Today we’d like to introduce you to Carissa Schaeffer. They and their team shared their story with us below:
Cari’s Creatures (Formerly known as “St. Louis Fantasy Puppetry”) began with a chance encounter between a cosplayer, her puppet, and a young girl in a busy merchant’s lane. Freaks from the start, Cari began her career with Namu the Griffin as nothing more than a costume and a prop. They toured local conventions and events frequently until, one day; someone mentioned how well the giant creature would fit in at a Renaissance Festival. Cari and Namu had never been, so did not know exactly what to expect on that first journey. What they were welcomed into was nothing short of a magical fantasy land where guests of all ages were mystified by the large beast hung over Cari’s shoulders. Suddenly, this creature was no longer merely a prop but a true and living being. Cari found herself scrambling to come up with a story for the creature- his name, age, favorite food, and the like. After getting their footing, they found that they really enjoyed it! In fact, they enjoyed it so much that they returned every weekend for the full run, which prompted the festival to hire them- jump-starting their career as puppeteers!
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It has been an absolute roller coaster. Cari, our main puppeteer, and owner, is introverted and doesn’t like to hold conversations by nature, so it was a complete 180 going from simply showing off costumes to creating characters and acting in front of hundreds. To this day, they are still frequently told that they become a whole different person when the creatures go onto their shoulders. We have been in practice with our creatures for a total of five years now, and learning the do’s and don’ts of public appearance, particularly while sporting heavy and expensive props, took a lot of time and heavy research. Let’s not even mention how much weight and heat training goes into preparing for an outdoor show that can last 10 hours!
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar, what can you tell them about what you do?
Cari has been working professional animal careers for over fifteen years. Even now, with taming mythical creatures as their full-time job, they spend the weekdays working hard as a Veterinary Technician helping dogs, cats, small animals, birds, and reptiles. She is incredibly proud of her knowledge of animal husbandry and behaviors and loves passing this knowledge down to others.
Before we go, is there anything else you can share with us?
Little interactions, like interacting genuinely with someone for just a few minutes, can literally change that person’s life. Share your information. Compliment the person you admire from afar. Tell the actor what made you smile. Tip random performers a dollar. You never know what kind of sign that person is waiting for. It could very likely be you.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.cariscreatures.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cariscreatures/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/STLFantasyPuppetry
Image Credits
Inferno Imagery
