‘War Horse’ at the Buell Theatre highlights the art of puppeteering

Surprisingly unique about War Horse is that the main character is, as the play’s title suggests, a horse named Joey. The horse – unpersonified, yet a central character nonetheless – is controlled by three puppeteers and creates a tale of partnership between the main human character, a boy named Albert, and Joey, developing during the period production set at the start of World War I. With themes of courage and loyalty and with a minimalist set, the show puts front-and-center its special effects from pyrotechnics to realistic sound effects like gunshots and the mastery of puppetry. The production runs at the Buell Theatre through Jan. 20.

One of the head puppeteers, Jon Riddleberger, who has been performing since the 5th grade and works the majority of the year at his theatre company in New York City, spoke with Out Front about what makes this production different, and why puppetry is an art in itself.

Holly Hatch: How is this show different from other productions you’ve been a part of and what is your role or character in the production and how is it unique?
Jon Riddleberger: The obvious thing that makes War Horse different from other show is that the main character is a horse, and that horse is portrayed by three people. ‘War Horse’ might be the first time a play has starred an animal that doesn’t talk. He’s not anthropomorphized. He’s just a horse. I’m a head puppeteer for the two main horses in the show. I work with two other puppeteers (the heart and the hind) to bring the horses to life.

HH: Talk a bit about the art of puppeteering.
JR: Puppeteering excites me because it’s such a pure form of theater. It invites the audience to help imagine the puppet into life. I like to say the horses have a fourth puppeteer, the audience. I think this puppetry is exciting because of the way we have to work in a team. This horse is a product of three people with different ideas and instincts coming together to make one character. It’s an incredibly exciting journey to go on.

HH: Who can relate to the message or theme?
JR: I think the thing about War Horse is that the message is unbelievably universal. It takes a moment of conflict, WWI, and really neutralizes all sides. No one is good and no one is bad. Michael Murpurgo, who wrote the original book, likes to say that this story is an anthem for peace. I think in a time when gay rights are still being fought over it’s meaningful to see a story like this.

HH: What is your favorite element about this particular production?
JR: I love how minimal the production is. We’re able to stage a war with very few sets and props. It’s pretty magical. We haven’t started at the Buell yet but I’m really excited to be in Denver. I visited once when I was younger and really liked it!

HH: As a performer, do you have any rituals or unique things you do before a show night?
JR: I have my physical and vocal warm-ups that I do nightly. My team and I have our own rituals. We always hug when getting in or out of the horse. Intermission will usually be a time for us to talk about that nights show and get us ready to go into act two.

HH: What do you see as valuable about the art of puppeteering? Why should people come see this show, in your opinion?
JR: I think audiences are very surprised about their reaction to the show. I hear people remarking that they didn’t expect to get so attached to a puppet. But I think they could get so attached because it a puppet. They helped us make that character come to life and each person in the audience has their own Joey in their imagination. It’s a very exciting thing to be a part of.

HH: What are one or two aspects that made this show fun for you, or exciting, or especially flavorful?
JR: It’s a blast to get to travel the country. Each city and each audience is so different. But all of them have been so appreciative of the show. So it’s awesome to get to bring this story around the country.

HH: People in the LGBT community are very fond of the theatre for aesthetic reasons. Talk about aesthetic appeal.
JR: When seeing the show the obvious aesthetic choice is minimalism. There’s very little on stage besides people (and of course giant horse puppets). The lighting design makes some incredible illusions happen using just fog and stage lights. There are some really gorgeous English folk songs throughout. I think the show is very picturesque. Each scene is a new image being burned on the stage. It’s one of the most beautiful shows I’ve ever been in.

’War Horse’ runs through Jan. 20 at the Buell Theatre. More info at DenverCenter.org.