About Artellephant Productions

Troupe History

Artellephant Productions is a family troupe that has performed many shows throughout the Ottawa area. Shows are directed by puppeteer Mike Artelle who also creates the puppets. His mother, Peggy Artelle, creates the scenery and is a puppeteer, while his father, Bob Artelle, is the troupe's carpenter and sound technician. Past shows were performed at regional fairs, churches, community centres and libraries. These were based on popular fables including The Three Billy Goats, Jack and the Beanstalk, and The Fisherman and the Golden Fish. Original stories included The Phantom's Christmas, The Case of the Snowman Toppler, and The Pirate Mice. Currently a Halloween show is in production.

From time to time we also offer puppet workshops. Please vist our puppet workshops page for more information.

Mike Artelle

Director, Puppeteer, Puppet Builder

From a young age, Mike Artelle has been enthusiastic about puppetry creating many puppets and original plays. Shows were performed throughout Ottawa with family or friends assisting as additional puppeteers. After attending the Eugene O'Neil Conference in 1995, Mike produced a short video production The Sea Monster and the King staring his signature character Gordon the Sea Monster. In 1997 he co-founded the Ottawa Puppetry Club with Sarah Shepard to promote local puppetry, and the group is still in operation today. Mike worked with Carleton University's Sock n' Buskin theatre during their production of Little Shop of Horrors in 1999, creating several Audrey II puppets and providing the manipulation.

Mike Artelle and friends in the Artellephant puppet workshop. Photograph by Jessie Johnson

In 2003 Mike produced the documentary John Conway and Uncle Chichimus, in collaboration with the Canadian Museum of Civilization, about a puppeteer who became a pioneer of Canadian television. The documentary was screened the following year for the Puppeteers of America Regional Festival at the University of Connecticut and in Jonquière, Quebec during the Festival international des arts de la Marionnette. Presently, Mike is editor of the Ontario Puppetry Association's newsletter OPAL, and is in second year of the Applied Museum Studies program at Algonquin College. He hopes to someday open a puppetry museum in Ottawa.

Peggy Artelle

Puppeteer,Puppet Builder, Scenery Designer

In addition to working with Artellephant Productions, Peggy has created puppets and performed many productions with the Pegaron Puppetry theatre troupe. She continues to serve as President of the Ottawa Puppetry Club, for which she organizes the annual OPC Puppet Variety Show.

Bob Artelle

Carpenter, Puppeteer, Sound Technician

In addition to working with Artellephant Productions, Bob has assisted the Ottawa Puppetry Club with their variety shows, and constructed sets for Pegaron Puppetry.

Questions, please e-mail Mike Artelle at
artellephant@webruler.com