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Photo by Richard Gwin

Spencer Lott, a Lawrence native and current Kansas University student, stages puppet shows for children, including a recent event at KU Bookstore.

Photo by Richard Gwin

Zoe Smith holds 7-month-old Ebben Smith, of Lawrence, through the performance.

Photo by Richard Gwin

This view shows what Lott looks at as he works with a computer and wire on pieces of paper.

As a kindergarten student, Spencer Lott wrote that he wanted to be the next Jim Henson. Fifteen years later, the Kansas University theater student is working to make his dream a reality.

Lott is as a puppet designer, builder and performer in addition to being a full-time student. He’s conceptualized thousands of puppets and built hundreds of them, both for himself and for others. In fact, he currently rents two rooms in his apartment — one for himself and one for his puppet workshop.

“There are two points during the whole process that I really enjoy,” he says. “One is the point when I’ve just completed a puppet. I love that feeling; I love showing it off. And I love performing. I love doing a live show because I have this communication with the audience.”

During shows, puppets serve as tools for Lott to hide behind.

“The focus is on something I’m doing and not on me,” he says. “I’m not the one getting the laughs. The puppet is.”

Lifelong devotion

Blaming his lifelong passion on watching too much “Sesame Street” as a child, Lott has been performing publicly since he was 17. During his time at KU, he has put on shows at the KU Bookstore.

As a fan of children’s literature and animation, many of his shows are oriented toward children. However, the young audience poses challenges.

“If you can keep a toddler sitting down for more than a half-hour, most parents will thank you,” he says.

However, the challenge goes beyond entertaining children.

“The real key is keeping adults entertained,” he says.

Dennis Christilles, associate professor in KU’s theater department, has worked with Lott on multiple occasions and says Lott is like an encyclopedia of puppetry.

“He does different types of puppets, and he’s always exploring,” Christilles says. “He’s really put his life into studying puppets. He’s a great observer of what other people have done before and incorporates that into his work.”

Lott says he owes much to Paul Mesner, of Paul Mesner Puppets in Kansas City, Mo., whom he met in high school. During his senior year, Lott traveled to San Antonio and performed in one of Mesner’s productions.

“I think it ruined his perfect attendance in high school,” Mesner says. “But he made a choice, and I was thrilled. But I also respected what that meant to him.”

Mesner says Lott brought a great dynamic to the group and could inspire the high-school-aged audience members through his actions. Since that time the two have performed together a few times and Mesner has seen Lott’s work at national festivals.

“(His puppetry) is very funny, a breath of fresh air,” Mesner says.

Lott’s hard work and dedication toward his craft has not gone unnoticed. Later this month, Lott will be attending the Eugene O’Neill Center’s National Puppetry Conference in Waterford, Conn., as an emerging artist with access to choreographers, composers, playwrights and directors as he develops his own piece.

He has also earned a scholarship to attend the Puppeteers of America National Festival in Atlanta July 14-19.

Christilles says Lott’s success stems from his passion,

“It’s the same thing that I see with other great artists,” Christilles says. “He really seems to enjoy it. When he’s working you really get the feeling that he’d rather be doing this than anything else in the world. He’s completely dedicated. That’s what distinguishes an artist from a practitioner.”