Puppeteer Paul Mesner has Rapunzel on a string. 

But this Rapunzel gets her prince by taking the 

witch’s scooter—an inverted hair dryer that has 

curlers for handle bars. 

“I like to create zany, quirky versions of familiar 

stories,” says Paul. For inspiration, he turns to classic 

fairytales and fables and then adds the unexpected. “It’s 

quite engaging for kids to hear old stories told in a new 

way,” he says. 

Paul, like many in his trade, writes his own scripts 

and creates his own puppets. He primarily creates shadow 

puppets and rod puppets. A shadow puppet is a figure, 

sometimes cut out of cardboard, wood, or leather, that 

casts a shadow onto a screen. The audience watches the 

shadow of each puppet, rather than watching the figure 

itself. A rod puppet has a stick attached to its head and 

hands, along with strings that let the puppeteer move its 

arms, legs, and mouth.

“There are scads of puppets,” says Paul. “Whenever 

you manipulate an object to bring it to life, that’s puppetry.” 

Paul and his puppets—a cast that includes Rapunzel, 

The Big Bad Wolf, and others—perform for kids and 

adults at schools, libraries, theaters, museums, and other 

venues in Kansas City, Missouri, and throughout the 

country. Paul also occasionally collaborates with other 

artists, as he did with the Civic Opera Theater of Kansas 

City for a recent performance of the opera “The Mikado.” 

When performing, Paul is hidden from his audience. 

He sits on a short scooter underneath a 4-foot platform, 

and a screen blocks him from the audience’s view. Holding his hands over his head, Paul moves and controls the 

puppets, which rest atop the platform. 

A typical show lasts about 45 to 50 minutes, so Paul 

needs patience, stamina, and good eye-hand coordination. Strength is also important because he must load and 

unload all of his equipment—which includes a sound 

system, scenery, and other props—for performances. 

Although physical agility may be important for puppeteers, a need for attention is not. “Many puppeteers are 

shy,” says Paul. Speaking through puppets and behind a 

curtain or screen allows people who are more reserved to 

share their talents.

Among the many talents puppeteers share is their 

sense of humor. Paul uses all types of humor to keep his 

audience entertained. “I love to hear an audience laugh,” 

he says. “It’s very satisfying to hear a group of 350 kids 

roaring, and it’s often at the simplest things.” After a 

performance, Paul explains to the audience how he does 

what he does, and then he answers questions. 

Puppetry, says Paul, is an art form with a lot of 

potential. “Therapists, educators, librarians, and all of 

the theater arts use puppets,” he says. Puppets are used 

in television and movies, from the Muppets on “Sesame 

Street” to the aliens in “Men in Black.” Often, people 

don’t even realize that they are seeing puppeteering, but it 

is gaining recognition. “It’s definitely a movement that’s 

achieving new growth,” Paul says of his craft. 

Hollywood, theme parks, and puppetry centers all offer employment opportunities, although many puppeteers 

work for themselves. Some puppeteers work part-time; 

others make puppeteering a full-time career. Paul often 

works more than 50 hours a week, in part because he 

travels all over the country to put on shows. 

Puppeteers learn their skills in a number of ways. 

Some attend formal puppetry programs at colleges and 

universities, including the University of Connecticut and 

West Virginia University. Others take courses at local 

theaters; still others work with an experienced puppeteer 

to learn the trade.

Paul has done a little of each. He began by taking 

a class at a local theater, then moved on to work as a 

puppeteer’s apprentice. Later, after performing for several 

years, he attended a formal puppetry program abroad. 

by Elka Jones

Elka Jones is a contributing editor to the OOQ, (202) 691-5719.

34 Occupational Outlook Quarterly • Summer 2006

P

er P e te

P u

You’re a what?
 Preparation alone doesn’t lead to success, however, especially in the beginning. 

“Starting out is tough,” says Paul. “Word 

of mouth is always the best friend of any 

artist.” To promote his work, Paul performs 

at festivals, creates brochures, and makes 

“cold calls,” visiting or telephoning potential customers to generate new business. 

Puppeteers need good communication skills 

to set up these performances and to talk 

with an audience. 

Organizational skills are also important 

because whether puppeteers get paid depends on their diligence in billing customers and keeping track of schedules. Paul 

has an assistant to help with these tasks, but 

many puppeteers manage every aspect of 

the business themselves. That might not be 

a problem for most puppeteers. “You have 

to control so many elements of the art,” 

Paul says, “that often, out of necessity, you 

become a bit of a control freak.”

Like many careers, success in puppetry 

also requires passion and dedication. “You 

must love it to excel at it,” says Paul of puppeteering. Although most people don’t enter 

puppetry to get rich, he says, puppeteers 

can make a decent living. The U.S. Bureau 

of Labor Statistics does not collect data on 

puppeteers. Paul estimates that experienced 

puppeteers who put in the hours can make 

at least $40,000 a year. 

But when measuring his wealth, Paul 

factors in more than earnings. 

“I think I’m rich in many ways,” he says. 

“I work long hours, but I love my work. 

It’s very joyful.”

Fast-paced and filled with humor, Paul Mesner’s performances 

delight children—and adults—throughout the country.

Puppeteer Paul Mesner readies Rapunzel for another performance.

Photo courtesy of Paul Mesner

Summer 2006 • Occupational Outlook Quarterly 35