• King Richard's Faire (Kenosha, WI)
• King Richard's Faire (Carver, MA)

Groups/Characters:

• King Richard

Years:    

Memorial set for puppeteer, actor, Raymond J Nelson, 46

    A memorial service for Raymond J. Nelson, an actor and award-winning puppeteer who founded Chicago's Puppet Place, will be held at 6 p.m. Nov. 26 at the Organic Theater, 3319 N. Clark.
       Mr. Nelson, 46, died of heart and liver failure Oct. 6 at Borgress Hospital in Kalamazoo, Mich., said the executor of his estate, Chris Sherbak.  Burial was private.
     In 1979, Mr. Nelson founded the family theater on North Halsted when his puppet troupe, the Dark Theater of Chicago, merged with two others.  Puppet Place has staged theater productions for children and adults, often incorporating live performers. 
    Mr. Nelson was noted for his puppet performances at Urban Gateways, Orchestra Hall, and the Goodman Theatre.  His many awards included two local Emmyss he won in the 1980's while mater pupeteer for a children's television program, "Magic Door," which was sponsored by the Chicago Board of Rabbis.
    John Byrne, managing director of Puppet Place, said, "He was our mentor, our colleague and our friend.  The spirit he left will live with us."
    Mr. Nelson left Puppet Place to live in Watervliet, Mich., about 10 years ago, but he continued to serve as artistic director.  Today, the troupe operates as a traveling company.
    A large, bearded man, Mr. Nelson was seldom seen, because of his backstage work with his characters.  But he was a familiar figure to many people who visited the Bristol (Wis.) Renaissance Faire every year.  He played King Richard there until a few years ago, then continued to serve as a storyteller and puppeteer.  He also had acting roles at the Goodman, Body Politic, and Organic theaters.
    Mr. Nelson started his life's work during his childhood.  Inspired by Burr Tillstrom, the creator of Kukla, Fran and Ollie, he used crude puppets to give backyard shows at his Homewood home.
    "When I first saw the show, I really freaked out, and I thought that beyond that little stage, you know, the puppets had a living room and a kitchen," he said in a Chicago Sun-Times interview.  "But when I found out that beyond the stage there was nothing but a TV studio, that was OK, because that meant that I could create this magic, too."
    He eventually left Homewood for the Back of the Yards area and later moved to the North Side.
    Mr. Nelson was a member of the Puppeteers of America, Actors Equity and U.N.I.M.A., an international organization of puppeteers.  He also belonged to the Chicagoland Puppetry Guils, where he was a past president.
    He leaves no immediate survivors.

Thanks to Diane Hayes (nee Rugger) for this info.