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Realists can see Robert “Dr. Bob” Armstrong’s “Love is a Rabid Dog from Hell” puppet show.
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Robert “Dr. Bob” Armstrong pulls the strings in a scene from “Love is a Rabid Dog from Hell,” a play he and his puppets will perform at 8 p.m. tonight at the Winona Arts Center. Armstrong says he’s trying to keep Valentine’s Day real by showing that love doesn’t always end in happily ever after. (Photo by James A. Bowey of the Winona Daily News)
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Armstrong and his puppets will perform tonight at the Winona Arts Center. Admission is $3 for singles, $7 for couples.
Seriously.
“I think I’m trying to keep Valentine’s Day for the true romantics,” Armstrong, 37, said. “It’s about more than a bucketful of candy and a peck on the cheek.”
There’s comedy, tragedy and just plain oddity in the plot, inspired by the Italian opera “Pagliacci.”
There’s a cheating spouse, a jealous husband and a plot for revenge. The puppets play actors in a play within a play.
“All that really matters is the passion and jealousy and bad stuff that happen to the characters for being jerks,” Armstrong said.
Dr. Bob has a stable of seasoned puppet actors who have performed in past productions, including “A Christmas Carol,” “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” and “Hot Lava.”
There’s Trixie, a blue-eyed brunette who is always having man problems and Captain Argh, a bad pirate actor who once played Scrooge.
And there’s Hank, a creepy guy who smells bad and whose underpants are always falling down. Armstrong said his ex-wife told him Hank reminded her of everything she didn’t like about him.
Dr. Bob has performed a Valentine’s Day play for the past six years. He performed a play by the same name last year but has fine tuned the plot and his puppets.
Some years the outlook is a little rosier. This year, he admits it’s pretty brash and harsh.
“I’m definitely on the side of love, but I want to open people up to the fact that love can lead up to some pretty sour things,” Armstrong said.
While Armstrong performs puppet shows for kids, this one is aimed at adults.
“I think they’re going to get a Valentine’s Day they won’t soon forget,” Armstrong said. “Maybe they’ll get a little more passion in their lives.”
"Love is a Rabid Dog from Hell"
What: Puppet show by Dr. Bob; also, “Love is Stupid,” a sci-fi musical film
When: Tonight — doors open at 7:30 p.m., entertainment starts at 8 p.m.
Where: Winona Arts Center, 228 E. Fifth St.
Cost: $3 for singles, $7 for couples. Seriously.
Contact Käri Knutson at kknutson@winonadailynews.com, (507) 453-3523 or 1-800-328-2182, ext. 3523.
Salvadore D. wrote on Feb 14, 2007 12:44 PM: