A group of freshmen and sophomores in Ohio State Marion’s education 5101 teaching and learning with drama course, benefitted from a recent demonstration of puppeteering from professional puppeteer and actor Joe Kovacs. Kovacs, who has a lifelong career in puppeteering and is most famous for his work with the Jim Henson Company presented dozens of hand puppets, marionettes, and shadow puppets during a recent class session.
Kovacs, who’s lifelong career in acting and puppeteering includes playing Bear for Disney’s Bear and the Big Blue House Live and revitalizing the famous Madame puppet for VH-1’s I Love the 70’s imparted to students the many benefits of puppeteering in the classroom, including the development of social skills, fostering creativity, capturing the attention of a classroom, developing language skills and confidence in reading and speaking to name a few. Additionally, students learned that puppets can be utilized in a broad range of subjects, from nutrition, music, reading, mathematics, language, science and many more.
The course is taught by education field supervisors and lecturers, Patricia Muir and Sally Burson who have taught the class together for the past seven years. According to Muir they incorporate puppets in the class each year. Education alumna Erin Rollins, who was recently part of the course, connected the famed actor/puppeteer with the class.
“The reason I am here,” Kovacs explained, “is Erin Rollins.” Rollins’ mother Kathy Rollins also an Ohio State alum is very dear friend of Kovacs, he shared, having both attended junior high and high school together at the Cincinnati School for Creative and Performing Arts.
“This year was the best,” Muir shared. “During Covid when Erin Rollins was a student in the class, she asked Kovacs to Zoom in, and that is how we met and connected,” said Muir.
"Sally and I love facilitating the puppet unit with the students,” Muir added.
