This installment of the Catfish Club saw us partnering with our friends Squallis Puppeteers, the focus of our current exhibition: 25 Years of Squallis Puppeteers. We’ve had their puppets on display for months, and this was the time to see them in action! And not on a TV screen either, live and in-person!

Combing elements of Country Mouse City Mouse, The Lion and The Mouse, and Stone Soup, this timeless tale built upon timeless tales was a bit hit with visiting kids and parents. Squeak, our country mouse, takes a trip to the big city to visit his cousin Chancy. There he learns about the values of new, different experiences and sharing within a community. Upon Chancey’s visit to the wide-open country, much the same is learned from a different perspective! All the while, a devious cat is hunting our mousey protagonists. I won’t spoil the story here, but trust me, it all works out nicely. Beyond the entertainment, the post-show Q&A with the kids proved Squallis’s ability to teach lessons too.

After the narrative was concluded, kids got a chance to get up-close-and-personal with the puppets, sets, and props! Despite being fully immersed minutes earlier, these kids were now introduced to the creative process and skills behind putting on a show. Then they got to get creative themselves through the finger-puppet making workshop!

With Squallis Puppeteers moving their headquarters next door to Portland Museum in our four-plex, we’d bet this is far from the last time we host a show from them. Be on the lookout for the next one, and we hope to see you all back here again!

This event was brought to you by the generosity of the Zeta Iota Chapter of Psi Iota Xi, the Fund for the Arts, and Louisville Metro. Huge thanks to all of them for supporting us and our community!