Today we honor and celebrate the birth of the late Tracey Conner, the Founder and Executive Director of MicheLee Puppets. MicheLee’s mission was to empower lives through the art of puppetry, and they were committed to using art to foster positive social change and explore the critical issues facing today’s youth. In December 2023, Orlando Family Stage was called upon to carry on Tracey’s legacy. We have embraced this mission by integrating the magical art of puppetry into our programming on our stages and in our classrooms. As we reflect on Tracey’s vision for a world enhanced by puppetry, we feel a renewed excitement for the possibilities that lie ahead.

Jamie Donmoyer, former MicheLee employee and professional puppeteer reflects on the meaningful experiences she had while working with Tracey: “During my time at MicheLee Puppets, people often asked “what does ‘empowering lives through the art of puppetry’ mean?” In addition to performing shows and creating videos that taught children tactics for bully prevention, financial literacy, and reading readiness, I developed and implemented curriculum that taught adults and children how to express themselves through puppetry. I’d go from domestic violence shelters like Harbor House, to community centers and after school programs, hospitals, Title 1 schools, among others providing puppetry as a tool to tap into their imaginations.” This ability to connect emotionally through a visual medium, which Tracey referred to as the “stickiness factor,” made her approach to puppetry uniquely impactful. It is fitting that puppetry played a significant role in our recent production of The Lightning Thief.

Photo: Ashleigh Ann Gardner | Puppet Design: Nic Parks

On its surface, The Lightning Thief may seem like just another adventure story, but it resonates deeply with our young audiences. Director of our production, Tara Kromer elaborates, “In The Lightning Thief, we encounter a protagonist who discovers that his greatest struggles with functioning as a kid in the real world – ADHD, dyslexia – are actually some of his greatest strengths in his quest as a demigod. The puppetry used in our production gave us a glimpse into the character’s otherworldly obstacles- depicting larger-than-life foes, mystical allies, and allowing us to follow Percy’s quest to discover his own powerful gifts. The use of puppetry heightened the storytelling in the most epic and magical way- and invited the audience to accompany Percy and his friends on a harrowing journey through the depths of the underworld to save his mom and to understand his mythical heritage.” Themes of inclusion, empathy, bravery, and community are at the heart of the story, and incorporating puppetry into our storytelling added an exciting dimension to this narrative. 

Photo: Ashleigh Ann Gardner | Puppet Design: Nic Parks

Nic Parks, Director of MicheLee Puppets at Orlando Family Stage, shares his thoughts on the power of puppetry: “Puppetry transforms storytelling, breathing life into inanimate characters and adds a unique layer of creativity and emotion to theatrical performances. Percy Jackson’s The Lightning Thief‘s puppets did just that.  The larger than life Minotaur makes you feel small and weak in comparison, the Mummy/Oracle creeps you out and demands attention, all the way down to the mischievous toilet water and its cheeky behavior delivered in only the way a puppet could.” This story’s focus on inclusion and personal growth aligns so well with Tracey’s belief in using puppetry to address important issues and became a perfect story to blend the missions of both organizations.

Photo: McKenzie Lakey | Puppet Design: Nic Parks

Junie’s imagination went wild this fall with puppets bringing her nightmare to life in Junie B. Jones in BOO…and I Mean It. This story that helps young people learn to face their fears is another important message that addresses mental health and self-confidence.

Puppetry has also found its place in our Education Department. Jenn Adams-Carrasquillo, Senior Director of Education at Orlando Family Stage, says that,“Building upon the strength of our Youth Academy Design and Tech curriculum, the addition of puppetry into our classrooms has opened up new ways of engaging with our design focused students.” Through puppet-making, students of a variety of ages gain a hands-on understanding of design principles and learn to consider how materials influence storytelling and character development. Our summer camp Harry Potter themed Escape Room created a large dragon from cardboard that guarded its eggs until their parents found all the clues and unlocked the passage. Our Design and Tech Academy, inspired by the summer production of The SpongeBob Musical, designed and created their own hand-puppet citizens of Bikini Bottom. Our Homeschool Performance Workshop class titled Are you Afraid of the Dark, is currently creating blacklight puppets to add to the spooky vibe of their story. Each of these opportunities open the eyes of our students to new ways of being creative and telling stories.

“I didn’t know black light puppets were a thing, but I think it’s so cool.” – Annabelle

Dragon puppet built during and escape room summer camp.
Orlando Family Stage recently highlighted our in-school puppetry residencies and their power for engaging young learners. MicheLee was deeply involved with classroom residencies on everything from literacy, to health, to anti-bullying, and more. Our current puppetry residencies also focus on real world topics such as exploring Dr. Seuss’s The Lorax and conservation of our environment. Or, exploring The Cat in Hat and discussing how to be responsible and go from ‘unorganized to organized’. The development of many more puppetry residencies with a focus on pre-literacy skills, health and wellness, and STEAM are just waiting in the wings. Orlando Family Stage’s Arts-Based Learning programs are feeling the magic of puppetry. Teachers are expressing that they have never seen their students so engaged with a lesson. Nic Parks shared “One of the goals of these residencies was to allow for real relationships to the characters and stories they read about. Which broadens the students’ understanding, builds problem solving skills, deepens their capacity for empathy, and fosters a healthy imagination.” 

Jamie Donmoyer witnessed firsthand how important this work was to Tracey: “Tracey cared deeply about making sure that kids were informed about life at any age. That they had the tools to be independent, healthy, and successful. She’d glow with pure joy when describing her work with adults with unique abilities, laughing at the jokes students had come up with, showing off the puppets they created. At 22 she discovered puppetry as a vehicle for change and dedicated the rest of her life to partnering with service organizations, schools, and the community to make the biggest impact possible, often on a shoestring budget. She even mentored others looking to start nonprofit organizations. As hard as she tried to “be professional” at all times, she couldn’t help but choke up when relaying stories of impact from her performance days no matter how many times she told them.”

Give in honor of Tracey Conner

With so much happening in puppetry at Orlando Family Stage , it is hard to believe this is only the beginning. Starting Spring Break of 2025, we will launch our first fully puppetry-focused class, Pixar Shorts Live, where students will learn to build and perform puppets from scratch. We are also looking to revive some MicheLee shows and develop new works for touring in the future. These kinds of touring opportunities were part of the heart and soul of MicheLee Puppets programming. Rest assured, there will be no shortage of opportunities to experience puppetry in many future Orlando Family Stage productions and witness our influence spreading across the community. We are inspired by Tracey’s dedication, creativity, and commitment to empowering others and are honored to carry that legacy through Orlando Family Stage’s mission of building bravery and empathy in young people. We are grateful for those who have donated in her honor to keep the legacy alive, and we can only hope that Tracey is looking down on all we are doing with her heartwarming smile of approval. Tracey, you are truly missed.

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