"Your puppetry magic is outstanding! Your talent, creativity and presentation proved to be a great experience for all. Thank you for putting smiles on so many faces! Your "Treasure of the Great Lakes" program is such a wonderful way to share our rich, maritime history. I heard many positive comments from people as they left that day and long after your visit here."
Sue Lagerman, Community Relations, Green Bay Public Library
"As always, the show was excellent in all aspects. Your talent, professionalism and understanding of children make each performance a success. It entertained the audience from toddlers to grandparents!"
Shorewood Public Library
"One of our Moms said "each part was like a little jewel!"..." We checked out a bunch of puppet books again yesterday-that happens after you come!"
Rhienlander Public Library
"Kids and parents loved you. This kid did too! Puppets are so magical!"
Children's Librarian
Germantown Public Library
"Thanks for the wonderful program ...and making it educational as well as fun!"
Cooper Elementary
"Your creativity is contagious!"
"At work he is a real professional and a delight to watch. He is technically sophisticated, educational and just plain fun!"
"We wanted to let you know how much we enjoyed the show. Children continue to talk about your performance (as well as the teachers.) Of course the realization that the whole production was created by you is truly amazing! "
Juneau Elementary school
"Your show was marvelous and brought conservation to young children in a way they can understand and appreciate! Keep up the good work!"
Country Meadows Elementary
"We were all impressed with your gentle caring manner with the young audience and your sense of humor is delightful."
Wisconsin Puppetry Guild
"Your presentation was educational and entertaining- the best of both worlds! I heard many good comments from parents afterwards."
Kimberly-Little Chute Public Library
."..excellent educational experience...the content was appropriate, the variety of puppets fantastic, and the song that taught was delightful. Great performance tackling a tough subject!"
Van Buren Elementary
"The show was excellent, colorful and so applicable to our summer program. Even the youngest kids learned!"
North Shore Library
"The combination of WI history and sheer entertainment was superb!"
Barrie & Rockwell Schools
"Your diverse talents are obvious and lend a richness to your presentation. Blending art, music, drama and technology to tell the story of scientists is very effective."
University Lake School
"We are still hearing good comments about the show. One mother said she thought it had helped her 10 year old daughter with their move from Madison to Park Falls. The girl had seen the Reed Marionettes ("oh good- try to hurry!") at her school and maybe Park Falls wasn't the end of the world if they came here too!"
Park Falls public Library
"Tim Reed has again created a high-quality, educational program that engages both students and adults. The children have fun learning practical ways they can reduce, reuse and recycle. His presentation is unique and entertaining!"
"Your puppetry magic is outstanding! Your talent, creativity and presentation proved to be a great experience for all. Thank you for putting smiles on so many faces! Your "Treasure of the Great Lakes" program is such a wonderful way to share our rich, maritime history. I heard many positive comments from people as they left that day and long after your visit here."
Green Bay Public Library
"The Reed Marionettes are the kind of performers you wish everyone could be--highly creative, professional, comfortable with a variety of age groups and audiences, flexible, and most important to those with tight budgets, affordable!"
Pete Angilello, Youth Program Director, Brown County Library
"The Reed Marionettes are simply the best. That's why we continue to have them year after year and use them to anchor our grant requests..."
Kris Adams Wendt, Director, Rhinelander Public Library
"What a wonderful, unique and entertaining way to educate children (and adults!) about the history of science as well as encourage our next generation of scientists, inventors and academics. Your use of technology throughout your performance was a testament to your message of how science and technology directly benefit the world around us. You are a unique and gifted performer and we look forward to having you back."
Waisman Center Children's Theater
"I thought it was amazing how you could teach kids so much about important history and science facts. We all had loads of fun and hope that you will come and teach us more fascinating, fun facts."
Student, Meadowview Elementary
"Excellent job of engaging all the children's attention even though they were several ages. This is quite a feat! There was a lot of thought...the variety, music, the short stories and songs, and the encouragement to read appropriate books was wonderful....you established a wonderful rapport with the children."
Hartland Public Library
"This multimedia puppet show, which included a matching slide show, was masterfully done by Tim Reed. It proved that an educationally geared show for all ages is possible and entertaining as well. It held our attention all the way. The handsome rod puppets told the tales of the Great Lakes and their history. The theatrical lighting and scenic effects helped tell the mystery as did the wonderful voice characterization. This puppeteer is obviously a master of his craft. It is the second of his "educational" performances that I have seen and was equally as good as the first."
Review of "Treasure of the Great Lakes" performance at the 2003 Puppeteers of America (POA) National Festival by Lewis Mahlmann, two term, past POA president. The Puppetry Journal, Summer 2003, Vol. 54, #4, pg. 9
"Discovery Day was "outstanding" and you were the highlight! The children were lingering afterwards as if they didn't ever want your show to end. Other teachers stopped me to say that you were "exceptional." Your puppets are masterpieces. You're a wonderful storyteller with a cute sense of humor...the biggest discovery at Discovery Day!"
Christ King School
"Excellent performance! All students were interested in the tales performed and in the puppets. Lighting, puppets, music & vocals, scenery all worked very well together to keep interest. Puppets came alive! The children were very interested and attentive (even my "wiggliest" kindergartners). All teachers thought the performance was well worth the time out of the classroom. Specific teacher comments - Many areas of the curriculum were covered: language arts, reading, history (social studies), social skills.- It exposed the children to another art form - a different way of storytelling.- very interesting and entertaining; it provided new knowledge also."
Clayton Elementary
"Thank you for bringing science to life in such an engaging way. 6th, 7th & 8th graders can be a particularly tough audience, yet you were able to capture and hold their attention from start to finish. Keep up the great work!"
Paideia Academy
"your performance was a true highlight. I was so impressed. I don't think I've never seen such a well researched show. I so admire someone who can combine high quality puppetry with such brilliant use of technology...You do the region, and the P of A (Puppeteers of America) great credit."
Dave Herzog, Artistic Dir. 2008 Great Lakes Regional Puppetry Festival
"Who could possibly guess that scuba diving in the Great Lakes would inspire a puppeteer to create a multimedia and live action production such as Tim Reed's "Treasure of the Great Lakes"? Well, the diving did inspire and Tim did create in grand fashion. Tim's miniature production, "Treasure of the Great Lakes" is a fine example of innovative and creative puppetry. Housed in a small proscenium style stage, parts of which are constructed from his mother's old walker, (talk about recycling!) Tim, manipulated small figures in the Bunraku style, spinning a yarn about the plights and pleasures of 19th century steam powered and masted sailing vessels on the unpredictable Great Lakes. Weaving a multi-voiced soundtrack with his own live voice, projected archival photos and films and underwater videos of shipwrecks along with his well staged play, Tim created a truly memorable theatrical experience."
Fred Putz, Review of Performance at the 2008 Great Lakes regional Puppetry Festival
