Inside the workshop of Playful Evolving Monsters, larger-than-life puppets of all shapes, sizes and colors greet those who enter. Two dragons, one red and the other green, are almost tall enough to reach the ceiling. A light-up giraffe’s neck stretches about arms’ length. A plethora of masks and helmets, representing a menagerie of creatures and characters, line a row of shelves. A fish is here; an octopus is there; a colossal sun with hands leans against the wall. There are puppets practically pouring out of every place, scattered among the tables and shelves piled high with glue, tools, crafting materials and other supplies.
While the puppet theater company might be well-known for its larger creations that amaze onlookers at parades, festivals and other events in the Chattanooga area, its origins were of a smaller scale. The organization began with online classes in 2020, in which families could learn, among other things, how to use recycled materials to make their own marionette-style puppets and make stories together, according to company founder TJ Hanretta.
The classes were a boon for families like Scottie Gilligan’s, who couldn’t go anywhere during the pandemic. The opportunity was not only fun but also allowed the family to make friends virtually, Gilligan says.
“It was an amazing experience,” she says. “And being an adult getting to … not just watch my kids do it but to get to do it myself, it brought me to life. It really awakened a creative part of me that was asleep.”
The Gilligan family has since continued to work with the company, contributing to the construction and performance of the puppets.
In 2021, Playful Evolving Monsters received a grant from ArtsBuild to build giant puppets for a festival, as many events moved outdoors because of the pandemic, Hanretta says.
“So we started doing the giants, and that was heaven,” she says. “It’s so much fun to do [them], and so now we do a lot of different things for a lot of different organizations.”
Among the company’s various activities are the MainX24 parade, a part of Chattanooga’s 24-hour celebration of Main Street and the Southside neighborhood, and the Light Up Chatt parade, part of River City Co.’s Rock the Riverfront festivities. Playful Evolving Monsters also maintains a partnership with the Chattanooga Symphony & Opera and Read20 to present free family concerts, bringing children’s books to life with a combination of puppetry, music and narration.
While the appeal of puppetry is, in part, the spectacle and fun of the creations, the medium also draws people into play, Hanretta says.
“I think that’s the biggest thing, especially in recent times. People need more fun; people need lots of play in their life,” she says. “And I think it sparks creativity. It builds community, especially when we’re building things together and practicing things together — you become a team, a family.”
For the company’s “monster artists,” as they call themselves, puppetry is also about performance, breathing life into an inanimate object for an audience. Imari Perez is the puppeteer for Flora, a giant puppet designed by Costa Rican artists in Chattanooga and based on a previous Playful Evolving Monsters creation. Perez says Flora is “a whole lot of woman” to handle, but she strives to give the crowd a show.
“Cars are passing by; I’m waving,” Perez says, demonstrating her performance as Flora. “I’m blowing kisses. I’m touching my heart. I’m dancing salsa, and I’m giving them the robot. It’s always different for sure, but I’m definitely interacting as much as I possibly can.”
The monster artists speak of watching a puppet come together over time, starting with a PVC frame, adding various materials to create the look of the puppet and, finally, seeing it brought to life through the motions and mechanics of performance. Witnessing the puppet in action is an awesome experience, the artists say.
When Hanretta tries to quantify the hours it takes to craft a puppet or scenery, she struggles, because she says the construction process is often a group effort, with people coming and going and contributing here and there.
“It feels like this is a space where people can come and play and feel really comfortable, feel really creative,” she says. “If they want to be quiet while they’re working, that’s fine. If they want to interact while they’re working, that’s great. It’s basically a safe space for people to play, and that is what I wanted to create with Playful Evolving Monsters.”
To connect with Playful Evolving Monsters, follow the company on Instagram and Facebook or visit playfulevolvingmonsters.com.