Jason Suel won’t be performing with the company when Mermaid Theatre of Nova Scotia takes the Walton Arts Center stage tonight.

But the local actor will understand exactly what the puppeteers are doing as they bring to life two popularchildren’s tales, Suel “Guess How Much I Love You” and “I Love My Little Story Book.” He’s trained at Mermaid Theatre, and he’s taught the art of puppeteering for Trike Theatre of Bentonville.

“It’s more that just opening and closing a hand,” Suel says from the road, where he’s on tour with “Digging Up Arkansas,” a Trike Theatre history play for students. “If done right, puppetry requires total focus of the body and mind.”

Suel says he became interested in puppetry while studying for his master’s degree at Bowling Green State University in Ohio.

“I took a basic puppetry class. The summer after that class, I traveled to Vermont to study with Sandglass Theater, (and) I became fascinated with the art of puppet manipulation,” he says. He went on to write his master’s thesis about Sandglass Theater.

Fast forward to early 2012, when a new play, under development by Suel and the Walton Arts Center, inspired him to apply for a three-week intensive puppetry workshop with Mermaid Theatre.

“‘Bear State of Mind’ focuses on Arkansas state symbols and folklore,” Suel explains. “(And) puppetry is a major part of thisplay, which is being created for students in kindergarten through second grade. I knew that ‘Mermaid’ travels to the WAC frequently, and many of us on the development team for ‘Bear State of Mind’ admire their technique.”

Thanks to the support of the Arkansas Arts Council, Walton Arts Center and Trike Theatre, Suel was able to work withthe puppeteers of Mermaid Theatre.

“Every puppet theater group I have studied with is different,” he muses. “They all have different means of achieving a similar goal - to move an object through space in an engaging way.

“The intensive workshop with Mermaid broadened my horizons,” Suel says, but it also reinforced his passion for puppetry.

“Engaging a young audience through puppetry is a beautiful thing,” he says. “I think that one of the main secrets is allowing yourself to take advantage of time. A young audience will wait for a puppet.

“I suppose what I’m saying is that, while we adults want things to move quickly, puppetry allows us to slow movements right down - and what’s more amazing is that the audience doesn’t mind.”

Suel expects that tenet to be proven true tonight when Mermaid Theatre appears at WAC, telling two awardwinning tales: “Guess How Much I Love You” by author Sam McBratney and illustrator Anita Jeram - the story of Little Nutbrown Hare and Big Nutbrown Hare comparing their love in a way only a parent and child can - and “I Love My Little Storybook,” written and illustrated by Jeram, in which an eager little bunny lies in the grass with his favorite book.

“In (this) production, we incorporate hand-crafted, larger-than-life puppets, exquisite music, narrated original text and projected images,” describes Jim Morrow, artistic director for Mermaid Theater. “Our show is designed as a gentle, non-shushing experience and should be enjoyed by school children and families alike.”

“It’s the moments that will be lasting and memorable,” Suel says. “The performance as a whole will be breathtaking, but I can guarantee that there will be at least one moment in the performance that will be unique and amazing.”

Whats Up, Pages 10 on 12/14/2012