Jim Morrow and the Mermaid Theatre of Nova Scotia
Internationally-renowned puppeteer and choreographer of storybook characters, Jim Morrow, brings sheer joy to millions of children around the globe. He’s a multi-talented artist who creates puppets that come to life under his artistic direction on a theatrical stage.
The works of the Windsor-based Mermaid Theatre of Nova Scotia have traveled as far away as Japan, a land where stories about princes and princesses are real. Morrow and his troupe performed in the palace home of Crown Prince Naruhito and Princess Masako in 2005. Three-year-old Princess Aiko became an ardent fan of The Very Hungry Caterpillar, which Morrow adaptated from a story by American author Eric Carle.
Morrow, the company’s artistic director since 1991, is working on a new production that will be premiered in the autumn of 2006. The theatrical adaptation of Swimmy, Inch by Inch, and Frederick, three stories by American author Leo Lionni, will be staged throughout North America.
Puppetry is the cornerstone of Mermaid Theatre, says Morrow. “A puppet is simply an object that moves through space and is given life.” Puppetry is a form of animation, he explains. “Our characters are animated and given personalities.”
Morrow’s artistic achievements were recently celebrated in his home province of Nova Scotia. In March 2005, Morrow received the Portia White Prize for his contribution to the arts and culture in Nova Scotia and beyond. For its touring productions abroad, Mermaid Theatre earned the 2001 Export Achievement Award, presented for the first time to a performing arts company.
Among Mermaid’s repertoire of stage adaptations of stories for children are When Dinosaurs Dine by Moonlight, by New Brunswick writer Sheree Fitch, and Noah and the Woolly Mammoth, a production based on American writer Howard Norman’s tales of the Far North.
Originally from Grand Falls, Newfoundland, Morrow now makes Nova Scotia his home. He studied acting at Acadia University in Wolfville before joining the Mermaid Theatre 27 years ago. He later pursued his studies in puppetry under the late Jim Henson at the Institut International de la Marionnette in France.
Morrow exudes a boyish charm and a passion for storytelling. When he’s not creating puppets or storyboarding a production, he enjoys landscaping and strolling through his two-acre property in Port Williams.
by Christine Roger