The Good News Puppeteer

Puppets have become a way of life for a McNabb woman

Story and photos by Shannon Serpette

Some people count sheep while struggling to fall asleep at night, but Ida Boyle of McNabb has a more unique thing to think about – puppets. As a dedicated puppeteer for more than 30 years, her mind – day and night – is constantly churning out ideas for puppets, concepts for shows, and how to build the props she envisions for performances.

As the leader of the Good News Bears Ecumenical Puppet Team, which is sponsored by the First Presbyterian Church in Henry, Boyle works with those who are in fourth grade and older to develop and perform puppet shows to spread the word of God’s love.

“I have been involved with it for well over 30 years,” Boyle said. “I think it’s important to get the message of God’s love out in a fun way. It’s a way for kids to get involved in ministry. Kids can do a lot.”

The kids who belong to the puppet group often remember the experience for the rest of their lives.

“I have a lot of fond memories of being a Good News puppeteer,” Kimberly Yee of Henry, who was a member of the group in the late 1980s, said. “We were able to reach

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Puppeteer Ida Boyle stands behind a black curtain to demonstrate how a puppet show really looks for those in attendance. The adults and children who work with Boyle stand behind the curtain and have to reach above their heads while holding the puppets and props.

While the puppets are the stars of the show, the props add a lot to each performance by helping to tell the story of each song.

Puppets

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out to the community to spread the Good News. It was an amazing group where lifelong friendships were made.”

Boyle is quick to point out that she didn’t start the puppet program at the church. It was launched in 1985, with parishioner Ruth Ann Giffin as the leader.

“When the team first started, it was just a church team,” Boyle said.

Then, after a while, it was opened up to the community and remains so today. The group puts on puppet shows during the summer for the ecumenical Vacation Bible School (VBS) program.

“VBS is so important because for some kids, it’s the only church they have,” Boyle said.

In the winter, the group puts on Christmas shows at area nursing homes where the senior citizens love seeing the puppets and the kids. The holiday shows feature a variety of Christmas songs the seniors recognize and often sing along with.

The team members generally meet once a week – although practices were temporarily suspended because of the pandemic and were later held through Zoom. Face-to-face practices have been able to resume in recent weeks.

But the work doesn’t stop there. Long after the practices end, Boyle is often thinking about the songs, performances, puppets, and props. She sometimes continues to brainstorm in bed at night, thinking about how to make puppets or props.

“I listen to the music over and over and over. Things start popping into my brain about how to build the props. I have to come up with solutions,” she said.

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Ida Boyle of McNabb, the leader of the Good News Bears Ecumenical Puppet Team, shows off one of her favorite types of puppets, which are called stretch-a-bellies.

The kids also are welcome to give input when brainstorming ideas for props, Boyle said when she was interviewed right after a puppet group practice.

“We probably spent a half-hour working on props tonight,” she said. “I enjoy being with the kids and working with the kids.”

The feeling is mutual – the kids who participate in the puppets program love having Boyle leading the way.

“Ida is a fun leader who enjoys performing puppets for all ages of people. She puts a lot of time into creating new puppets and choreographing songs. She includes everyone and gives all kids the opportunity to be part of a community program,” Conner Anderson, a recent eighth grade graduate from Henry who is a current member of the puppet group, said.

Boyle and the kids she works with sometimes run into challenges during their shows, despite their hours of practice.

“There was one time the stage started to fall, and we grabbed it,” she recalled. “The biggest show is what’s going on behind the stage. They are crawling over top of each other (to move the puppets and props).”

To the audience, puppeteering might seem easy. But it’s surprisingly physical work, as Boyle and her young puppeteers know all too well.

“The kids would rather do the props than the puppets because their arms hurt,” she said.

Most of the puppets belong to the church, but Boyle also has some of her own she’s bought or made.

“I’m working on a dragon right now,” she said, adding that it’s a stuffed dinosaur she’s converting into a dragon. “I have the wings made.”

While Boyle may dedicate a lot of time to the group, when she first joined, she didn’t have any inkling that it was something she would continue to do for more than 30 years.

“It didn’t even dawn on me,” she said. “But I enjoy it.”

Pictured: Hundreds of puppets are stored at the First Presbyterian Church in Henry, which sponsors the Good News Bears Ecumenical Puppet Team. The group has put on puppet shows in various towns and counties over the years. Inset: This versatile puppet works well for portraying a lot of figures from the Bible.