Exploring Life & Business with Joshua Sellers of Puppet City Tours

Today we’d like to introduce you to Joshua Sellers.

Hi Joshua, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstories.
So 2014 was the year that puppets came into my life. I was touring children’s theaters across the Upper Midwest and saw that a new biography of Jim Henson had just come out. I, of course, had always been a fan of the Muppets (who isn’t?) and I needed something new to read so I entered my shipping info and two days later I’m learning all about this Great American Genius. That set off a sequence of events that led me to where I am today.

You see, the other actor I was touring with had coincidentally worked for a puppet company in Cincinnati, Ohio called Madcap Puppets. I was coming to the end of my contract and needed a new acting job, so I figured why not apply there? So I bought a little emu puppet online and videotaped myself doing a bunch of funny voices (think surfer bro followed by an English gentleman, that sort of thing) and submitted my audition. Three months later, I’m living in downtown Cincinnati and studying this art form that would change my life forever.

We all face challenges, but would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Well, there are always physical challenges. Puppetry can be hard on the body, especially your shoulders and hands.

If the puppet is too heavy or the mouth plate too large you may be walking around like a wounded athlete for a few days. But that’s nothing that some solid qi gong, core strength, and stretching can’t fix. In terms of building Puppet City Tours the biggest challenges have been figuring out how to move out of a state of obscurity. There are so many families moving through Nashville every day and not enough opportunities for them to enjoy downtown. We’re trying to fill in that gap so I would say our biggest challenge is getting the word out. So thank you, Nashville Voyager, for helping us do that.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
I’d place Puppet City Tours strictly in the “Edu-tainment” category. When you come on one of our tours, you’ll learn all sorts of things about downtown and the history of our great state that you may not have known before. But most importantly, you’re going to have fun.

That’s the point of puppets after all – they’re just giant toys that talk to us. And personally, I believe we could all afford to take the fun a little more seriously. Not to get too existential but we’re all only here for a short amount of time. I believe that laughing, smiling, and having fun are how we show appreciation for this beautiful moment we’ve been given. So Puppet City Tours may not change the trajectory of your life but it will definitely help you celebrate it for that hour that you’re with us. So come hang out with us.

If you had to, what characteristic of yours would you give the most credit to?
I believe in my courage to do new things and be open to new opportunities. I know my willingness to stay the course of my life’s purpose has made me successful. I discovered early on that my life’s purpose is to entertain and delight audiences as an artist through storytelling.

Pricing:

• $23 per tour child
• $28 per tour adult
• 2 and under are free with an adult

Contact Info:

• Website: www.puppetcitytours.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/puppetcitytours/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/puppetcitytours
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/PuppetCityTours
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/puppet-city-tours-nashville

Image Credits:
Puppet City Tours