By Belle Martinelli
(From left to right) Tess Walsh, Nat DiStefano, Hannah Towle, Stella Gleitsman, and Ingrid Koppisch chatting and constructing their puppets (Photo by Belle Martinelli)
Purchase is home to many exciting and artistic clubs. The newest on the docket – Puppet Club.
Although not an official club, Ingrid Koppisch, a sophomore sculpture major, created the idea. She was inspired by Bread and Puppet, a theater puppet company that visited Purchase last year, as well as her friend who runs her puppet club at the Maryland Institute College of Art.
“A lot of us here have dance and theater backgrounds,” Koppisch said. “I miss performing, so that’s why I wanted to get people together to make a show.”
Students gathered in the visual arts workroom, carrying bags stuffed with yarn, ribbon, felt, thread, buttons, and all materials needed to create a puppet. As they passed around spare needles and fabric scraps, they chatted about their plans for their puppets and what brought them to the club.
Miscellaneous materials cover the table as students pass around extras (Photo by Belle Martinelli)
“I’m a history and gender studies major, this is my creative outlet,” said senior Nat DiStefano.
“I’m very like a little nerd and I love puppets and cartoons and stuff,” said senior theater and anthropology major Tess Walsh. “Ingrid was like ‘I’m doing this’ and I’m like ‘Well, I need to be a part of this.'”
“I think it’s great that we have people from all majors because everyone has different connections,” said Koppisch.
Newcomer and senior dance major Charlotte Aucella was also in attendance. “This is my first meeting, but I was already making a puppet head for my senior project, so this is pretty timely,” she said.
Even after their second meeting as an unofficial club, Koppisch and her friends have big plans for the future of Puppet Club.
Koppisch (middle), Honors (left), and DiStefano crafting their puppets (Photo by Belle Martinelli)
Koppisch has writer friends who are interested in writing a script for the club’s puppets to perform. “I think the end of the year goal is to put on some kind of performance,” she said. “I think that would be awesome.”
The club is open to students of all years and majors and "encourages anyone interested to stop by." They meet at 6 p.m. on Thursdays in the VA workroom.