My Journey with Puppetry

When Roberto Ferreira moved to Los Angeles in 2006, one of the first artists he met was puppeteer Michael Earl, best known for performing Mr. Snuffleupagus during the early seasons of Sesame Street.

One day, driven by curiosity, Roberto asked Michael what inspired him to become a puppetry teacher. Michael shared a story from his years working with Jim Henson. After seeing a commercial with poor puppetry, Michael reportedly told Jim, “Somebody needs to teach these people how to do this correctly.” According to Michael, Jim replied: “You should do it. Go ahead — spread the love.”

That conversation became a turning point in Roberto’s life.

Inspired by the idea of “spreading the love” through puppetry, Roberto and Michael co-founded Puppet School in 2010. Over the next five years, they built a vibrant creative community through classes, performances, videos, films, and live productions, sharing the art of puppetry with students from many different backgrounds.

In 2015, Michael became ill and later passed away from colon cancer. Heartbroken by the loss of his mentor and creative partner, Roberto believed his journey with puppetry had come to an end and shifted his focus toward filmmaking. But something unexpected happened: former students and artists kept reaching out with the same question — “When are the classes coming back?”

After two years of hearing the continued demand and realizing the creative movement they had built was still alive, Roberto decided to carry the mission forward. In October 2016, he founded  Puppetry Plus — a company dedicated to creativity, storytelling, education, and keeping the spirit of puppetry alive for future generations.