Since 1993 and Turn-Off-The-TV week in Salem, Massachusetts, Amy has presented conflict resolution puppet shows to children on the North Shore of Boston.
Why conflict resolution? Owning and operating a drop-in style preschool in Rockport, Massachusetts, from 2004 – 2009, Amy paid attention to the burning question implicitly asked of each 2 – 5-year-old who came through the door: what do you want to learn here? It was easy to recognize that each child was hungry to learn how to get along with the others. Amidst the rich environments of castle, jungle, and arts and sciences theme explorations, they worked on the freedoms and responsibilities of citizenship, friendship, competition, and cooperation.
The puppets often helped solve real-life problems by mimicking the problem behavior a child was exhibiting. This way, the puppet was able to transfer the attention of the group away from the child and onto itself. The problem was then addressed and solved by the group together with the help of the puppets. Once the puppet took on the issue by mimicry, all blame was safely released away from the child in trouble and everyone could safely take part in the discussion and the resolution.
Now, in 2022, Ms. Seabrook takes her skills on the road for performances and workshops for children at schools, libraries, and parties.
This summer will be her 18th year performing at Grey Fox Bluegrass Festival in Oak Hill, New York. The children become incensed as the main characters clash over issues of honesty and fair action. The shows are interactive and the children choose puppets to use to make their own ideas heard. They do not interrupt the flow of the shows, however, because they need to find out what happens next.
Amy’s workshops are a bit like magic because they grow from just a pile of puppets and props to discernible structures in experimentation and resolution.
