Behind The Curtains: How Puppets Made An Impact On Professor Meg Hanna-Tominaga

Written by Amanda Mathis

Thirty years ago, on a Sunday evening, you would find Professor Meg Hanna-Tominaga’s family gathered for dinner to watch one of her favorite shows – The Muppet Show. This family tradition of spending time together, laughing at the antics of Kermit and Miss Piggy, and being captivated by the magic of puppetry had a profound impact on her career and love for puppets.

“My love for puppetry began as a kid while eating pizza,” said Tominaga. “My family bonded over watching The Muppet Show, and I found the characters fascinating.”

When chatting with Converse University’s Associate Professor of Theatre, you quickly learn that she has a passion for the arts, which started at a young age. From watching the Muppets, The Sound of Music, and Sesame Street, this type of theatre has intrigued Tominaga and remained a fascination during her undergraduate days. 

When she embarked on a trip to Japan, she was introduced to the art of Bunraku puppetry, a traditional Japanese puppet theatre form that combines puppetry, narrative chanting, and music. This type of artwork is meticulously crafted, about half-life-size, and often operated by three skilled puppeteers who are visible to the audience.

“It expanded my knowledge of puppetry and I loved it,” said Tominaga. “So much that I introduced this type of theatre to my students.”

As an associate professor in Converse University’s Theatre program, Tominaga has taught several classes that include puppetry, such as Intro to Asia, where the focus is on puppetry from Indonesia, China, Japan, and Thailand. She even directed a unique collaboration of weaving together Japanese puppetry and Charles Dickens. Last May, Converse students participated in a project inspired by Kafka’s Metamorphosis, where they took pieces of their work and made a design choice. They focus on scene design, costume development, props, puppetry, and lighting and sound. 

“Puppetry is only successful in theatre when the audience accepts the puppet as real with their imagination.”

Professor Meg Hanna-Tominaga

“Puppetry is only successful in theatre when the audience accepts the puppet as real with their imagination,” she said. “To create a puppet is an act of labor.”

Converse University recognizes the impact that the arts and theatre departments have and their importance in our campus tapestry. The essential power of theatre to connect us to our larger world, and the skills learned through the theatre department, are not just for the stage. They are transferable to a variety of careers, providing a solid foundation for success in any field.

“Look at our President Boone Hopkins and Dean Chandra Owenby Hopkins. They both started in the theatre department and then moved on into leadership.”

Professor Meg Hanna-Tominaga

“Look at our President Boone Hopkins and Dean Chandra Owenby Hopkins. They both started in the theatre department and then moved on into leadership,” said Tominaga.

Meg brought puppetry to the stage in the fall of 2024 during Opening Convocation by delivering one of the most memorable addresses, in recognition of her Kathryne Amelia Brown Award. Established by the late Mr. and Mrs. James Douglas Brown in memory of their daughter, a 1970 graduate, this award recognizes faculty members who have demonstrated exceptional excellence in the classroom; the recipient presents the keynote address at Opening Convocation. She introduced the crowd to President Boone Hopkins, but in puppet form as she illustrated lessons learned from taking risks.

“I was thinking about what to say to the broader Converse community, and what is an important message that I could give,” said Tominaga. “I knew it had to be inspirational and to show that it’s okay to take a chance. Over the years, I have found that students are afraid of failure, and I wanted to illustrate the importance of taking risks.”

Converse’s theatre curriculum introduces students to all aspects of theatre performance and production. From directing to acting to puppetry, our program values theatrical training that spans all facets of production. Imagining yourself on stage or behind the curtain? Learn more about Converse Theatre and how you can be a part of our next production.