Poet Randall Jarrell
wrote, "One of the most obvious facts about grownups, to a child, is that
they have forgotten what it is like to be a child."
That was never a problem
for Lewis Mahlmann,
the Master Puppeteer at Children's Fairyland from 1967 until his retirement in
2006.
"When I'm around
children I find them very dear, and I feel so responsible for what's happening
to them." he once told me. "They're like my own children."
Lewis passed away in his
sleep last week at age 86. It was a gentle death for a gentle man.
Fairyland's executive
director, C.J. Hirschfield, said, "Lewis reminds me of MisterRogers -
wanting a world for our kids that's sweet and civil. And, in Lewis' case,
filled with art."
The comparison is apt. Like
MisterRogers, Lewis was a moralist.
"I do puppet shows to
entertain, but not just to entertain," he said. "I want to show the
children that there are wonderful stories out there that they can read, and I
also want to teach them the right way to live."
For
instance, in his version of "Pinocchio," Pinocchio doesn't get to be
a real boy until he learns to be kind to others.
The Blue
Fairy says to him, "If I give you a wish, would you rather be a real
boy?"
He
replies, "I'd rather my father get well."
And at
the end of the play, when Pinocchio doesn't recognize his friend the cricket
anymore after turning into a boy, the cricket turns to the audience and says,
"Maybe there's somebody else out there who needs me."
That's
pretty sophisticated stuff, but Lewis believed children are capable of
understanding a lot more than we give them credit for.
"One
thing I never do is talk down to a child," he said. "That may sound
phony, but it's true. I'll tailor the language to their learning level, but
that's not the same thing."
Lewis loved
puppets since childhood, but he decided to make puppetry a career after meeting
his mentor, Burr Tillstrom, of "Kukla, Fran & Ollie" fame. A
charter member of the Bay Area Puppet Guild and twice president of the
Puppeteers of America, he received a Lifetime Achievement Award just a few
weeks ago from the Oakland Heritage Alliance.
My deepest sympathy to his
partner, David Jones; his protégé and successor as Fairyland's puppet director,
Randal Metz; the entire Fairyland staff (especially the Blue Fairy, Jacqueline
Lynaugh); and the millions of children whom he enchanted over the years, many
of whom later brought their own children and grandchildren to Fairyland so
Lewis could work his magic on them, too.
If you were one of those
children and would like to help honor his memory, the best way is to donate to
his beloved puppet theater. Send a tax-deductible check to Children's
Fairyland, 699 Bellevue Avenue, Oakland 94610, and write Lewis's name on the
memo line.
The last word belongs to his
fellow puppeteer, Jean Mattson:
The hand puppet bodies
lie empty.
The marionettes droop on
their strings.
The silhouettes cast no
bright shadows
And set pieces stay in
the wings.
For the spirits that move
them have left,
As they do at the end of
the show,
But the joy that they
shared we'll remember
As we whisper our final
"Bravo."
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