What are they all about?
First, YOU perform at our Festival...
...Then, YOU get tips and a written evaluation by our team of professionals...
...And then, YOU get a free puppet!

READ THIS! Take this opportunity to let us help encourage your team to achieve excellence in a non-competitive and highly rewarding way!  You will be evaluated by multiple Puppet Productions staff members who will offer suggestions, tips, and provide a professional evaluation of your performance.  Sample Evaluation Form.

          Groups of 6 or more will receive a special "thank you" from Puppet Productions in the form of a free puppet. Yup, you heard it right! A FREE puppet to take home with you! Loading a mini-van of puppeteers and driving them across the state (or even across town), finding breakfast and lunch (or making it yourselves), among other things, is a lot of work. A lot. The least we can do is try to make it as valuable to you as possible.  

         So check out the rules, talk it over with your team or ministry buddies, and make plans to attend a more personal, friendly, and inspiring festival. (And don't forget the FREE PUPPET!) Did we mention that we give away free door prizes too? Yeah! That means you can take first rate classes, watch a professional show or two, watch your peers perform, get an evaluation of your performance and a free puppet- PLUS have a chance to win one of multiple door-prizes (including puppets) just for showing up!

The Rules:

• Teams or soloists may prepare a live or pre-recorded performance- skit, song, combination skit/song -- you name it!
• One entry per group.  (Groups may be asked to have two presentations ready, if time allows.)  
• ALL ENTRIES MUST BE MADE AT THE TIME OF EVENT REGISTRATION AND ARE FIRST COME-FIRST SERVED. (We have time for plenty, but there is a limit to how many groups can perform.)
• Performance must not exceed 5 minutes.  Exceeding 5 minutes will be considered intentional and will impact the evaluation. A 15 second grace period will be allowed, but power will be cut off at exactly 5 minutes and 15 seconds after beginning.
• You will have 4 minutes for setup.  You will have one minute to tear down.  You are encouraged to do this as quietly and quickly as possible.

The Setup:

• A CD player, and 4 headset microphones and amplification will be furnished.  A 4 outlet power strip will be available.
• All props and scenery must be freestanding.  Cloth scenery may drape over the stage.  If you desire to lay something on the stage, that is acceptable, but set up time is strictly enforced.  (You will not have time to test your set up before performances.)
• No pyrotechnics or confetti of any sort is allowed. Sorry, we know they're great fun but they do make quite a mess. Leaving anything on the floor will be considered deliberate and affect evaluation.
• Stage dimensions are as described here.
• A large black light set-up will be furnished.

The Evaluation:

• We will evaluate your team using standardized "rules" (i.e., using good lip sync, posture, eye contact, mouth action and entrances and exits), as well as opinions (content value, entertainment value, appearance, grooming, costumes, show concept, choreography design and performance, memorable themes, etc.) and other brief comments. Click here for a sample of the Evaluation Form.
• Understand that the conduct and attitude (on and off stage) of your team is also part of the evaluation.  This is to be a positive, non-competitive event.  Expect beginning and experienced teams to be part of the evaluation period, be ready also as an audience to encourage them all!
• Expect the evaluation to be honest.  Our goal is to be positive, and that includes positively prodding each team (each member and each director) to pay attention to details as well as the big picture.

The Fine Print:

• You must pay a $15 evaluation fee at the time of registration in order to participate in the evaluation portion of the festival.
• Remember, only groups of 6 or more registered attendees can qualify for the free puppet.