Lihu’eacute; Rearte: What is that you have in your hands? Is that a puppet?
Pablo Benjamin Casco, architecture sophomore: Yes. Actually, it is the first puppet I ever got. My grandfather gave it to me when I was a little ni’ntilde;o.
Rearte: Do you work as a puppeteer or you just like to give shows to your family and friends in your free time?
Casco: Every now and then I go to Mexico to do some shows or I give shows at a Peruvian cantina … but that is not my only profession.
Rearte: Is that like a summer job? What other jobs do you have?
Casco: I would say it’s more of a hobby. But other than being a puppeteer I also sell sausage sandwiches at the Houston Dynamo’s games every weekend I can.
Rearte: I thought they only sell hot dogs. Anyways, what are you going to do when the season ends?
Casco: I’m working on that. I have many projects for the future in my mind. The one that I’m very interested in is to become a dog walker because I know that during the summer no one wants to take a walk with a 100-degree temperatire. Trust me, this will become a huge success next summer.
Rearte: Maybe this is your opportunity to advertise it. What are your other plans for the summer?
Casco: That would make my day. You can check out my webpage at www.paseoperros_vieja.com. In the summer I’m hoping to get into the study abroad plan for puppeteers at the University of Venice in Italy.
Rearte: You seem to have a lot going on in your life. Is there any place in Houston where people can go to see you perform?
Casco: Well, I recently got sponsored by the nightclub/buffet/spa Riviera. I’m doing my shows over there every Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday at 8 p.m.
Rearte: Is Italy the only place where you can become a professional puppeteer? Or you just like the romantic scene of Venice?
Casco: There are a couple of places where the art of puppets is becoming a hit. I prefer Venice because that is where it all started and where the best puppeteers in history learned their tricks.
Rearte: Where do you get the inspiration to do this?
Casco: My grandpa is a role model for me. He was like the character of Gepetto in the Pinocchio story. He came up with the idea of the bananas in pjs. You might not know this, but originally they were puppets and I used to play with them as a kid.
