After watching Jerry Bickel perform Wednesday at the Lakewood Ranch Library, 6-year-old Juliano Born was asked if she wanted to be a puppeteer like Bickel.
Lakewood Ranch's Born said no, but noted, "I loved how he had different voices. I have a really loud voice, almost as loud as a microphone."
A crowd of about 75, made up of parents and their children, watched Bickel perform "Puss in Boots."
"I love this group," Bickel said of his audience at the library. "Their imagination is wide open. They're with you 100% of the way. If they don't like it, they'll tell you right away, too. Luckily, I don't have that happen because I spent a lifetime refining how to not make that happen."
Bickel, who performed as a one-man show, liked Born's comment about having a loud voice.
He said the most important characteristic to become a puppeteer is being a storyteller. Born said this was her first puppet show and she wants to see as many as she can in the future.
Based in Tampa, Bickel currently is on tour in the region with three upcoming shows that include "Puss in Boots," "Selfish Giant," and "Hansel and Gretel."
"I get as much joy out of working with these small audiences as working in a 2,000-seat auditorium," Bickel said. "In an audience like this — there were maybe 75 people here today — you see every single person and that can't be duplicated."
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Jerry Bickel, founder and executive director of Bits ‘N Pieces Puppet Theatre, says his main goal at his shows is to inspire children to immerse themselves in stories and to read books.
Photo by Madison Bierl
Athena Guzman and her daughter Artemis are visiting Artemis' grandma Marisol Guzman who lives in Lakewood Ranch from New York and they decided to come see the show.
Photo by Madison Bierl
Palmetto's Wanda Jackson brought her grandsons Jackson and Kolton Ambeau of Bradenton to see Puss in Boots.
Photo by Madison Bierl
Jerry Bickel knew from a young age he wanted to be a puppeteer. When his friends would get jobs in high school working at McDonalds, he would perform puppet shows at birthday parties.
Photo by Madison Bierl
Juliana Born, 6, and Troy Born, 4, explore the puppets of Puss in Boots after seeing the live puppet show.
Photo by Madison Bierl
Lakewood Ranch residents Georgia Pinto, 5, and Katie Pinto follow along in the story of "Puss in Boots."
Photo by Madison Bierl
Alaina Lininger, 6-year-old Lakewood Ranch resident, is eager to take a selfie with the puppets with her camera.
Photo by Madison Bierl
Jerry Bickel shows audience members Juliana Born and Alaina Lininger the behind the scenes set up of his puppet show.
Photo by Madison Bierl
Lakewood Ranch's Anthony Palazzo came to the puppet show along with his two sons, 4-year-old Enzo and 3-year-old Anthony.
Photo by Madison Bierl
Lakewood Ranch resident Caren Starala brought her grandkids Juliana Born, 6, Troy Born, 4, and Gabriella Born, 10 months, to see the show. Starala says she appreciates how much talent and magic Jerry Bickel presented.
Photo by Madison Bierl
Juliana Born, 6, and Troy Born, 4, are shown the storybook of "Puss in Boots" after seeing the live puppet show.
Photo by Madison Bierl
Lakewood Ranch residents Kelly Elkins, 4-year-old Maverick Elkins and 2-year-old Jackson Elkins enjoy the show with their Care Bears.
Photo by Madison Bierl
Ten-month-old Gabriella Born is shown the puppets up close by her grandma Caren Starala.
Photo by Madison Bierl
During his shows, Bickel is changing his voice for different characters while controlling the puppets and lighting to further the effects of the story.
Photo by Madison Bierl
Marionettes are puppets that are controlled by strings, sticks and wires.
Bickel uses only puppets he has made himself.
Photo by Madison Bierl
In the original "Puss in Boots" the ogre changes into a lion. Bickel says in his story, he decided to let him change into a skeleton to make it a little different.
Photo by Madison Bierl
Bickel enjoys taking the puppets out to the audience. He says he believes it heightens the show.
Madison Bierl is the education and community reporter for the East County Observer. She grew up in Iowa and studied at the Greenlee School of Journalism and Communication at Iowa State University.
