PRESS RELEASE

December 9, 2002

Contact:
Katie Sproles, (541) 346-0942, ksproles@darkwing.uoregon.edu

EVENT ADVISORY

UO Museum of Art Docent's Puppet Theater Brings Ancient Folktales to Life

EVENT:
University of Oregon Museum of Art (UOMA) docents will use elaborately handcrafted puppets
in colorful authentic costumes to present the ancient Japanese folktale of the great Samurai
Kintaro to 1st through 5th graders.

DATE: Wednesday, Dec. 11

TIME: 1:30-2:30 p.m.

LOCATION: Room 20, Howard Elementary School, 700 Howard Ave., Eugene

BACKGROUND:
Seeking to stay connected with the community during the art museum's closure for
renovation and expansion, the docents wrote original scripts for a repertoire of
puppet shows, such as The Dragon's Pearl, The Raven and the Petrel, and Kintaro,
the story of a young Japanese boy who grows up in the wild and becomes a great
Samurai. Audiences have included K-12 students throughout Lane County, as well
as community groups.

The puppet shows are based on stories that have been handed down from
generation to generation in China, Japan and the American Northwest.

"We select stories that relate in some way to the museum's collection," explains
Sharane Norris, a docent puppeteer. "At this point they can be enjoyed as folktales
that give us a chance to teach something about the culture, but when the museum
reopens in 2004, they can serve as a bridge to the collection."

Norris says the docents, who love to see the children's eyes shine as they watch,
have been impressed by the depth of some of the questions and comments after a
performance.

For more information or to schedule a puppet show, contact Lisa Abia-Smith,
UOMA director of education, (541) 346-0966.

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