Puppet Show April 11 by San Leandro's Randal Metz

Randal Metz, San Leandro resident and Fairyland Puppeteer, is bringing another of his always-popular Puppet Company performances to local audiences.

On April 11 from 2 to 3 p.m. he will present Grandpa Bunny's Egg-citing Day Puppet Show at the Castro Valley Library, 3600 Nordgren Road, Castro Valley.

The event for all ages is free of charge and no advance registration is required. If you have questions about the performance you can call 510-667-7900.

About Randal Metz, puppeteer extraordinare

Fairyland Storybook Puppet Theater Director, Randal Metz is a native of San Leandro and current Marina neighborhood resident but much of his waking life has been spent on the 10 acre Fairyland site on the shore of Oakland's Lake Merritt.  

At age 10 Metz won an audition to become a Fairyland Personality.  He spent the next year portraying the Mad Hatter at the park and stayed.

Although still in elementary school, Metz was taken under the wing of master puppeteer Lewish Mahlmann, the creator of Fairyland’s Storybook Puppet Theatre.  During his apprenticeship he learned every aspect of puppeteering from constructing puppets, to writing scripts and designing sets.

Later Metz studied with Muppets head writer Jerry Juhl and Disneyland window designer Bob Baker.  Before taking over the directorship of the theater, Metz served as Fairyland’s artistic director.

Today, the Fairyland Storybook Puppet Theater is distinguished as the longest running puppet theater in the country. “Over the course of 45 years, the puppet theater has produced 150 different puppet shows,” said Metz.

Much of Metz’s energy now goes into preserving Fairyland’s history. He said he knows it well because he virtually grew up at the park and during one five year stint he actually lived on the park grounds as its caretaker.

Last year his new book, Creating a Fairyland - 60 Years of Memories, was published. It is on sale at the park now. His prior book about Fairyland's puppet theatre, called Storybook Strings, is also for sale at the park or on-line here. Metz has contributed to a written history of puppeteering in the San Francisco Bay Area on this website.

His own theatre group, The Puppet Company, tours throughout the area performing at libraries and other venues to the delight of young audiences and their families.

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