We were lucky to catch up with Terrence Burke recently and have shared our conversation below.

Terrence, appreciate you joining us today. If you could go back in time do you wish you had started your creative career sooner or later?

I jumped into puppetry as an adult in my mid-thirties. The art form had always been an interest, yet I never looked into becoming a professional puppeteer until my father’s sudden death acted as a wake-up call to me, Life is too short not to try and make your dreams come true. I have been pursuing that dream ever since.

If I had started sooner, I may have been able to work with puppets in the film and television field. Being younger, without the responsibilities of being a parent may have given me more freedom to explore puppetry. I used to think about this far too much, however, that’s all in the past. I’m in the game for the future.

Honestly, I believe that everything happens at the right time for the right reasons. I created a regional touring puppet company, which isn’t something that everyone can say. I am happy with this.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I am a one-man professional puppet company named Wump Mucket Puppets, which are simply silly words that mean nothing at all. I create everything that is seen on the stage, from the sets to the puppets themselves. I perform all of the puppets and provide their voices.

Puppetry has been a passion of mine since I was a very young boy, growing up in the Boston area in the 1960s. I was mad about puppets and was encouraged by my parents to follow this interest by attending a puppet festival and joining a puppet club at the YMCA. Growing up I never thought that this could be a profession, I saw it as a hobby. Over time, this hobby was tucked away in my brain as I aged. I pursued other interests, which included acting, singing in a band, and creating electronic music.

My father’s sudden death was the catalyst that brought puppetry back into my life. I eventually figured out that I still was in love with the art, and could use skills that I had learned in previous creative projects (acting, music, promotions) and apply them to puppetry. I taught myself puppetry by reading many books and watching videos. My former spouse, who is also an artist, built the early puppets from my designs. The puppet show evolved over time from being an amusement for my two children to performing for spare change at the neighborhood farmers market and eventually obtaining regular bookings at public libraries, schools, and events. Children reacted very favorably to my original characters and stories, I am very fortunate that their parents and teachers noticed this, allowing me quite a bit of creative freedom.

My style of puppetry is inspired by the puppets that I watched on television as a boy. I adored the programs “Kukla, Fran, and Ollie”, “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood”, and “Sesame Street”. I create puppet shows that are silly, wholesome, and energetic, I want to share a positive message with the kids, and encourage them to be creative too. Over the years, I have built the skills to create and perform 30 minutes of fun, that become the happy childhood memories of my audience. Being a small part of a person’s childhood is something that I both respect and honor. To have been allowed this wonderful opportunity, I am very, very grateful.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

Hearing children laugh and respond to my puppets is heartwarming. We are all together, sharing a magical moment in their young lives. No computer screen can compete with that! I am honored to often be the first performing artist seen by the children in my audience. Granted that puppetry is an ancient form of theatre, it’s a new experience for so many kids.

Puppeteering for the kids allows me to channel my inner child. Maybe it’s a slight form of “Peter Pan syndrome”, and I have not finished growing up. I am fortunate to have this opportunity to be a “kid” again.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

My goal as a puppeteer is to create lovable characters to perform original puppet shows with children and their families. Classic fairy tales are wonderful yet have already been told. I prefer to create my own stories and tell them through my cast of cryptids, creatures, and aliens.

Creating unusual puppet characters has allowed me to use my interests in UFOs, cryptozoology, and weird stuff too. I want to have fun while performing and share my enthusiasm with the audience.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.WumpMucketPuppets.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wumpmucketpuppets/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wumpmucketpuppets
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/terrence-burke-67ab713a/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/Wumpmucket
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/WumpMucket
• Other: Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/wumpmucket/

Image Credits
Terrence Burke Michelle Jellison