By Meranda Stuart, Matrix Theatre

Against a backdrop of sun, the sweet beats of Motown, community art projects and activities, the Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit’s block party was the perfect place for families and community members.

The Matrix Puppetry Department provided children with a variety of puppets. Puppets varied to match the tactile abilities of all the children attending. Eager children grabbed stick puppets, bouncy string puppets, finger puppets, and fish and frog puppets. After every child had a chosen puppet, Matrix Theatre Puppetry Department encouraged children to participate in warm up activities. We all flapped and called like birds, hopped like frogs, swam like fish and danced like butterflies.

After feeling the spirit of all the chosen puppets, Matrix and the participants engaged in a short dialogue about the environment at large and the environment of Detroit. In order to better understand the problems and issues of our current landscape, Matrix staff and the children engaged in multiple scenes involving humans and the animal puppets.

The children used their puppets to respond to urban sprawl, littering, recycling, and urban gardening. Through impromptu play Matrix staff and participants portrayed environmental issues and solutions. Following our scenes, Matrix staff and participants dialogued about what we can do to make Detroit a greener and cleaner place.

For the rest of the time, the children played together with the puppets. Imaginations melded while some children acted as “killer birds” others fell into mud and became stuck there until their frog companions helped them out, while other children danced butterfly dances.

All and all, a beautiful summer day at MOCAD highlighted by children coming together to act out the drama of our local landscape.