Seven Days: Vermont's Independent Voice

One String to Rule Them All

The fantastic world of J.R.R. Tolkien’s 1937 The Hobbit has been the setting for cartoons, feature films and countless elvish entertainments. But a puppet show? Husband-and-wife team Dan Baginski and Barbara Paulson of the Randolph-based No Strings Marionette Company entertain kids and adults alike with their new small-stage adaptation of Bilbo Baggins’ big adventure, in which an erstwhile homebody helps dwarves reclaim a dragon’s hoard. Over two years, the pair handmade all the artfully suspended figures and sets in the show — including, of course, a green-skinned Gollum. “No Strings” means there’s no theater-top façade: Audience members can see precisely how the puppeteers animate the marionettes. No word on whether Paulson and Baginski will eventually take on Tolkien’s entire Lord of the Rings trilogy, but Peter Jackson better watch out.