The cast of Water for Elephants. Photo by Matthew Murphy for MurphyMade

By Julia Schemmer, Founder of Puppetry on Broadway

Feeling inspired by the incredible puppetry in Water for Elephants, and want to get started on your own puppetry journey? Thankfully, you don’t need to join the Benzini Brothers Circus to get started. There are so many incredible opportunities to learn, build, and play with puppets in your own backyard. Check out some of the incredible puppet resources in the Denver area.

Join the Rocky Mountain Puppet Guild

Puppet guilds are organized through Puppeteers of America and bring together puppeteers, hobbyists, and puppet enthusiasts from throughout the greater Denver region. This is a fantastic way to meet other puppeteers in the community, develop your skills, and workshop new ideas in a friendly and supportive environment. No prior puppetry experience is necessary, and membership is open to puppeteers of all skill levels and interests. 

Take a course with Front Porch Puppets

Front Porch Puppets is a Denver-based arts organization founded by puppeteers Faron Nuff and Natalie Lien-Bowdish. They offer a wide variety of courses for kids and adults on puppet building and performing. If there’s a specific part of puppetry that you’d like to learn, they also have a custom workshop option available, where the material is catered specifically to your artistic interests.

Helen Krushinski. Photos by Matthew Murphy for MurphyMade

See what you can make with what you have!

One of the most special parts about puppetry is that with the right amount of creativity and imagination, anything can be a puppet! Take a look around and see if there is anything that sparks curiosity. Could a cardboard box be transformed into a fun creature? What about leftover wrapping paper from the holidays? 

Challenge yourself to take 20 minutes to grab whatever you have in front of you and play! Pay attention to how it feels to hold it, and try to discover fun ways to add character and personality to it. Let your imagination run free with all of the possibilities, and remember to have fun! 

Visit a Puppetry Festival

Each Guild has a regional chapter, which hosts puppetry festivals every two years. Festivals are incredible ways to see puppet shows, participate in puppet slams, and meet new friends and future collaborators. Jim Henson and Frank Oz met at a National Puppetry Festival and began their legendary collaboration there! 

The Great Plains regional chapter represents puppeteers from Colorado, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Saskatchewan-Manitoba (Canada), and South Dakota. Their most recent festival was in 2025, so stay tuned for their next event! 

Stay tuned with Puppetry on Broadway

If you’re interested in theatrical puppetry, continue to stay engaged with Puppetry on Broadway! Although we’re a NYC-based organization, we host puppet talkbacks, panels, and live shows throughout the country. Following our page is the best way to hear about future events!