Randy Ernst (TOON ASYLUM)

Bruno and Darlene Frascone (Mainstring Theatre)

Mainstring Theatre was founded in 1979 by Bruno and Darlene Frascone in the United States (Cincinnati, Ohio) before moving to France . The troupe has a solid reputation in marionette circles, with tours in Switzerland, Germany, Italy, the United States and extensive touring in France. They have been based in Angers, France since 1986 (situated in the Loire valley near the Atlantic coast). Mainstring Theatre presents family programs using string puppets, with very little or no words in their shows. The troupe also offers a travelling exhibit of their marionettes with stage sets and automata. In a effort to share their craftsmanship, Bruno and Darlene Frascone organize hands-on workshops in schools or on an individual basis, using a marionette "kit" that they invented. They have recently written and edited an manual that describes their technique ("The Art and Technique of Marionette Making").

Martin and Olga Stevens

Aretta Baumgartner

Aretta Baumgartner (B.A., M.A.; Performer, Director and Educator)

has been a professional performing artist for 15 years and is proud to have worked with everyone from the Muppets to the State Puppet Theatre of Stara Zagora, Bulgaria to Cincinnati-based group Madcap Puppets! Aretta has free-lanced as a mask, movement and puppetry specialist all over the country. She is the Great Lakes Regional Director of the Puppeteers of America, Inc. and has received numerous awards (including the Applause Applause Award from the Puppeteers of America and the Cincinnati Entertainment Award for Best Supporting Actress)

Aretta Baumgartner as Golum

The Festivals

Sally Sellers Hayes

The Puppeteers of America

Robin Hartman

James Norman

Irina Niculescu

Rachel Cook

Linda Mason

Madcap Puppets

Jimmy Roland

BeeDub Puppets Brian Wilson

Joe Kovacs Puppets

Gus and Carolyn Schmidt

Mark Fox

Vent Haven Museum

The Frisch Marionette Company

The Frisch Marionettes "The Illusion of Life" was created in 2004 and designed specifically for our theater space in Pleasant Ridge, Ohio. The main character is Dr. Coppelius who arrives home on Halloween to find his abode bewitched!
We played heavily with the shifting perceptions one might experience in a dream. Scarves flying outside the window are Spirits dancing. Coppelius discovers one of these scarves that has landed on the sill. Perplexed by how it got there he wipes his brow and puts it into a drawer after all it is a scarf. When the Doctor leaves the room the scarf opens the drawer and escapes the little prison. it is a spirit, a scarf or enchanted scarf all at the same time. Taking the idea a step further, Dr. Coppelius who is a doll maker by trade places a head on his little friend and presto the scarf becomes the character Peek-a-Boo the Ghost

Frisch Marionettes FACEBOOK FANPAGE!

The Village Puppet Theater

The McElroy Bros.

Jerry Handorf

Tony Sarg

Wayne Martin

Wayne Martin Biography

Wayne Martin began his interest in puppetry as a hobby at the tender age of three and a half. By age eight, he had formed his own company, The Wayne Martin Puppets and turned full-time professional.

At the top of his profession for nearly forty years now, Wayne’s credits include guest appearances with Symphony Orchestras and work as principal manipulator for industry greats, the Heiken Puppets, Sid and Marty Krofft Productions and Jim Henson’s Muppets, among others.

Martin has been featured in numerous award winning television programs and commercials. These include critically acclaimed educational and training films and his very own television series and specials that have earned him two Emmy Award nominations.

Wayne Martin’s first love remains live performance. He has toured Canada, Europe and Australia and presents his one-man variety revue hundreds of times each year across the United States. His unique style of showmanship has been instrumental in broadening the appeal of the puppet show in this country and it's acceptance as true theatre art enjoyed by adults and children alike. Having designed and built over two thousand puppets to date, Martin's act has appeared with such established artists as Bob Hope, Dolly Parton, The 5th Dimension and The Temptations.


All contents Copyright © Wayne Martin d/b/a The Wayne Martin Puppets™

Larry Smith