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6 Fun Activities to Keep Your Child Organized

Punit September 13, 2018 No Comments

Organizational skills are important to inculcate in a young child, as they not only help survive their adult years but also mold their way of thinking. Preaching to a child…

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Belief in the Transformative Power of Creativity with Raina Lawrence Raina Lawrence is proof of the impact we can have on children. Raina refers to her mother and grandmother as master storytellers who fashioned handmade puppets from fabric cardboard and string to transport her to places where tales of history and folklore informed her of her native Bangladesh and its people, igniting the creative spark in her mind and heart. Present day finds Ms. Lawrence herself to be a world travelling master storyteller through puppetry. She’s expanded that scope of creativity to immerse herself in the theatre, often as the chosen stage manager for many celebrated playwrights and directors. Increasingly, we find ourselves redefining the previous held borders concerning what is entertainment. In this new reality, it’s always talent which drives the medium and acquires an audience. Raina Lawrence is someone who defines her own style and approach as a creative professional. To gain a better understanding of how she views her work, the industry, and being an artist in 2025, we asked Raina Lawrence to answer a few questions about her past and her future. What follows is an intriguing exploration of a profoundly unique perspective. Like music, I think you must experience puppetry in a live setting to really appreciate how powerful it is. It feels like we live in a world where screens are the vehicle for the vast majority of entertainment consumption. Conversely, puppetry is so organic. Do you feel that puppetry is an artform that will evolve as other mediums have? Puppetry has not reached its final form—far from it. With continuous technological advancements, new materials, and creative collaborations, the medium is evolving in ways that were once unimaginable. This transformation ensures that puppetry remains a relevant, powerful, and adaptable art form, capable of captivating audiences for generations to come. Puppetry, an art form with deep historical roots, continues to evolve in dynamic and unexpected ways. While traditional hand, rod, and marionette puppetry remain vital, modern advancements are pushing the boundaries of what puppetry can achieve. Far from being a relic of the past, puppetry is experiencing a renaissance, merging classic techniques with cutting-edge innovations in technology, material science, and interdisciplinary collaboration. Modern puppetry is venturing into projection mapping and digital augmentation, robotics, and even A.I. to take the possibilities into new areas. All of this is very intriguing but isn’t one of the greatest strengths of puppetry the fact that it is so very human? Growing up, I was immersed in storytelling traditions where puppets played a central role in narrating Bengali folktales, poetry, and family histories. My mother and grandmother, both gifted storytellers, used handcrafted puppets to bring stories to life, engaging not only with words but through gesture, movement, and symbolism. These experiences ingrained in me an appreciation for puppetry as a living, breathing art form, capable of forging deep emotional connections with its audience. The decision to embrace puppetry as my primary storytelling medium—rather than relying on modern, technology-based methods like CGI or digital effects—is deeply personal and artistic. While digital advancements have transformed visual storytelling, puppetry offers something irreplaceable: a tangible, human connection that resonates on a profoundly emotional level. Puppetry is an analogue experience, a shared, physical presence between the performer and the audience. It thrives on the tactile, the handmade, the imperfect—qualities that create an undeniable warmth and intimacy. Unlike digital animation, where the magic is hidden behind a screen, puppetry invites audiences to witness the artistry firsthand. The physical manipulation of a puppet—a performer breathing life into an inanimate object—is a powerful act of imagination and craftsmanship that cannot be replicated by technology. In a world where technology is constantly advancing, puppetry remains timeless. It continues to captivate, evoke wonder, and bring people together in ways that are deeply personal and profoundly human. That is why I choose puppetry—not just as a craft, but as a philosophy of storytelling, a celebration of imperfection, and a commitment to the magic of human connection. That human element, that deeply organic core of puppetry is something that is essential to you? One of the reasons I choose puppetry over digital methods is its unique relationship with the audience. A puppet, by its very nature, is not human—yet it is animated by human touch, movement, and intention. This paradox is what makes puppetry so captivating. The audience knows the puppet is an object, yet they emotionally invest in it as if it were alive. They willingly suspend disbelief, not because they are being tricked by hyper-realistic visuals, but because they are invited into a world where imagination leads the way. This sense of visible performance—where audiences can see the puppeteer’s hands, the strings, and the mechanics of movement—creates a collaborative experience between the artist and the viewer. Unlike CGI, where digital effects work to erase imperfections, puppetry embraces them. The slight stutter of movement, the organic shifts in expression—these details make puppets feel alive, vulnerable, and deeply human. There’s something very universal about puppet theatre yet each culture has its own style. Do you find those differences to be a strength or a challenge for someone like yourself who has performed and even studied in different parts of the world? Beyond its emotional impact, puppetry carries a rich cultural legacy that I feel deeply connected to. Across the world, from Indonesian wayang kulit shadow puppetry to Japanese bunraku, from Eastern European marionettes to Bengali folk puppets, this art form has endured for centuries. It is a testament to its universal power—a storytelling method that transcends cultural and linguistic barriers. My work seeks to honor these traditions while reimagining them for contemporary audiences. Through puppetry, I can blend heritage with modern themes, using the old to tell new stories, and the handmade to challenge digital perfection. This ability to bridge the past and present is something I cherish and actively incorporate into my artistic practice. Let’s talk about an aspect of puppetry that has long been an aspect, its ability to steer towards positive social change. Beyond entertainment, puppetry is increasingly being used as a medium for advocacy, education, and social impact. That’s absolutely true. There is something about puppetry that allows it to touch people of all ages and cultures. This extends to even social-financial differences. For some reason, all people seem to connect with puppets. Puppets have become powerful storytelling tools in addressing global issues such as climate change, social justice, and mental health. Their accessibility and emotional impact make complex topics more relatable and digestible for audiences of all ages. It’s also important to point out that puppets are able to use this connection to help those who are dealing with different challenges. Puppetry is being used in therapy, particularly in working with children on the autism spectrum or individuals dealing with trauma. It allows for non-verbal expression, providing a safe space for emotional exploration. There’s a component of cross-cultural connection as well. As global storytelling traditions blend, puppetry is serving as a bridge between historical heritage and contemporary narratives, ensuring that traditional forms continue to evolve while maintaining their cultural significance. You’ve taken on the role of stage manager for a number of productions. For those of us on the outside, it might seem like this is a step back from what you love in regard to performing but, is that accurate? What is it about stage management that entices you? At its core, stage management is about ensuring that every moving piece of a production functions in perfect harmony. A puppeteer-turned-stage-manager understands not only the logistics of running a show but also the specific intricacies of puppetry—including the handling, maintenance, and choreography of puppets alongside human performers. During my experience as a production intern at Rattlestick Theatre on Spiritus/Virgil’s Dance and as a production assistant with NAATCO, I witnessed firsthand how crucial precise scheduling, clear cueing, and meticulous coordination are for a seamless production. Puppetry introduces additional layers of complexity, from ensuring puppets are in the right place at the right time to facilitating transitions that uphold the illusion of life. A stage manager with puppetry experience is uniquely equipped to anticipate these needs, ensuring that both human performers and their puppet counterparts move fluidly within the performance. A stage manager who is also a puppeteer brings a rare and invaluable combination of technical expertise, artistic sensitivity, and logistical precision to a production. Much like the delicate balance required to breathe life into a puppet, this dual role demands an intricate blend of organization, adaptability, and creative intuition. While not every puppeteer is suited to stage management, and not every stage manager possesses the artistry of a puppeteer, those who can merge these disciplines embody a unique and essential force within the theatre. -Your work as a stage manager in live theatre has allowed you to work on the amplification of not merely artistic voices but those who are diverse. Your skill and your drive have made you the chosen collaborator of many such as actress Patrice Johnson Chevannes (of Primetime Emmy Award Nominated Series The Guardian, The Good Fight, and Primetime Emmy Award Winner The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel) who was a curator of the Judith Champion MixFest: Caribbean Mixfest. You’re admired by the public and the professional community, even to the point of receiving the Harry Belafonte Arts and Leadership Award (2024) among your many accolades. From your perspective, what have been the most meaningful artistic situations for you? I think that question is too difficult to answer and communicate the depth of what I feel properly. My time with Hit the Lights, the Skeleton Rep, and others have all impacted me and helped my growth. Ultimately, these experiences have been defining moments in my career not only because they showcased my technical and creative abilities but also because they allowed me to forge deeper connections with both the work and the people I collaborated with. There is a unique sense of fulfillment that comes from contributing to productions that engage, move, and inspire audiences. This sense of purpose and the joy of creative collaboration are central reasons why these experiences remain among my most cherished professional milestones. What does the future look like for Raina Lawrence in an idyllic setting? Where will you be and what will you be doing? My future professional aspirations in puppetry and stage management are fueled by a deep desire to push the boundaries of both art forms, blending innovation with emotional authenticity. I am particularly drawn to the world of immersive theater, where I envision myself expanding my career in ways that draw audiences closer to the magic of live performance through dynamic, multidisciplinary storytelling. I am especially passionate about combining traditional puppetry techniques with cutting-edge technologies, such as augmented puppetry and projection mapping, to create interactive, transformative experiences that engage audiences on a visceral level. I believe these technologies offer endless possibilities for enhancing the emotional depth and immersion that puppetry brings to a production while still preserving its essence as a tool for storytelling. Looking ahead, my ambition is to work on projects that challenge and inspire both myself and the audiences I engage with. I am eager to create immersive, multidisciplinary productions that weave together puppetry, music, dance, and multimedia, crafting narratives that provoke thought, stir the imagination, and foster genuine human connection. I hope to continue pushing the boundaries of what puppetry can achieve in theater, experimenting with form and content to offer fresh, unexpected ways of telling stories. My overarching goal is to contribute to the future of puppetry, not only as an art form but also as a vehicle for social change, using it to engage in meaningful dialogue on contemporary issues and inspire reflection within audiences. As for where I would like to pursue these aspirations, New York City has always been my ideal location. The city’s rich and ever-evolving arts scene, its diverse creative community, and the wealth of collaboration opportunities it offers make it the perfect place for me to realize my goals. I’m drawn to New York because of its constant push for artistic growth and its vibrant exchange of ideas. The city's arts scene is perpetually evolving, and this dynamic environment fuels my desire to learn, grow, and continuously improve. Whether through collaborations, workshops, or simply being inspired by the breadth of work being created, New York offers an atmosphere where creativity is nurtured and innovation is celebrated. For me, the idea of becoming a central figure in the New York puppetry and theater communities—someone who bridges the worlds of stage management and puppetry in innovative ways—is an exciting next step in my career.
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