In 1938 a 15 year old boy created and staged his marionette version of Puss in Boots for children at the Nashville Public Library. Tom Tichenor’s puppet shows soon became a community favorite. Word of Tichenor’s creative talents spread quickly and he was discovered by a larger audience in the nationally televised 1950’s Poindexter series. His outstanding work at the Circle Players and Nashville Children’s Theater, along with his stunning contribution of puppetry in the Broadway musical Carnival, made him an internationally recognized talent. Tichenor died in 1992, but his work lives on. Wishing Chair Productions is proud to preserve Tichenor's memory through the continued use of his beloved marionettes and puppets at the Nashville Public Library Children’s Theater.
The library's current staff of three full-time performers and many volunteers, collectively Wishing Chair Productions, stage four to five shows a year as well as regularly hosting an International Puppet Festival. New puppets are constructed with Feather Lite resin, Smooth-Cast® 300 resin and Foam-it!® rigid foam. Feather Lite®lightweight casting resin combined with Foam it! III rigid foam make the puppets very lite weight, a key factor when staging a 2 hour show. Not only are the puppets brought to life with Smooth-On products, but many of the sets, props and costume accessories use the same resins and foams which are cast into Oomoo® 30 silicone molds.
