Hobey tells the story without words, performing his own handcrafted foam puppets in full view of the audience to the enchanting hang drum music of David Kuckhermann. Following in the style of his classic non-verbal production of “Animalia,” SEA SONG will inspire and delight the audience with the story of the animals that live in the environment where the land meets the sea, where sea turtles, herons, gulls and terns all come to life in the hands of master puppeteer Hobey Ford.
** FOR AUDIENCES 250 and under **
Curriculum Tie-Ins: Storytelling, Theater, Visual Arts, Science, Nature Study
Video Link: https://youtu.be/qnyPfJvpNdI
Weblink: http://loydartists.com/roster/f/c/32
For Teachers – Study Guide: http://loydartists.com/images/resources/SeaSongStudyguide.pdf

ANIMALIA – PreK-6th & family
Hobey Ford’s ANIMALIA explores the magical world of animals and features Hobey’s original “foamies” puppets carved from large blocks of foam with intricate mechanical design that gives each puppet realistic movements. Hobey breaks out of the traditional puppet theater booth turning the whole theater into his performance stage. ANIMALIA introduces the audience to the metamorphosis of a butterfly and a tadpole, various ecological systems and endangered animals.
Curriculum Tie-Ins: Storytelling, Theater, Visual Arts, Science.
Video Link: https://youtu.be/vrql8IW5vvU?list=PLB209BC69D05C6ADF
For Teachers – Study Guide Link: http://loydartists.com/images/resources/AnimaliaStudyGuide2.pdf

MIGRATION – PreK-6th and family
MIGRATION is Hobey Ford’s sequel to ANIMALIA. It is the story of Beatriz, a girl who journeys with her family from her home near Mexico City to the US. Hobey Ford turns to the natural world of animals to explore the wonders of migration as they are learned through the eyes of a child making her own migratory journey. Hobey’s animal “Foamies” are performed behind a projection of original animated scenes, taking the audience along with Beatriz on the journey of these incredible creatures. Hobey performs in full view as storyteller, puppeteer & animator in a seamless and almost hypnotic dance between the puppeteer, puppets & original artistic scenery.
Curriculum Tie-Ins: This story deals with environmental and multicultural issues and addresses the arts integration areas of Literary Arts, Storytelling, Theater, Visual Arts, Science.
Video Link: https://youtu.be/RcSMOqQSwGc?list=PLB209BC69D05C6ADF
For Teachers – Study Guide: Available on request

WORLD TALES – PreK-6th & family
Award-winning puppeteer Hobey Ford spins a web of tales with three classic bug stories from around the world. Hobey brings the Caldecott award-winning art of Gail Haley to life with a two-dimensional rod puppet rendition of Gail’s West African Anansi tale “A Story, A Story”. Follow the trickster Anansi the Spider-Man as he wins “the golden box of stories”, the source of all storytelling. Next, travel to ancient Greece for a hilarious up-to-date retelling of Aesop’s “The Ant and the Grasshopper”, told through colorful three-dimensional rod puppets. Closer to home, enter the Cherokee world of folklore with a thoughtful, yet humorous cautionary tale of fire called “Little Grandmother Spiderwoman”, told with adapted Japanese Bunraku puppetry, where Hobey works in full view of the audience. Hobey Ford combines fine storytelling with his masterfully crafted puppets. During the show, he takes time to explore and explain his unique process of puppet craftsmanship through the hilarious antics of “Chester the Dog”. The show comes to a finale with Hobey’s famous carved foam creatures, “The Foamies”.
Curriculum Tie-Ins: World Tales deals with multicultural contributions to literature (folk tales) and the visual arts and addresses the arts integration areas of Literary Arts, Storytelling, Theater, Visual Arts, Science.
Video Link: https://youtu.be/GnUY9pv0PNw?list=PLB209BC69D05C6ADF
For Teachers – Study Guide: Available on request

Student Shadow Puppetry Workshops

Combining storytelling with shadow puppetry brings a variety of cultures to life in the classroom through folktales. During this workshop, students learn shadow puppetry performance techniques and how to construct their own shadow puppets.. Hobey Ford discusses the construction of a shadow puppet theater and how to later implement the technique for performing shadow plays.
Fee: Must be scheduled with a performance/ or a full day of 4 workshops