It’s Ooey, Gooye at WTA’s Gateway with the Barefoot Puppets

Barefoot Puppet returns to WTA’s Gateway with its newest production, Ooey Gooye Poetry.  Sometimes characters end up in sticky situations… Heidi and Sam Rugg, of Barefoot Puppet Theatre, breathe new life into a host of characters unearthed from classical literature with just a dash of Victoriana. You will meet a kaboodle of kittens, a young girl suffering from arachnophobia, a boy with eyes too big for his stomach, and an entertaining circus worm (who meets an unfortunate fate!). Rod puppets (and even a humanette!) will delight families and children ages 3 & up.   On top of that, a unique feature of the Barefoot Puppet performances is an opportunity for the audience to see how the puppets are made and how they work.

“We are able to offer the Barefoot Puppets at a special ticket price because of the sponsorship of G. R. and Hilary Davis,” said Clair Myers, producer of WTA’s Gateway.  “We are looking forward to their newest creation and watching the joy it generates in the audience.”  The Nov. 8 performance is at 4 pm at WTA’s Gateway at 329 West Main in Downtown Waynesboro.

Barefoot Puppet Theatre is a national recognized puppet theatre.  It was founded in 1997 when Heidi Rugg, began building puppet shows in the basement of her home. The first show was designed to fit in the back of a Volkswagen Golf! From those humble beginnings, the company (and the touring vehicle) has grown significantly and now tours nationally to such venues as Boston’s Puppet Showplace Theater, The Center for Puppetry Arts, The National Zoo, The Smithsonian Discovery Theater, and The Wolf Trap Center for the Performing Arts.   In 2008, the Barefoot Puppets made their international debut at the Puppets UpFestival in Ontario, Canada.  Barefoot Puppet Theatre was awarded a UNIMA Citation of Excellence, the highest distinction in North American puppetry.  The new work Ooey Gooye Poetry builds on the success of the company and its exposure to a wide-range of puppet styles.

The engagement of the Barefoot Puppet Theatre is sponsored by G. R. and Hilary Davis and made possible by a touring assistant grant from the Virginia Commission for the Arts, the National Endowment for the Arts and the Community Foundation of the Central Blue Ridge.

Tickets for the performance are $3 for children and $5 for adults.  Tickets may be purchased by calling the box office 540-943-9999. Remaining tickets will be available at WTA’s Gateway at the time of performance.