The carpeted floor of the main theater at Vidiots is drizzled with popcorn as dozens of children and their families crowd around a puppet show. Show tunes blast over the speaker as a puppet named Yellow Cat (who is, indeed, a yellow cat) prances and twirls across the floor.
Vidiots is a historic theater in northeast Los Angeles, a few miles from where fires are still burning in the Altadena and Pasadena neighborhoods. Vidiots joined forces with the Bob Baker Marionette Theater nearby to give families and parents a way to take their minds off the devastation.
“The show was planned as a way to give families some relief, an opportunity to do something that’s fun and silly. To sit back and get away from the chaos of the world right now,” says Yellow Cat’s puppet master, Diego Montoya. Vidiots also screened movies and gave out pajamas and coloring books. Many of the families at the free event earlier this week are victims of the fire in one way or another — some have lost homes, others have children who have lost schools.
Three-year-old Leo Bane is one of the spectators of the puppet show. Part of his school burned down in the Eaton Fire, so this event is a welcome distraction for Leo and his mother, Tania Verafield.
“I think this is the only two hours I haven’t been constantly checking my phone and trying to get updates and I feel just some relief at watching my son giggle [as he watches] these amazing puppets,” says Verafield.
Schools in the Pasadena and Altadena areas are largely closed as the fires continue to burn. The YMCA and local government are offering child care, but slots are filling up fast, and it’s falling on many families to look after their young ones. Many told me they’re relying on each other to get through this time.
“People don’t know LA. It’s an amazing community,” says Ursula Knudsen. Both of her children lost their school campuses to the fire, and her younger daughter saw her school in flames as she evacuated with her father. Their home was also severely damaged.
“It’s not like Altadena needed a tragedy to come together as a community. That’s what’s wild. It’s only showing up 100 times more than it already was,” Knudsen says.
Coming to this free event with puppets, movies, and even a 6-foot-tall roving giraffe mascot has brought a moment of relief for Knudsen and her friend, Kate Mallor, whose children’s schools were also severely damaged by the fire. “It’s been so beautiful to see other moms here and to see our classmates and be able to hug,” says Mallor.
The puppet show in the main theater draws to a close with a grand finale. Yellow Cat is dancing to Barbra Streisand’s “Don’t Rain on My Parade,” and that’s no coincidence, says Montoya, the puppeteer.
“It’s got a great message, you know, ‘Don’t rain on my parade, I’m going to have fun no matter what,'” Montoya says. “‘I’m going to do what brings me joy.'”
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Transcript:
AILSA CHANG, HOST:
As Angelinos wade through their losses from the historic fires in the LA area, parents and kids are having a hard time finding some sense of normalcy. Between many schools that are still closed and businesses trying to reopen, communities here are trying to find moments of togetherness, respite and some joy – moments that include a singing and dancing puppet named Yellow Cat. NPR’s Jonaki Mehta has this story.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
UNIDENTIFIED ANNOUNCER: The Bob Baker Marionettes.
(CHEERING)
JONAKI MEHTA, BYLINE: Dozens of kids are sitting on a carpeted floor drizzled with popcorn at Vidiots, a historic community theater in northeast LA.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, “DON’T RAIN ON MY PARADE”)
BARBRA STREISAND: (Singing) Don’t tell me not to live, just sit and putter.
MEHTA: The children and their families are rapt as Yellow Cat sways, twirls and prances in the confident hands of puppeteer Diego Montoya.
DIEGO MONTOYA: This show was planned just as a way to give families an opportunity to do something that’s fun and silly and get away from the chaos of the world right now.
MEHTA: Montoya normally works down the road at Bob Baker Marionette Theater, which joined forces with Vidiots for this free event, and says it’s no accident that Yellow Cat is dancing to Barbara Streisand’s “Don’t Rain On My Parade.”
MONTOYA: Don’t rain on my parade. I’m going to have fun no matter what. I’m going to do what brings me joy.
MAGGIE MACKAY: We’ve got puppet show in the big house, movies in the little house. We’ve got pajamas we’re giving out. We’ve got coloring books. And we’re just doing anything we can to give people a little bit of a break.
MEHTA: Maggie Mackay is the executive director of Vidiots and says many people in the surrounding community who’ve come in have lost their homes. Several kids here have also lost schools to the fires that are still burning across LA.
TANIA VERAFIELD: So it’s been a really stressful and emotional week.
MEHTA: The Eaton fire on the east side of LA consumed parts of the school Tania Verafield’s son went to, so this is a welcome distraction for her 3-year-old, Leo.
VERAFIELD: I think this is the only two hours I haven’t been constantly checking my phone and trying to get updates. And I feel just some relief at watching my son giggle and watch, you know, these amazing puppets and this magic show – and just feeling really, really fortunate.
MEHTA: Another mom, Kate Mallor, has two young kids. Both their schools also suffered severe damage, and she says she’s been single parenting for days now.
KATE MALLOR: It’s been so beautiful to see other moms here and to see our classmates and be able to hug.
MEHTA: Also getting lots of unsolicited hugs from tiny people in the lobby is a six-foot-tall giraffe named Jeffrey – real name, Nathan Hernandez.
NATHAN HERNANDEZ: I live all the way in Riverside, but I just wanted to come out of my way to hopefully make parents and kids happy with this outfit here (laughter).
MEHTA: There were lots of happy parents and kids, even among those for whom normal life is pretty far away right now. And as the puppet show wrapped up, I caught up with 5-year-old Iris Wong to get her review.
IRIS WONG: OK, how do I explain this?
MEHTA: What was your favorite puppet today?
IRIS: The Yellow Cat. Yeah, it’s like a big, special finale.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, “DON’T RAIN ON MY PARADE”)
STREISAND: (Singing) I’ve simply got to march. My heart’s a drummer. Nobody, no, nobody…
MEHTA: Jonaki Mehta, NPR News, Los Angeles.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, “DON’T RAIN ON MY PARADE”)
STREISAND: (Singing) …Is going to rain on my parade.
(CHEERING)