Dressed in black to blend into the dark background, Caroline Socha brings a puppet to life as a performer for Thistle Theatre, a group producing shows to entertain the entire family.

Socha, a Ballard resident, enjoys what she does. "There is definitely an energy flow through the puppets," she said.

A few weeks ago, members of Thistle Theatre staged "The Tiger and the Dried Persimmon," at the Sunset Hill Community Club for students from Adams Elementary School.

The club on Sunset Hill is one of three adopted homes where they do their shows. They also perform at Factoria Mall and Magnuson Park.

The show is about a young tiger who meets a mother and daughter. The child is crying and stops when the mother hands her a dried persimmon. The Tiger then hides, believing the persimmon has special powers.

Thistle Theatre explains that the educational emphasis of the show is the Korean culture and problems that arise from misunderstandings. The Theatre was formed in 1991 by Jean Enticknap, a former theatre instructor at Highline Community College.

The non-profit group has performed over 25 plays since it began and averages four a year.

Thistle Theatre specializes in folktales performed in the Japanese Bunraku style. The puppeteers are dressed head to toe in black and operate the puppets from behind with a black background.

Unlike normal theatre acting , Bunraku has more possibilities. "You can create. You are not limited by the human body. You can have things flying and flowing and be imaginative," said Enticknap.

"The Tiger and the Dried Persimmon," requires three puppeteers.

"For me, performing is fun and you can be incognito. The movements are realistic. It takes a team of three people. We rehearse a lot to get it right," said Socha.

It can take one year to research a show and three months to rehearse and build the sets.

"It's like learning to walk again through puppets," said Socha.

When the group is not doing shows in one of its three venues, they visit schools, especially those with Japanese language programs.

Many of their productions are based on Japanese or Korean folktales. "There are not many people doing Japanese stories," said Enticknap.

Thistle Theatre offers half-priced tickets to enable students from low-income families to attend their productions. "We offer discounted tickets as much as possible," said Enticknap.

Thistle Theatre chooses plays which work well for kid's ages three to four years old and don't talk down to older kids. Adults find the productions entertaining.

The spring production, "Frog Lake," comes to the Sunset Hill Community Club, 3003 N.W. 66th St. on May 5 (7:30 p.m.) and May 6, 7 (1 and 3 p.m.) The show is based on the classic ballet "Swan Lake." Visit www.thistletheatre.org or call 524-3388 for information and a complete schedule.