This spring, the Bob Baker Marionette Theater will take its puppets to the desert, joining the ranks of performers at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival.
Each season, the historic LA institution delivers weekly productions for audiences of all ages, according to the Bob Baker website. Sophie Peoples, a community member, was in attendance at the Hallowe’en Spooktacular show.
“It’s just so much joy, it really brings a smile to your face,” said Peoples.
Jess Silver, another attendee of the show, said she loves bringing her daughter to the performances.
“Some of the puppets will sit on your lap and lean on you — it’s pretty neat,” Silver said.
According to MJ Thompson, the theater’s director of communications, the Bob Baker Marionette Theater has long held a special place in the hearts of Angelenos.
“We try to keep the joy and imagination of Bob Baker’s legacy alive,” Thompson said.
Caden Healander, a puppeteer at the theater, said the theater’s history continues to resonate across generations.
“Grandparents will come in and tell us they saw the same show when they were 6 years old, and now they’re bringing their grandchildren to see it,” Healander said.
The theater is now looking to expand its legacy with a performance at Coachella this spring, according to Thompson.
According to Winona Betchle, director of partnerships at Bob Baker, the invitation came directly from Coachella organizers, who had become familiar with the theater’s unique performances in the LA area.
“We’re just thrilled to bring the magic of puppetry to a new audience on a world stage,” Betchle said.
According to Thompson, the theater is no stranger to large-scale productions, having collaborated with artists like Justin Bieber and BØRNS. Most recently, the company partnered with the band Tijuana Panthers for a performance at the Echo Park Rising Festival in August.
“We’ve worked at music festivals before, like Viva! Pomona and Echo Park Rising, and we also do our own annual festival, Bob Baker Day,” Thompson said. “So in some ways, this feels like a natural fit.”
According to Thompson, Bob Baker Day drew more than 30,000 attendees this year at Los Angeles State Historic Park.
“It kind of feels like our biggest stage yet, but still really is in line with all the things we’ve been doing — collaborating with musical guests monthly on our own stage, and all the festivals we participate in,” Thompson said.
Brisa Sisk, a puppeteer at the theater, said the Coachella opportunity felt like it was destined.
“I think we just manifested it, because we’ve been calling Bob Baker Day ‘Puppetchella,'” Sisk said. “It just came into fruition.”
According to the Bob Baker website, despite expanding to national stages, the theater remains committed to its local roots. The theater is now preparing an entirely new show — the first original production since Bob Baker’s passing more than 40 years ago, which will be featured at Coachella, Thompson said.
“We are a nonprofit at the theater, so community focus and sharing puppetry is a big deal for us; that’s what we really focus on,” Thompson said.
According to Thompson, preserving the legacy of the theater is central to its mission of conserving puppetry as an art form.
“We’re honored to keep Bob’s legacy alive — for the generations of Angelenos it has touched, and for those yet to come,” Thompson said. “We’re excited to give audiences something new.”
According to Thompson, although the theater is family-friendly and hosts frequent field trips, its charm isn’t just for children.
“We find that adults and people of all ages love our shows,” Thompson said.
Thompson said the theater’s multidisciplinary nature aligns well with Coachella’s artistic vision.
“That collaboration — that interdisciplinary art form that Coachella honors — is so exciting for us to be a part of,” Thompson said. “Our shows are cabaret-style. Music is key, but so is the choreography of the puppeteer, and the puppet itself as a work of art. So many collaborators go into just one performance.”
Thompson said she hopes the performance at Coachella will resonate with the larger LA community, touching the hearts of Angelenos.
“We hope this experience serves as a celebration of our community, our theater, and the art of puppetry,” Thompson said.
Contact Samhita Krishnan at krishnan@oxy.edu.
