What should the customer know about your pricing (e.g., discounts, fees)?

Craig Browning worked within the world of professional stage magic for nearly 5 full decades, primarily as a technical consultant and effect designer. His involvement with magic/mentalism and puppetry spanned decades and enveloped thousands of hours of study, practice, and of course, the hundreds and even thousands of dollars invested into the puppets and illusions.

The Pioneer Valley Puppet Company maintains fees and rates comparable to other variety attractions within the greater New England region. Most private party services starting as low as $300.00 with plenty of room for expansion and tailoring.

What is your typical process for working with a new customer?

The first thing we seek to do is find out what it is they need, or in some instances, show them a direction to go, be it with amusements or for marketing purposes, by employing puppets and/or magic.

When it comes to the majority of our customers, the chances are strong that they’ve never considered Puppets as part of their resource when it comes to marketing & hospitality events. Grown-ups in particular have the bad habit of thinking puppets and magic are just for kids, but it’s not children that are making multi-millionaires like award-winning ventriloquists like Terry Fator and Jeff Dunham. (But then, we don’t charge anything close to what they demand).

Helping clients to meet their vision is our obligation; we want to deliver you a quality fun-filled experience.

How did you get started doing this type of work?

If you could take a time machine back to the early 1960s you would find a myriad of shows, especially on Saturday mornings that inspired youngsters. For me there were two very specific shows; The Magic Land of Alakazam and the Shari Lewis & Lambchop show. There would be others through my teen and early adult years including Jim Henson’s Muppets and of course, the creations of Sid & Marty Kroft.

What Ages Do You Birthday Parties Work Best With?

We do not recommend shows for children under 5 years of age, especially when it comes to our “Magical Birthday” program which works best with kids 9 to 12 years of age.

Do You Travel?

Yes! we are willing to go wherever we’re needed but tend to do most of our work within the Massachusetts Commonwealth.

Will Travel Affect Rates?

Yes! If you are within the greater Springfield, MA area (Northampton, Amherst, Florence, etc.) rates stay comparatively low, with private services starting as low as $350.00. But in cases where more than 30 minutes worth of road time is involved the price will go up. As to how much an increase there is depends on location, distance, mode of travel and if or not we will require hotel facilities for an over-night stay.

What types of customers have you worked with?

The Pioneer Valley Puppet Company is brand new, we officially begin active bookings in September of 2024, introducing ourselves in late August via Free Public Shows @ the Liberal Arts Gallery on Pleasant St. in downtown Northampton (Aug 17, 24 & 31 with showtimes @ 1:00 and 3:00) and the debut of our IMAGINATION show.

Over the years however, Craig Browning has performed in a wide range of venues; everything from Carnival Side Shows and under a Circus Big Top at the Ohio State Fair, to noted casino properties throughout Nevada. He is best known for his work as a technician and illusion designer as well as consultant when it comes to both, performance art and marketing exhibition.

In the late 1990s Craig Browning was associated with the Creative Illusions design and manufacturing company in Las Vegas where he assisted in the development of several award winning illusion systems with the legendary Ken Whitaker. Prior to this he was the right hand man for magic historian/inventor Kirk Kirkham whom he refers to as being his “mentor” (going so far as to feature a tribute to the man during his current “Country Club” shows).

What’s with the Wheelchair?

As noted, Craig was diagnosed with RRMS in the fall of 2004 after a lifetime of suffering off and on weakness and enduring pain. The illness caused him to have exceptional weakness with the left leg and so getting around was challenging. The powerchair allowing him to get around town and prove more self-sufficient than he’d otherwise be. Over the past 4 years the MS has been in remission, allowing him to regain strength and confidence in walking greater distances though he may rely on a cane more often than not.

When working with an exceptionally large puppet, like Theo the bear, Craig will employ the chair for ease of support and manipulation. This is very common when it comes to strolling styled performances in which the duo meet and greet guests at events.

What’s the Biggest Mistake People Make When Hiring a Magician or Puppet Artist for a Function?

Few folks ever stop to consider just what they are paying for, they just hear that $500.00+ figure “for a kiddie show”, forgetting that the performer has invested years, sometimes decades into learning their craft as well as acquiring an inventory of characters as well as support equipment for their show offerings.

Here’s a couple of examples… The 3 puppets featured in our “Paranormal Puppet” program each cost between $300.00 and as much as $600.00 to acquire. Add to this practice and rehearsal time which equates to about 2-5 hours a day PER CHARACTER!

Big Illusions, like the Chair Suspension currently in the IMAGINATION show, retail at over $2,000.00 for a proven safe, professional model. While there are versions of this trick that can be purchased for far less, Craig employs a unit that was built by one of the industry’s most knowledgeable and recognized experts.

Add to these factors other “hidden costs” like warehousing, insurance, maintenance, road cases, etc. and it’s easy to see why even the smallest of programs can get “costly.”

How Far Ahead of Time Should I Confirm My Engagement?

We prefer that all dates be confirmed by written agreement and cash deposit (35% of total fee) no less than 30 days ahead of the event itself. In instances of customized shows and promotional engagements, 90 days out works best, allowing us to tend to travel arrangements and other issues surrounding your dates. When it comes to the Holiday Season, especially New Years and Halloween, we strongly encourage you to plan 9+ months in advance.

What Methods of Payment to You Accept?

We try our best to run all payments, including deposits, through PayPal. We have found that this is the most reliable means by which to confirm payment.

As Noted… all dates require no less than a 35% deposit which is about $150.00 on average. This sum IS NOT refundable if the event is canceled within 60-days of the scheduled engagement. The Balance of all fees must be paid PRIOR to our arriving and setting up the show. Absolutely no program will be delivered within confirmation of this payment.

THE EXCEPTION… if you are a company and have worked with us in the past, we will accept a 30-day net agreement on stock performance services. We only extend this arrangement with established clients however.

Do You Do Charity Performances?

We do offer FUNdraising programs for non-profit groups. We DO NOT do any performances for religious institutions or with a religious message however. There are plenty of others that do this sort of thing, we would refer you to the Fellowship Christian of Magicians if this the kind of program you are looking for.

When it comes to fundraising, we offer a 50/50 profit share program known as a Family Fun Nite which is perfect for schools, scouting groups,

Will You Work with PRIDE Events & the LGBTQ Community?

CERTAINLY!

Craig Browning is quite vocal when it comes to the issue of human rights and social justice. We have no problem working with most any minority group or even political action activities when it comes to the issue of human rights, human dignity and true American Liberty & Freedoms. A Gay Family Household is just as viable in our eyes as any other form of “family” situation.

Yes, we do recognize that in today’s world of division this could seem like a negative, but not in our minds and for a long list of reasons. We feel it is far more criminal and immoral to deny others of their identity, especially when they are not the ones causing harm within society.

Do You Do Club Dates?

Of course we do, especially Comedy & Variety Arts type facilities.

Craig Browning is prepared to deliver as little as 6 minutes to well over 60, depending on your company’s needs and desires. Drop us a line if you need to know more.

What do You Charge for Custom Promotional Consultation?

There’s a couple of ways to look at this. First of all, if you are a magician looking for a new or help with a routine, new effect development and so forth, we offer a sliding scale that starts with an initial $500.00 “Let’s Sit Down and Talk” meeting.

Companies seeking assistance in the development of static and/or educational displays can expect a $1,000.00 initial investment for up to 2 hours of Craig’s time, with a based $500.00 per additional hour + materials and related costs. This rate does not include those fees associated with any additional consultants we may need to bring in on the campaign.

Do You Do Close-Up Magic Engagements?

Rarely! We have our hands full just doing standard stage and parlor program. There are exceptions to this rule from time to time, but this is not an area that we specialize in, even though we have performed a lot of close-up over the year at Playboy, the Magic Castle and for the Flamingo Hilton in Laughlin, NV.

Do You Still Do Mentalism and Bizarre Magick?

We reserve these performances to the month of October, though we do weave a bit of Mentalism into our current show offerings.

During the month of October we offer special stage and parlor enactments, which include Ghost Story and Séance type presentations. It is best to plan such attractions well in advance due to their popularity.