Cari's Creatures
(St. Louis Fantasy Puppetry and Performance)
Our Puppeteer
Lead Puppeteer:
"Cari the Creature Speaker"
(Carissa Schaeffer)
Hi, Cari the Creature Speaker here to tell you a little about myself. We are the main puppeteer and owner/runner of Cari's Creatures. We began using our puppets as costume props, before eventually becoming solid "Puppeteers"
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We are local to the St. Louis area and began our performance experience in schools and at local conventions. A cosplayer from a young age, we have experience in acting and performing for people of all ages.
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We are known for owning and puppeteering: Namu the Griffin, Sleifer the Sea Serpent, Capo the Dragon, Rao the Kitsune, Talon the T-Rex and many more. We make puppets of her own, tell stories and sing during our many stage shows. Take a look!
Our Crew
Lead Crewmate:
"Charlie the Stable Keeper"
(Charlie Maguire)
Charlie is our one of a kind creature handler and stable keeper. A favorite person to each of our beasts, he can oftentimes be found lounging in the sun or petting furry friends on his off time!
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His main duty is tending to our beasts and helping "Cari the Creature Speaker" make sure they behave during performances. The creatures often become unruly whenever their favorite stable hand is not around! When he is not quelling the insistent yowling of our beasts, he will help out in other ways such as painting or keeping the gardens.
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Among his many duties, Charlie is also our very talented musician, and is our number one instrumentalist for all of our shows. Charlie is adept on the Ukelele and provides backing instrumentals for our stage shows. Next time you meet him, say "Hello"!
Creature Keeper:
"Benjamin Griffinspeaker"
(Benjamin Tredway)
Benjamin is our newest creature keeper at our stables! He specializes in the grooming and care of multiple species, but holds a special interest in the Griffin species as can be seen by the hatchling he totes on his person!
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His main duty is feeding and housing our beasts and helping "Cari the Creature Speaker" wrangle any unruly behaviors before performances. Often he can be seen toting the tired creatures around and tending to their whims such as feeding and grooming- it's a good thing he is strong! The creatures know to be on their best behavior around the new stable hand, but every once in a while they like to pull pranks behind his back!
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Alongside his difficult wrangling of unruly beasts, he in a very talented performer himself. If you're quick, you may catch him brushing up on his competition-level tricks and performance with the yo-yo he wears on his belt! Maybe if you ask for a demonstration, he will humor you?
Newest Puppeteer:
"Elina,
The Hope Dragon Keeper"
(Shahala DeBosco)
This section is currently being worked on. Please check back for information on our newest puppeteer!
Honorary Puppeteers
Future Performer:
"Saphira, the First
Trico Guardian"
(Saphira and Namo)
Saphira is our newest and most talented puppeteer. She was the mastermind behind "NAMO THE TRICO" and currently brings him to schools and events in her area for story time! Saphira is our very first friend to own a Trico from us at Cari's Creatures, and we are lucky enough to have her as an honorary puppeteer. She is already a natural with Namo, which comes as no surprise as Saphira, herself, is named after a Dragon!
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When she isn't taming fantastic beasts, Saphira can be found enjoying her freetime by drawing, playing, and creating, video games and making music. She loves art and P.E.- as well as Lunch and Recess at her school! Her imagination is running rampant with her favorite creatures like the wolf, dragons and even dinosaurs! It is no surprise that Namo was so excited to get onto meeting her.
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Saphira dreams of being a very successful singer, actor, artist and even video game designer. We believe, with her immediate and raw talents, that this should be no problem for her to accomplish! Lucky for us, another goal for her is to one day perform on stage with Cari the Puppeteer and her Griffin Namu, together with Namo! We are eagerly awaiting that day! Wanna learn more about Namo? Check out his page!