Kansas City's Unsung Heroes

Kansas City is fortunate to be home to some of the best storytellers, children’s authors and puppeteers in the nation. These are some of Kansas City’s unsung heroes: adults who love what they do and love taking children on an imaginative journey to create memories and learn lessons that last a lifetime.

Priscilla Howe: Storyteller

     It all began with the simple tale, The Crooked Little Finger, and a storyteller, with two crooked fingers, was born.

     In 1988, Priscilla Howe, then employed as a librarian in Connecticut, was asked to assist with a school storytelling program. Priscilla chose to tell the story of the crooked finger because it was relatable to her personally.

From day one, she fell in love with the art of storytelling, but most of all with the audience of children who were captivated by her presentation.

     In 1993, Priscilla moved to Lawrence, KS, and quickly became one of Kansas City’s best loved storytellers. 

     Since that time, Priscilla has traveled the world telling stories, most notably with a biannual trip to Belgium. She performs 200+ shows a year with more than 150 stories memorized.

Priscilla’s stories are full of wit, style and whimsy. She is a talented and captivating storyteller, but it must be noted that she rarely performs alone. One of her most beloved costars is Trixie, a 111-year-old, and her “little sister” Roxie who is only 103. Trixie and Roxie, Priscilla’s sidekick puppets, delight audiences with their witty repertoire, but they are often upstaged by the comedic performances of Baby, a delightful puppet who has children laughing out loud with a binky routine and the song of the “Itsy Bitsy Tiger.” 

     Priscilla may be seen live around Kansas City telling unforgettable tales to children. See http://www.PriscillaHowe.com/ for her schedule. You may also order CDs and DVDs of her favorite stories online. My daughters especially recommend “Chickens!”, a favorite we enjoyed on car trips this winter.

Ann Ingalls: Author

     It is the story of a young girl growing up in poverty. Her parents battled addiction, she was bullied and she grew up an African American girl in a difficult time in America’s history. Yet, despite it all, Mary Lou Williams let her music be her light. She mastered jazz, playing, performing and composing through every American jazz era as one of the most prolific musicians of all time, having arranged 350 individual pieces of music. Hers was a story begging to be told, a story that captivated the imagination of our next unsung hero, Ann Ingalls.

If you’re a fan of Highlights and Highlights High Five you may already be familiar with author and poet Ann Ingalls of Kansas City. Ann is a frequent writer of short stories, mini-books and action rhymes for magazines, and in January 2010, she published her first children’s book, The Little Piano Girl, co-authored with her sister Maryann Macdonald. 

     Ann is a lifelong fan of jazz, especially the ‘20s, ‘30s and ‘40s, so the vibrant story of The Little Piano Girl especially appealed to her. The story is full of music, life and sound, and it quickly inspires young audiences to appreciate music and most of all to persevere no matter what. 

     Ann, a former school teacher in North Kansas City, has always enjoyed children and children’s stories. Every year, she would take her students to see Paul Mesner puppet shows and she encouraged a love of literature in her classroom. After early retirement, Ann started writing, first for publications and magazines, and now as a published children’s author with more books coming soon. See http://AnnIngallsWrites.com for upcoming events and new books.

Paul Mesner: Puppeteer

     For more than 24 years, Kansas City kids have been enjoying the delightfully funny, creative and sometimes compelling Paul Mesner puppet shows. Parents, having grown up with Paul Mesner Puppets, now bring their children to the shows! 

     So, what is it that makes Paul Mesner shows so special? We believe it is the passion of Paul himself. 

     It all began when Paul was 12 years old. His parents were seeking a constructive outlet for the creative energies of an active young boy. They enrolled Paul in a puppeteering class at a theater in Nebraska. Immediately puppetry “fit like a glove” and has been his passion ever since.     

     Paul Mesner is best known for his work with rod puppets, but he also uses string puppets, large full body puppets up to 9 feet tall, hand puppets, shadow puppets and mouth puppets. Many of the shows are written by Paul, while others are contemporary children’s literature or folk tales. The company performs more than 400 shows annually across America. Fortunately for us, Kansas City is the company’s home and we’re able to enjoy a full season of productions, with The Nativity being an annual favorite. 

     Paul Mesner puppet shows feature custom props, sets and puppets, all hand-crafted by the company. Each puppet and story become a part of the magic, but Paul admits that his favorite character is Georgette, a hand and rod puppet. She’s a beautiful princess (not physically beautiful, but beautiful on the inside, where it matters most), and she debuted in St. George and the Dragon, where she was immensely popular and has made additional appearances in many princess stories. 

Over the years, Paul has been moved by many letters and stories from the audience, but one in particular is especially close to his heart. A local grandmother once shared with Paul that she took her grandson, who was developmentally challenged and had never spoken, to attend a show. The shows sparked the boys’ imagination, and he slowly began to speak. He wanted to see more shows and eventually make his own puppets, so Paul arranged season tickets for his family to ensure he never missed a performance. 

     Shows are designed for an audience from “3 to 93 years old” with stories that make children laugh. It’s Paul’s philosophy that kids love a show that their parents love also, and parents love a show that their kids love… and Kansas City loves Paul Mesner. To learn more about his shows or to purchase DVDs of performances, visit http://www.PaulMesnerPuppets.org.

Kristina Light’s daughters delight in the stories of Kansas City’s puppeteers, storytellers and authors and they are grateful to live in a city so rich in children’s tales.