Our Mother of Sorrows School

With 10-foot-tall papier-mâché puppets, drums and plenty of singing, Squallis Puppeteers won’t be overlooked whether at a show or a festival! What might sometimes be missed is that Squallis Puppeteers believes puppets are more than just playthings. The Louisville-based puppetry troupe uses puppets as a conduit for people to expand their imagination and tell their own stories.

The puppetry troupe makes all of its own puppets. The Squallis name is derived from squalus, the Latin word for “shark,” one of which is featured prominently on Squallis Puppeteers’ logo.

Founded in 1997, Squallis Puppeteers’ trademark giant puppets appear at many festivals and parades. You can find out when by checking the online Calendar. The troupe also opens its door to the public at its School of Sharks Theater, located on the second floor of Our Mother of Sorrows School, on the first Saturday of every month at its so-called 1st Saturday Show. The family-friendly performance costs just $5 per person! The puppet-making workshop that follows the performance costs $5 per puppet. Doors open at 12:45 p.m., and the workshop ends at 3 p.m.

In addition, Squallis Puppeteers has summer camps and other workshops throughout the year that teach the art of puppet-making and story-telling. The troupe also visits public library branches several times a month. Check the Calendar for those details, as well.

But you don’t have to head out to find Squallis puppets; they can come to you! Squallis Puppeteers puts on shows at schools and other locations. Prices begin at $150 plus 50 cents per mile for mileage for one-person overviews and go up from there. For details on current shows, click here. 

- by Ivonne Rovira, Louisville Reporter for HelloMetro  (Click to leave a message)

Ivonne Rovira

A graduate of the prestigious Columbia University School of Journalism in New York City, Ivonne Rovira worked as a reporter for the Miami News, The Miami Herald and The Associated Press. She has written articles for The National Catholic Reporter and The Courier-Journal. For more than 15 years, Ivonne wrote and edited articles aimed at middle-school children.