Puppet Open Mic brings people together ‘in a weird way’

You can watch — or participate in — a new kind of puppet show this weekend at Harvester Arts, but it isn’t designed for children.

Puppet Open Mic gives up to 10 amateur puppeteers five minutes of stage time to dance, sing, perform a comedy set — and perhaps use the kind of language you won’t hear on “Sesame Street.”

The only requirement: a puppet, which attendees may bring with them or make using materials provided before the show.

Kylie Brown hatched the idea for the event in collaboration with a group of artist and performer friends. While swimming together one day this summer, conversation revolved around the seven puppets Seth Blume’s grandmother recently gave him. She made some of them herself for a children’s puppet ministry at her church.

“As soon as I heard about them, I was like, ‘I’ve got to have these puppets,’” Blume said. “She could have donated them, so it’s super sweet that she gave them to me.”

Someone threw out the name Puppet Open Mic, and it stuck.

“We couldn’t get it out of our heads — just the name itself,” Brown said.

The artist and community organizer has been engineering Wichita gatherings since 2011, when she launched CreativeRush with a series of monthly panel discussions centered on art and performance. Brown is also known for organizing the film race Down to the Wire, among other projects.

“I like to bring people together in a weird way,” she said. “I hope (with Puppet Open Mic) people take a break for an hour and laugh with us and try something out if they feel so included.”

Here’s how it works: Participants can begin signing up at 6:15 p.m. when the doors open at Harvester Arts, 215 N. Washington. A puppet-making station will be available for people who want to make their own last-minute performance partner.

Anyone can sign up to participate on a first come, first served basis — no puppetry skills required. People may also choose to attend as audience members.

The show begins at 7 p.m., and local band Candice and the Business Casual will function as the emcee for the evening. They’ll announce the “human name and puppet name” of each performer, then play them off stage when their five minutes is up.

“It’s more endearing to be played off stage by live music instead of a recording,” Brown said.

The absurdist improv troupe Men’s Scrapbooking Club will be there to engage the audience and fill in as puppeteers if needed. The event will conclude with a 30-minute music set and “puppet dance party.”

Brown sees Puppet Open Mic as a good complement to existing programming at Harvester Arts, such as Gavin Myers’ performance series “Hungry? Have a Snack,” during which artists and performers can try out new work in front of an audience.

For his part, Blume loves that his grandmother’s gift will be put to good use.

“It’s carrying on the tradition of puppets in my family that I didn’t know existed until recently,” he said. “I guess this article is also the way I’m telling my grandmother how we’re using the puppets.

“I love you, Grammy.”

Puppet Open Mic

7 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 1, at Harvester Arts, 215 N. Washington

Doors open at 6:15

Tickets are $15 at the door (cash and credit cards accepted)