Bob Aiken -
Bruiser the Dog / Cloud of Dust Puppets

The Cloud of Dust Theater is Bob Aiken, his two hands, and his cast of puppet/mask characters. He has been performing for children and their families since 1971. It was then that either by accident or Divine intervention, he discovered he had the ability to breathe life into a puppet. What better way would there be for a dreamer to live his life, since the key to working a puppet is pretending. Bob is an experienced pretender. In the early days it was the hedge in his parents yard that became the Alamo wall and Davy Crockett defended it to the death. Now it's his ragdog Bruiser, who evokes comments from the audience like, "How did he get the dog inside that suit?" The characters in his shows have many shapes and sizes, but the common trait is, they live!!!

"Puppet Variations" is a lighthearted piece of puppet theater, that the whole family can enjoy together. The appeal of this variety show arises from the living puppet. That mysterious moment, when the moving puppet "lives," gathers the attention of any age. Four puppet styles and four performing techniques form a visual smorgasbord in "PV". Its simple approach and positive attitude have touched and brought smiles to audiences across the U.S. at venues ranging from birthday parties, art festivals, to state fairs.