Swazzle comes to La Cañada library

Harry (a small mammal of the Late Cretaceous Period) is out to impress his dinosaur friends and scare away the roaring Tyrannosaurus Rex. Instead, he embarks on a journey of self discovery and true friendship. Harry and the Tyrannosaurus Rex, a live puppet show, is just one of several stories told by local puppet troupe, Swazzle.

Sean and Patrick Johnson, twin puppeteers, will bring the magic of Swazzle to the La Canada Flintridge library on Wednesday, Nov. 8 at 4 p.m., and introduce the audience to B.A.R.K. the Robot Dog.

Eccentric inventor Mr. Johnson leaves his pets Ratchet the Cat and Rivet the Dog home on a rainy day. The house is turned upside down when Rivet discovers B.A.R.K., an unpredictable robot dog. Rivet's new robotic companion turns out to be trouble, ruining Ratchet's prized yarn ball and threatening to destroy the house. Ratchet and Rivet must set things right before Mr. Johnson comes home.

Swazzle has been performing live puppet shows in local libraries for several years. This past September, the puppeteers made their theatrical debut at the NOHO Arts Center with a story enjoyed through generations, Harry and the Tyrannosaurus Rex, a dinosaur tale that re-imagines the classic Aesop's fable, Androcles and the Lion. After the show, Sean and Patrick drew back the curtain to give the audience a glimpse of how the show works. The duo illustrated how each puppet was made and performed.

"One of our goals," Sean remarked, "is to show kids that they can do what we do in their own living room."

"It's not like it's a magic show," explained Patrick. "There's no trick to it."

"It's a great show," said Jonathan Zenz, managing director of the Noho Arts Center. "It's got a great message for families. We're looking forward to having them back."

The La Cañada Flintridge library is located at 4545 Oakwood Ave. For more information, contact the library at 790-3330. For information on Swazzle, check out www.swazzle.com.