Now you can print and color your very own character from MicheLee Puppets’ “A Good Day for Pancake” bully prevention show!
Click here for printable hand puppet faces
Downloads are available in full color, or black and white, with and without drawn faces!
NON-EQUITY, PAID
MicheLee Puppets, Inc., Florida’s leader in educational puppetry, is casting puppeteers and actors for our 2016-17 Season. We are a touring
company to schools and public venues in Central Florida and throughout Florida. In addition to performing, actors/puppeteers will help load in,
set up and strike for each show. Male and female performers of all races/ethnicities are encouraged to apply. All performers hired will be
required to pass an FBI fingerprint background check.
To apply, please email your headshot and resume to Jamie@67.23.246.118.
Auditions will be by appointment only on July 13 and July 14, 2016. If called to audition please prepare a one-minute comedic monologue. You may be asked to show movement skills and sing for some roles. Be prepared to work with one of our puppets or bring your own puppet. If you are auditioning for Rhyme Time, please prepare a song.
2016-2017 Season:
EXTREME Health Challenge – In the game show tradition, wacky and
entertaining puppet characters face a series of challenges, battles of
wit, and puppetry mayhem. Children laugh and learn about the importance
of good nutrition and active lifestyles. Roles:
Puppeteer must be proficient with hand and rod puppets and good with
multiple male and female character voices.
“Fitastic” is the show host. Requires actor who is physically
fit and can do gymnastic stunts or dance. Should be comfortable with
children as volunteers from the audience are brought on stage to
interact with the puppets and Fitastic.
Rhyme Time and Discover Math and Science – These shows feature toy
theatre size stages, simple paper puppets and shadow puppets, music,
singing, and audience participation for preschool audiences. Our solo
performers must be good singers and very good with small children.
A Good Day for Pancake – This one-man bully prevention show is geared
for K-2nd graders. Puppeteer must be proficient (or able to learn) hand
puppet techniques and must be very good with multiple character voices.
The Upstander League – This bully prevention show is geared for
3rd-5th graders and includes lots of audience participation. Two
actor/puppeteers must be good at physical humor, puppetry and
interaction with children. Some spoken word singing is required.
Questions? Please contact Jamie at 407-898-7925 x 223 or
Jamie@67.23.246.118.
For more information on MicheLee Puppets visit micheleepuppets.org.
Bullying is a sensitive, yet important topic. We want our students to be prepared, but often find ourselves at a loss for what to tell or them, or even how to handle bullying ourselves. MicheLee Puppets uses puppetry as a disarming and relate-able way to convey these messages to students in A Good Day for Pancake (K-2nd grade) and The Upstander League (3-5th grade). Here are some ways to start the conversation about bully prevention, and tactics that your student can use:
Bullying is intentional behavior that is repeated or has the potential to be repeated. It creates a real or perceived imbalance of power and is used to harm someone and their reputation. Some examples are:
Physical Bullying Hurting someone physically such as hitting or kicking. Taking or breaking someone’s property. (Example: taking someone’s lunch)
Verbal Bullying Using words to threaten, intimidate, or humiliate someone. (Example: Give me your homework, or I’ll punch you in the face)
Social/Emotional Bullying Hurting someone’s reputation or relationships by humiliating or excluding, spreading rumors or gossip, or embarrassing him/her in public.
Cyber bullying Using a device to send hurtful or humiliating emails, texts, or social media posts.
Person exhibiting bullying behavior
Person being Targeted by the bullying behavior
Bystander- someone who witnesses bullying but does nothing to stop it
Upstander- someone who witnesses bullying and does something to stop it
Report the Bullying (used with each tactic): Find an adult that you trust and tell them the facts about the bullying situation: who, what, when, and where. Reporting may be done in person or in a note, which may be signed anonymously. Report until the bullying stops.
Stand Up to the Bully: Disagree with the bully, speaking up for the target. Tell the bully to stop.
Ignore the Bully (not the situation): Don’t give the bully an audience, no matter what they say. Don’t laugh or pay attention to the bully. If cyberbullying, don’t like, comment or share. Show to an adult that you trust, then delete.
Be a Friend Include the target. When the target isn’t present, refuse to exclude or speak badly about them. Refuse to acknowledge or spread rumors.
Get the Target Out Give the target an excuse to leave a bullying situation. (Example: The Principal needs to see you)
Distract the Bully Do or say something that distracts the bully so that the target can get away from the situation.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services www.Stopbullying.gov
STOMP Out Bullying www.stompoutbullying.org
Florida Department of Education www.fldoe.org/schools/safe-healthy-schools/safe-schools/bullying-prevention.stml
Click Here for The Orlando Sentinel’s article on The Upstander League
2016 is an exciting year for MicheLee Puppets as we continue our 30th Anniversary celebration all year long! Don’t miss these FREE events for the young and the young at heart!
Behind the Curtain: No Strings Attached! 8:00-9:00 AM
FREE Informational breakfast at MicheLee Puppets
RSVP to Kit@67.23.246.118
Sunday Family Fun Day 11am and 1pm at Venue on the Lake- Maitland Civic Center
RSVP to jamie@67.23.246.118
Rhyme Time: Reading Readiness Program
Get kids excited and ready to read through rhyme, rhythm, and repetition! Using a giant pop-up book and whimsical puppet characters, this enchanting musical show will have young children laughing and learning essential pre-reading skills.
A Parent/Child puppet making workshop follows each performance.
MicheLee Puppets Celebrates 30 Years! 5:30-7:30pm
Mercedes Benz of Orlando-Maitland 810 Orlando Ave, Maitland, FL 32751
RSVP to kit@67.23.246.118
Celebrate 30 years of empowering lives through the art of puppetry! Enjoy complimentary tasty bites and beverages, a raffle, and music provided by WMMO!
Check out updates on exciting raffle items on Facebook!
Behind the Curtain: No Strings Attached! 8:00-9:00 AM
FREE Informational breakfast at MicheLee Puppets
RSVP to Kit@67.23.246.118
Sunday Family Fun Day 11am and 1pm
Venue on the Lake- Maitland Civic Center
RSVP to jamie@67.23.246.118
The Upstander League
See a bullying situation? Join the Upstander League! Fielding calls from bystanders in distress, audiences transform into The Upstander League’s latest recruits, practicing the tactics to go from bystanders to upstanders. Exciting music, entertaining simulations, and engaging puppet characters have audiences leaping to their feet, ready to handle each bullying situation. Are you ready to laugh, learn, and empower the upstander in you?
A parent/child puppet making workshop follows each performance
Sunday Family Fun Day 11am and 1pm
Venue on the Lake- Maitland Civic Center
RSVP to jamie@67.23.246.118
FREE Public performance and workshop (TBA)
Sunday Family Fun Day 11am and 1pm
Venue on the Lake- Maitland Civic Center
RSVP to jamie@67.23.246.118
FREE Public performance and workshop (TBA)
MicheLee Puppets is excited to partner with Venue on the Lake-The Maitland Civic Center to present Sunday Family Fun Days! Primarily a school-touring company, MicheLee Puppets shares empowering messages for youth presented in endearing and entertaining puppet shows. Executive Director Tracey Conner explains why public, family performances are so important:
“Public performances provide the opportunity to empower the whole family. Students see our shows in school and can discuss strategies for bully prevention with their friends, or practice rhyming for reading readiness in their classrooms, but we want our messages to reach further. When multiple generations attend a show together, they open up a dialogue about these important topics that extends beyond the school environment.”
Set your calendar for these FREE public performances and make-and-take workshops that your family can enjoy together throughout the year.
All performances will be held at Venue on the Lake- The Maitland Civic Center 641 Maitland Ave S, Maitland, FL 32751
Get kids excited and ready to read through rhyme, rhythm, and repetition! Using a giant pop-up book and whimsical puppet characters, this enchanting musical show will have young children laughing and learning essential pre-reading skills.
A Parent/Child puppet making workshop follows each performance.
See a bullying situation? Join the Upstander League! Fielding calls from bystanders in distress, audiences transform into The Upstander League’s latest recruits, participating in the tactics to go from bystanders to upstanders. Found object and shadow puppetry simulations, music and more have audiences on their feet ready to handle each bullying situation. Are you ready to turn the page on bullying?
A parent/child puppet making workshop follows each performance
Sunday, July 24th, 11am and 1pm: Discover Math and Science! Appropriate for ages 3-6
Take a trip around the sun and explore the seasons, shapes, and surprises in the world around you! Featuring music, puppetry, familiar rhymes, and audience participation, there’s so much to explore!
RSVP to jamie@67.23.246.118
A parent/child puppet making workshop follows each performance
Sunday, August 28th, 11am and 1pm:The Upstander League Appropriate for ages 7-11
See a bullying situation? Join the Upstander League! Fielding calls from bystanders in distress, 
audiences transform into The Upstander League’s latest recruits, participating in the tactics to go from bystanders to upstanders. Found object and shadow puppetry simulations, music and more have audiences on their feet ready to handle each bullying situation. Are you ready to turn the page on bullying?
A parent/child puppet making workshop follows each performance
Reservations are requested. Please email jamie@67.23.246.118 with your name, the date and time of the performance you would like to attend, and the number of adults and children attending.
These free MicheLee Puppets performances and workshops are supported by United Arts of Central Florida, host of power2give.org/centralflorida and the collaborative Campaign for the Arts.
MicheLee Puppets Live and Online is Florida’s leader in educational puppetry. We empower lives through exciting, educational and entertaining issue-based productions, which are presented to thousands of young people each year. Through gripping performances young people learn respect, personal responsibility, and how to make positive life choices.
The Maitland Civic Center opened in 1965 with the mission of “providing facilities for the promotion of civic, religious, literary, charitable, education, social and recreational interest of all Greater Maitland area Residents and Businesses”.
As we count down to the New Year, Production Manager Jamie Donmoyer shares her favorite story of impact from 2015: 
2015 has many stories to choose from, but Steven’s journey to Respect is the story I find the most special.
As I entered the glass doors of Aspire Charter Academy, Principal Pam Schenkel greeted me with a concerned smile,”We are classified as a behavioral school. I just want you to be prepared for anything.”
I made a few mental notes, finished setting up A Good Day for Pancake and waited backstage for the students to arrive. When show time approached I peeked my head out from behind the curtain wondering where the students could be. To my surprise, there sat a full audience who had entered so quietly that I didn’t even know that they were there! I noticed a boy off in the corner using a tablet (not uncommon in a behavioral school). The show began and the familiar sound of giggling and clapping filled the air. From the corner, the boy put down his tablet and joined the other students in the fun. Instantly I knew that I was somewhere special.
MicheLee Puppets wanted to reward the students’ respectful manners and thoughtful questions, and a few months later we returned to deliver Sock Puppets With a Heart. As we loaded in boxes of sock puppets, Principal Schenkel beamed sharing,
“Our students are never chosen for anything.”
Steven sat in the corner, tablet in hand, watching as the students excitedly selected their very own puppets. Just as before, he put down his tablet and joined the others making silly voices and performing in a spontaneous puppet parade. The puppets were reaching the students and we wanted to do more. A puppetry residency was just the answer.
On the first day of the residency, Steven sat at his isolated desk, tablet in hand. As the class got into groups to discuss situations in which they had felt respected or disrespected, Steven remained alone at his desk, but he traded his tablet for paper and pencil, scribbling furiously. At the end of class, Steven handed in a fully illustrated story: a trip to Steak and Shake for a good report card.
I soon learned that in his ten years, Steven had never spent more than a year at a single school. His challenges with focus and working with others created behavior issues including emotional outbursts, yet on his first day with puppetry, Steven connected with the class assignment.
Over the next few weeks, Steven emerged as a leader. He left his isolated desk and tablet behind to focus on directing others to bring his “Respect” story to life. The same students, who previously looked at Steven with frustration, now sought his guidance.
Respect was so well received, that it was chosen as the main stage show for MicheLee Puppets’ 30th anniversary fundraising breakfast. Steven was selected as one of five students to perform and at our first rehearsal, there he was, surrounded by students talking and laughing. Gone was his desk of isolation. He had found his own “respect.”
The principal smiled and said:
“Before MicheLee Puppets, Steven had never chosen to participate in any group activity. Working with the puppets has connected him in a way we could have never imagined.”
You can empower a child like Steven with your tax deductible gift to MicheLee Puppets. If 10 people give $30, we can reach 100 children! Thank you for your support.
As we count down to the New Year, Director of Development Kit Twenter shares her favorite story of impact from 2015: Click Here to Book “The Upstander League” at your school!
As MicheLee Puppets’ director of development, I build partnerships and support for our programs, but rarely am I involved in the process of creating the final product. This separation allows me to experience each show with the same fresh eyes as our audiences. Recently, I experienced MicheLee Puppets’ “The Upstander League” from that same fresh perspective.
Surrounded by 3rd-5th graders, I followed the performance and learned about the many different types of bullying. Suddenly a janitor’s cart transformed into a mobile command center, and I found myself as an upstander-in-training, fielding calls from bystanders who were looking for help with bullying situations. As each upstander tactic was introduced, the performers sprang into action, engaging audiences by using puppetry to create simulations. It was the audience response, however, that made a lasting impression.
Pondering what I might do in a bullying situation, I was astounded when more than half of the children’s hands shot into the air. Un-prompted by adults, the students shared helpful and realistic solutions for a bullying situation…solutions that I had not considered, but were brought out through their experience with a PUPPET SHOW!
I was so excited as the students and teachers rose to their feet, giggling and dancing as part of the “Distraction Action” flash mob. Teachers pulled out their cell phones to record the excitement as the entire audience bonded together to distract a bully, while having the time of their lives!
How wonderful to be part of an audience, entering as individuals but leaving united, empowered to handle bullying situations as official members of “The Upstander League”!
You too can empower children to stand up to bullies by sharing this story and with your tax deductible gift to MicheLee Puppets. With your gift of $30 or more, we can deliver powerful performances to hundreds of children in our community. Thank you for your support!
Did you know that before a school is ever contacted, MicheLee Puppets finds funding to bring their cost from $4 per child to $1 per child…and YOU can make the difference! With over 30 years of delivering life-changing messages, we make every dollar count. You work hard for your money and here is where your investment goes:
“A Good Day for Pancake” for K-2nd graders and “The Upstander League” for 3rd-5th graders teaches thousands of students across Central Florida how to help a victim in a bullying situation.
Our 3-part “Rhyme Time” live series features giant pop-up books and original music. Students sing and rhyme their way to reading! The fun continues online with “The Electric Socketz” and their rhyming music videos. “Discover Math and Science” premieres in January of 2016!
The Live “EXTREME Health Challenge” and online educational videos teach students how to make healthy choices.
Shows provide experiences on a larger audience scale, while individual workshops allow one on one interaction. In 2015 alone, at-risk youth, students with autism and social and emotional challenges have been empowered by their work with MicheLee Puppets. Professionals have found creative ways to reach their students and clients.
You can make the difference with your one-time or monthly gift. Make your investment in a child today by donating here to MicheLee Puppets.We have been so blessed to receive over 30 years of support and look forward to the next 30 years!
As we count down to the New Year, Executive Director Tracey Conner shares her favorite story of impact from 2015: Click here to book “A Good Day for Pancake” at your school
As I reflect on 2015, MicheLee Puppets has had a year filled with so many meaningful and important stories of impact. If I had to pick just one, I would have to say 2nd Grader Arrests Bully is my favorite for 2015.
What continues to impress me throughout the years is the immediacy with which the audience responds to the puppets and the message. In the case of Policeman Kevin, he was so affected by the behavior of our bully puppet, that he was compelled to take action, putting on the persona of a police officer and threatening to “arrest” the bully. Kevin’s classmates, having just watched A Good Day For Pancake which taught them to stand together as upstanders, immediately came to assist him. They wanted to know why “Willie Walker” (the bully puppet) would behave in such a way, and together they stood up to him, just as the group of puppets had done in the show they had just seen.
Kevin’s heart was touched with compassion when he witnessed a bullying situation. He took the bully prevention tactic “Stand up to the Bully” to heart and he and his classmates became upstanders!
The students watched the show and got the message so clearly that when confronted with our bully puppet, they could spontaneously put into practice what they had just learned. Because of this experience, this
puppet show, these students now know what to do in real life. They are empowered to stand together to be strong. It’s a beautiful thing.
You can empower children, like Kevin and his classmates, to stand up to bullies with your tax deductible gift to MicheLee Puppets. If 10 people give $30, we can reach 100 children! Thank you for your support.
As we count down to the New Year, Executive Director Tracey Conner shares her favorite story of impact from 2015:
As I reflect on 2015, MicheLee Puppets has had a year filled with so many meaningful and important stories of impact. If I had to pick just one, I would have to say 2nd Grader Arrests Bully is my favorite for 2015.
What continues to impress me throughout the years is the immediacy with which the audience responds to the puppets and the message. In the case of Policeman Kevin, he was so affected by the behavior of our bully puppet, that he was compelled to take action, putting on the persona of a police officer and threatening to “arrest” the bully. Kevin’s classmates, having just watched A Good Day For Pancake which taught them to stand together as upstanders, immediately came to assist him. They wanted to know why “Willie Walker” (the bully puppet) would behave in such a way, and together they stood up to him, just as the group of puppets had done in the show they had just seen.
Kevin’s heart was touched with compassion when he witnessed a bullying situation. He took the bully prevention tactic “Stand up to the Bully” to heart and he and his classmates became upstanders!
The students watched the show and got the message so clearly that when confronted with our bully puppet, they could spontaneously put into practice what they had just learned. Because of this experience, this
puppet show, these students now know what to do in real life. They are empowered to stand together to be strong. It’s a beautiful thing.
You can empower children, like Kevin and his classmates, to stand up to bullies with your tax deductible gift to MicheLee Puppets. If 10 people give $30, we can reach 100 children! Thank you for your support.
