Here are some pictures of the performances my family and I did during the Dutch Heritage Festival in my town over the last three days.  We had fun!  But next year will be better!!  Our oldest son is going to re0make the puppets because they are not very "user Friendly". A non-puppeteer made them about 15 years ago.

Well they look great from the front!  I love your stage setup.  The draw blind in the back is very clever.  Have you ever painted on as a back drop scene?  Might be a bit hard but you could switch scenery that way just by lowering one and raising the other.

Looks like a lot of fun. Thank You for sharing such beautiful pictures with us.

Billy D.

Wow, awsome setup. I am really impressed by all the colors.

I dont know why, each time I see this kind of puppet theater, It automaticaly reminds me of a television show I used to watch when I was a kid named: "Mon ami Guignol".

Here is a pic of that show: http://www.marathondance80.com/Matins/Images/monamiguignol1.jpg

Thank you so much for posting those pictures!

Thanks for the comments - the blinds were a temporary backdrop because the person who was in charge before us never brought us the real ones and we didn't have time to do anything else!  Next year things will be better!!

do the puppets have their Dutch names Jan klaasen en katrijn or Judy and punch. I love the stage feel me a little home. But We don't wear that kind of clothing anymore. Maybe some very old people (age 80 or 90)
MY mum used to make puppets in the old clothing styles ( 2 of the many styles they Dutch had, maybe she still got the patterns ?)
Maybe you can use the Dutch colors. If you need something you don't get there like flag line or something like that. Maybe I can help you.

Nice work on the stage as well.....it looks like you had a nice set up and the weather was beautiful!

Thanks for showing us......

Daryl H

Yes, the puppets are Jan Klaassen and Katrijn.  The puppets and the stage were made by a woman in our town who came from the Netherlands.  During Tulip Festival all of us dress in old style Dutch costumes to bring back some of the old history from the Netherlands. We did have a nice day on Saturday - Friday it rained during our first show but we kept going because the courtyard was filled with children! Thursday was pretty nice weather too!

Hey, Lisa!!  I remember coming to the Orange City Tulip Festival for many, many years when I was younger.  What memories!!  I love your puppets.  They are awesome.  It would be fun to maybe come out and help you next year.

-- Gayle

The color of your stage is the color of what we call here "zaanse huisjes". DE schaanse schans is a out door museum where a lot of this of houses are standing
http://www.vakantiehuismetsloep.nl/Bestemming.aspx?Code=ZAANDAM
I even found a picture of a poffertjeskraam ( poffertjes: little pancakes) what looks a little bite like your stage

I found something about Jan Klaassen and Katrijn Some things I didn't know.

Jan Klaassen have initially the same appearance as Pulcinella from the commedia dell' arte, namely a high hump and a sharp abdomen. Jan Klaassen are with its woman Katrijn the fixed protagonist in the tales which are intensified in the cupboard. Jan frequently involve public in the game. Thus he will ask pay attention them to a certain object and him if to call there what happens. That this error expires state in advance already fixed. Toch already its adventures have happy end.

According to from Amsterdam municipality file the headstock cupboard characters have been based on two old inhabitants of the Jordan (nabourhood of Amsterdam, very famous one), Jan Klaassen and Katrijn Pieters. They had married in 1686 in the new church. Catharina lived in the garden street, Jan in the carnation street. She drank and he did not love hard work. Jan Klaassen started a puppettheater amused farmers, citizens and travelars with the portrayal of its married life, to which rather something was lacking! " Their marriage knew however so many disasters, the church Council of from Amsterdam reformed municipality on 21 January 1706 decided which call the couple for the justification, such as state to read in the church books."
I heard and read the churchbooks and it wasn't nice what they did. After spook to the curch they didn't live together anymore

But it is true the play with Jan KLaasen en Katrijn is always the same. Jan KLaasen makes troubles although he doesn't mean too. But there is always a happy end. Katrijn knows all the times what to do and Jan klaasen in teh dumm man with a golden heart. In a childeren programm they had a little boy called Jantje. A realy rascal of the street but a golden heart too.

"I even found a picture of a poffertjeskraam ( poffertjes: little pancakes) what looks a little bite like your stage"
Funny you mention poffertjes - the popenkast is behind the store that sells poffertjes during Tulip Festival!
I have made poffertjes for my children ever since they were little - we LOVE them!!
And Gayle - we'd love to have you visit next year!!

Thanks for the extra information on Jan Klaassen - I printed it off to add to our file for when we create the next shows!  The next time we perform will be on Sinterklaas Day.

The next time we perform will be on Sinterklaas Day.

that is funny that is real european feast for something like christmas in Amerika. Sinterklaas is better. Are you doing that on the orginal way give each other presents, write poem and with the good old man Sinterklaas and zwarte piet ? Eat pepernoten and so on. 
funny to find it in Amerika. Here in Holland the feast more and more going to Christmas with santaclaus. Did you know that santaclaus find the beginning in Sinterklaas.

When I ever come to Amerika I sure come to your town and when this festival is going on.

Actually, we have celebrated Sinterklaas Day with our children since they were little.  We have always opened gifts on Sinterklaas Day and have always told them the real story of Saint Nicholas. To us celebrating Sinterklaas Day made more sense and then Christmas is when we celebrate Jesus' birthday. In fact in our town we have someone dressed up like Sinterklaas and Zwarte Piet come into town for the children to see.  Then we have puppet shows and games and yes I like to make pepernoten!!  Our children always put their wooden shoes out with hay and carrots for Sinterklaas' horse too!