Connie Manson, MSEd, BFA: founder & artistic director
"The world is full of magic things, patiently waiting for our senses to grow sharper." -Yeats
Throughout childhood I loved performing! It was to me a vehicle to connect with others in a joyful, meaningful way. A lifelong involvement and study in music and theatre arts has brought to me much delight, as a professional singer, musician, and puppeteer.
So how did the puppets come to be? Not long after completing a theatre arts degree, I was asked by a fellow graduate to help perform puppet stories for school children. We knelt in a large black box, holding the puppets above our heads, so never had the opportunity to see the children's faces, but I was struck by how silent they were throughout the entire show. Later after beginning the journey as an early childhood teacher, whenever a puppet troupe traveled to our school, it was unforgettable to see how deeply the children connected with the puppets!
The journey continued during a rich immersion in Waldorf teacher training, where I discovered a treasure trove of delightful stories, stories that engage the imagination and bring nature and story characters to life in a magical way; and a puppet storytelling style that allows the audience to accompany the story with an approach that delights the head, heart, and hands. Starlite Puppets & Music was born, and thus began the journey of sharing music and puppetry worldwide.
We love watching members of a community join together and open to the magic within a song, and/or a story told with puppets.
The experience invites the audience members to slow down, and create within themselves a place for something new and wonder-filled to happen, and to enter into the simplicity and beauty with the imagination. Each performance is fresh, and designed to connect with the particular audience.
All puppets are hand sculpted using natural fibers. Teaching others how to create their own puppet is such a joy, and I continue to delight in the wonder of helping others take their creations and learn how to make them come to life with meaningful gesture.
Peter Chin, my husband, has an extraordinary ability to know just when the story needs a sound effect to complement the magic! I am honored to share this work with him; a talented musician and retired Waldorf teacher beloved by so many parents and children. Peter Chin has been a teacher working in elementary and secondary education for over thirty years. He began his career as a Waldorf class teacher in Colorado and continued serving as a class teacher in California and most recently Florida. He has a background in the dramatic arts and enjoys providing musical and theatrical support for Starlite Puppets & Music productions.
Peter Chin, my husband, has an extraordinary ability to know just when the story needs a sound effect to complement the magic! I am honored to share this work with him; a talented musician and retired Waldorf teacher beloved by so many parents and children. Peter Chin has been a teacher working in elementary and secondary education for over thirty years. He began his career as a Waldorf class teacher in Colorado and continued serving as a class teacher in California and most recently Florida. He has a background in the dramatic arts and enjoys providing musical and theatrical support for Starlite Puppets & Music productions.
Starlite Puppets has been featured in the Herald-Tribune, Pelican Press, Natural Awakenings, Positive Change and on Youtube with The Observer Media Group. Connie is a member of the World Association of Puppetry and Storytelling Arts. You'll find a number of puppet offerings and music on her Youtube Channel.