On 14th February a day known to be for lovers, Mr. Baker stole our hearts. He was one of the few people I wished was always there to entertain me. Mr. Baker had organized a puppet show for us, when I heard that there was a “Puppet Show” planned for us I was not very excited. I mean a puppet show for senior and middle school students made no sense to me. I had gone for many puppet shows as a kid and I believed that this was going to be just another puppet show. However, this puppet show changed my whole thinking of what a puppet show really was. He made everyone laugh and all of us enjoyed it. It was the first puppet show in which I saw the crowd participating as well. I thought that we just had to sit and watch a man play with strings. But Mr. Baker frequently interacted with the audience. Some of us even participated, luckily I got the opportunity to go as a volunteer and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
It took me back to the times when I would request, plead and do almost anything to watch a puppet show. As a kid I always enjoyed puppet shows and I had always wanted to know the tricks people used. Being Mr. Baker’s volunteer I got to know the trick he used to make it look as if the puppet was talking in real. We all take comedy as a fun topic but trust me it’s not very easy. It requires a lot of hard work and determination. And of course we need practice and for a puppet show we need lots and lots of practice.
I believe Mr. Baker has a quality that not many people have. That quality is to make people laugh, there is nothing better one can do to make a person smile. This was the best Puppet show I had ever seen in my life. It was a life time experience for me and I hope to watch more puppet shows like this.
Parth Kapoor
Form 8
The Many Hats of Tommy Baker
We sat on our seats on the first floor, admiring the contrast of the black drapes with red and knew that what would follow would surely be something magical. Due to the excellent view we had, we could effortlessly see a man- Tommy Baker- dressed in black, wearing a fez with a slightly lost and weak air to him. He moved from one child to another, asking whether they had seen his brother. He described him as “handsome, single and looks like me,” and we immediately wondered whether he had a twin.
After a few moments, he deduced his brother had concealed himself behind the box that stood before the drapes. After a bit of urging and prodding the mysterious “brother” decided to reveal himself. Mr. Baker strolled to the box and after a comical melody his relative emerged- sturdy body language, certain and enigmatic. My jaw dropped open- that couldn’t possibly be Mr. Baker- the one we had just seen a few seconds ago. This man’s voice was tinged with a Spanish accent and his gestures strong. But it was Mr. Baker- just under a different hat.
They say that it is your personality, your likes and dislikes, that make you choose your clothing. In Tommy Baker’s case, it was the clothing that chose his personality. His headgear changed an innumerous number of times during his show. The highlight of the day was unquestionably when he donned a blonde wig and imitated an opera singer. And if that wasn’t adequate, he had a way with puppets and magic tricks. I was astounded when he pulled out a red ball and made it float in the air- no strings attached. I repeatedly caught myself smiling widely as he made the animals and little men and women come to life. I watched the little children giggle into their tiny little hands and I felt almost as though I was one of them, watching a puppet show for the first time.
What made him an amazing performer was the different ways in which he involved the audience- from little things like questions to letting them look at pictures of his family to letting them admire his puppets up close. The fact that he took at least five volunteers up on stage was a major highpoint.
To sum it up, I’m delighted that Mr. Baker honored us by holding a show in Pathways World School Noida. His puppet show was definitely one of the best examples of the art I’ve ever seen- and I hope he can return and make us feel like children again- only if for an hour.
Supriya Ganesh
Form 9
