Mesner Puppets to auction off some puppets to help keep its doors open

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    KANSAS CITY, Mo (KMBC) —
Mesner Puppets has been making memories for Kansas City kids and families for two decades. Now it’s giving people a chance to bid on some of their most popular puppets at an online auction.

The tortoise and the hare are kind of a team, but after a long run together and thousands of shows, both are up for auction and might go their separate ways.

Mesner puppeteer Mike Horner said it is going to be tough to potentially separate them.

“It does feel good to know that I’ll bring joy to someone else and their home instead of just sitting in a box here,” Horner said.

Mesner Puppets is auctioning off several of their older retired and some not so retired puppets as a fundraiser to help keep the doors open until after the pandemic.

“We’re looking for different ways to raise funds and we thought the auction would be a good way to pivot to something a little different this year,” Horner said.

The production company has gone viral during the pandemic, offering up classes and shows to schools around the country. It also teamed up with the Coterie Theatre for a holiday show — all new ways to try and keep things going.

“We’ve got tons of puppets and why not share some of them with the community,” Horner said.

The auction is just part of a campaign that is hoping to raise about $25,000 by the end of the year.

“It will support the work we continue to do finding new ways despite COVID to reach our audiences,” Horner said.

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