Puppets are more than child's play

Jessica Warren
Published: Sunday, September 26, 2004

With a new school year comes milestones for each returning or first-time student. For seniors it marks one last year of sleeping in and partying before the “real world” of full-time jobs. And while parents would like to believe that their graduating child has a larger plan for life, most students are dreading the idea of getting a job where they sit in an office from nine to five inputting mindless numbers into Excel spreadsheets.

Paul McGinnis knows exactly how that feels. After graduating from UCLA in 1996 with a degree in history, McGinnis decided to forgo the cubicle and tie and pursue his passion of puppeteering when it came to getting his first job.

“I remember graduating and going straight to work for the Bob Baker Marionette Theatre for about $4.50 an hour,” recalled McGinnis. “My parents almost had a conniption fit. I had just gotten my degree and here I was working half a day at the theatre. I was extremely happy, they – not so much.”

Since that job, McGinnis has moved on to more lucrative puppeteering positions, including being a regular on Sesame Street and as one of two main puppeteers controlling the infamous man-eating plant Audrey II for the production of “Little Shop of Horrors” currently playing at the Ahmanson Theatre in downtown Los Angeles.

In “Horrors,” McGinnis gets a daily dose of fantasy by essentially being able to play with puppets every day. Backstage is reminiscent of what Jim Henson’s studio must look like with Audrey II’s roots, leaves and buds flowing out of various containers.

This love for puppets started early for McGinnis, who became “obsessive” over “The Muppet Show.” He was so into it that it became the only form of effective punishment from his parents.

“I remember clearly once I had done something wrong and my dad said that I couldn’t watch ‘The Muppet Show’ so I went to my room and bawled,” said McGinnis. “To make it even worse, he turned on the show in the living room and laughed really loudly.”

As one of the puppeteers controlling Audrey II, McGinnis works with three main puppets of the monster, all varying in size. Effectively handling the largest version of Audrey II is no simple feat since it weights over 10,000 pounds and at the end of the show, it careens over the audience.

Not surprisingly, there are elements of risk involved with such massive and intricately controlled puppets. In the medium-sized Audrey II, McGinnis had to lie inside the large puppet like a cast member at Disneyland and once almost passed out from breathing his own carbon dioxide. This form of puppeteering can also require a lot of coordination and physical strength.

“A lot of puppetry is actually just being comfortable with getting in each other’s way,” said McGinnis. “Or at least being comfortable with knowing exactly how to get out of each other’s how to get out of each other’s way.”

Getting ready for the show, McGinnis can now relax about his future. He has reconciled his love for puppets with his need to earn a living, and even managed to make his parents proud.

“I think they wanted me to be happy and pursue what I wanted to do, but at the same time as parents they were concerned and wanted me to have a stable income,” said McGinnis. “Now they’re a little more at ease.”