Marlene Marallo and Patrick Wadden have been changing the world one giant puppet at a time for 32 years. Their Arm-of-the-Sea Theater company produces unabashedly optimistic shows of paint and papier mâché, larger-than-life puppets and masks with an exaggerated folkloric quality. Perfection is not the goal; they aspire to inspire. Accompanied by its resident band of musicians, the company performs at schools around the country and in its natural amphitheater in Tina Chorvas Park in Saugerties. Its annual pageant, the "Esopus Creek Puppet Suite," puts puppets in the hands of local volunteers to bring the region's history to life—this year, 20th-century Saugerties. The suite will begin August 22 at 8pm and will run through August 24, at Tina Chorvas Park. (845) 246-7873; Armofthesea.org
