Take Two translates the day’s headlines for Southern California, making sense of the news and cultural events that affect our lives. Produced by Southern California Public Radio and broadcast from October 2012 – June 2021. Hosted by A Martinez.
Los Angeles lost an icon over the weekend when puppeteer Bob Baker died at age 90. His marionette theater opened near downtown in 1962 and is the oldest puppet theater in the US.
The Bob Baker Marionettes delighted children of all ages for for many years. But Baker struggled with paying the mortgage on the theater building and it was recently sold.
His friend Greg Williams, who is also a puppeteer and co-trustee of the theater, says the current lease goes through March and he plans to pay month-to-month after that. Williams says he and the team at Bob Baker Marionettes are in no rush to leave and plan to keep it going as long as he can.
Williams says that Los Angeles deserves to keep the puppet show going and adds, "People really enjoy bringing their family to see the theater."