After twenty years of performing and teaching across the East Coast, it's time for “ Funny Honey" to celebrate with a final northeastern tour this spring. Goodhearted Entertainment and my family will be relocating to my hometown of Austin, Texas.
Honey Goodenough as Funny Honey and puppet Mimi prepare for Sock Monkey Circus, which toured with the International Clown Comedy Festival in 2017.
Serving as the Resident Teaching Artist at Puppet Showplace Theater has been the highlight of these years. I’ve taught countless children the art of puppetry, created three full puppet shows, and toured with some amazing puppet companies, such as the National Marionette Theater, Frisch Marionettes, and Dreamtale Puppets. I’ve studied with Artist Emeritus Paul Vincent Davis, and collaborated with fellow artists Sarah Nolen, Brad Shur, Brenda Huggins, Harry LaCoste, and many more!
In WORD PLAY, Honey Goodenough and Harry LaCoste create a Duck from the letters in QUACK.
I’ve always wanted to share my love of literacy and to show that neurodiversity can be a superpower. My dyslexia naturally made me think of letters and numbers as shapes, figures, and of course—puppets! It’s been a dream of mine to create a show that shared this perspective. Puppet Showplace gave me the space and the community to create WORD PLAY, with fellow performer, Harry LaCoste, and musician Paul Watkins. Before shows, I like to ask the audience: “Can you guess what the puppets are in this show?” During one of our first performances, I heard a kindergartener whisper, “The letters are the puppets!” and I was thrilled that the children were seeing how the magic of puppetry can bring the alphabet to life!
Puppet Showplace artists are excited to greet their students at the Puppet Adventure Academy. From left to right: Brad Shur, John Regan, Honey Goodenough, and Sarah Nolen.
It's been a delight celebrating our student's performances and their creativity! Puppetry has been a platform to teach students new skills, such as tying knots, sewing, sculpting and casting to design and build a variety of puppets, and using hand tools in support of STEAM education. I've seen young children create beloved characters, preteens showcase their new crafting skills, and served as an instructor for mature students at Montserrat College of Art.
Thank you to our patrons and families who helped us survive quarantine and to those who value the forty-eight years long legacy of Puppet Showplace Theater. I hope to spend this last winter and spring entertaining and celebrating with your family one last time before Goodhearted Entertainment leaves Massachusetts. To book or to reach me in the future: goodheartedshows@gmail.com.
Thank you ALL!
— "Funny Honey" Goodenough
