IS THAT A DINOSAUR'S EGG?
Written and Directed by Lorrie Gardner
Performed by Lorrie Gardner and Ralph Baker,

Gardner Puppet Theatre
Reviewed show performed in a kindergarten to 25 four and five year olds and 4 adults.

 Is That A Dinosaur's Egg is one of 5 shows that Gardner Puppets perform for pre-school aged children. The story is about a girl, Jackie, who finds an egg and, with her imaginary friend the Professor and his space-time machine, they travel back to dinosaur time in order to discover what sort of dinosaur will hatch. Back in real time where the egg is left, Horatio Egghead the dinosaur egg collector tries to steal it.

 The puppet style is hand and glove, above the head booth style with the puppeteers unseen. The two performers are experienced and skilled at this style and the puppetry is slick. The compact set enables three scene changes. The costumes are black with a sleeveless dinosaur vest on top, which looks great. These are experienced performers who know their audience well and respond in a real and friendly manner to them.

The transition to the puppet show was very clear with the use of lights and music. This convention was used successfully throughout the performance, with the children responding appropriately.

 The story did not build to a climax and I think this was due to the convention of restating what had occurred to each character when they appeared or re-appeared. This held up the action and the narrative became repetitive in parts. 1 was confused as to what Jackie and the professor were doing in the dinosaur nursery (but I loved the baby dinosaur puppets that emerged from the eggs) and the resulting dilemma of whether Jackie would lose her dog or not did not appear to engage the audience on an emotional level. The story finished very quickly, with important information being delivered in the last five minutes.

 The telling of the story is also affected by the style of performance, in the way the puppets address the audience. The puppets verbally respond to most of the children and encourage them to tell the story.

 The formal show broke in the middle for an opportunity for the children to physically participate. What is in essence a chance for the children to move around became an opportunity for the children to create and participate in dinosaur time. This was enhanced by the adults enacting "the dinosaur meeting" and the professor transforming to a life size character and joining in. However, having created this reality, when the characters and the children returned to the real world, the dinosaur puppets were still visible which was distracting for some of the audience.

 Overall, Is That A Dinosaur's Egg is a well-rounded, traditional puppetry performance for children aged 4 - 8 years. The production values are good and the performers are professional and skilled. The audience certainly enjoyed it and most were eager to participate. However, I feel that the children mostly responded intellectually and did not appear to be engaged in the performance on an emotional level.