Puppet Regime

For a native Nebraskan, studying at the International Institute of Puppetry in France must have been quite a culture shock. But Paul Mesner survived. After completing his degree in puppetry, Mesner moved to Kansas City to found Paul Mesner Puppets Inc., an updated edition of the Puppet Theater Museum he had started a few years before. The group has become a fixture on the local theater scene, collaborating on productions with the Kansas City Symphony and the Kansas City Ballet and logging more than 30,000 miles of travel a year hopping around the country for shows.Paul Mesner Puppets continues its 20th season with the Italian folk tale Strega Nona (which translates grandmother witch), about a boy who must save his village from some out-of-control pasta. Performances run through November 11 at the Unity Temple on the Plaza, Charles Fillmore Chapel (707 West 47th Street). Weekday shows start at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m.; weekend shows are at 2 p.m. Tickets cost $7 for children and $8.50 for adults. For information, call 816-235-6222.
Wednesdays-Fridays, 10 a.m. & 1 p.m.; Saturdays, Sundays, 2 p.m.; Wednesdays-Fridays, 10 a.m. & 1 p.m. Starts: Oct. 24. Continues through Nov. 11, 2007