Jackie Smook has spent years crafting characters and props for “Dilly’s World,” her whimsical web series and touring theatrical show about a girl confronting big issues with the help of some puppet friends. Her life’s work was stolen early Monday when thieves swiped a shipping box containing many of her puppets from outside her Beachwood Canyon apartment.
Among the missing are Angus the bassist, Phyllis the mail-delivering puppet, Holstein, who was holding an intricate saxophone prop, and Dumont, who had a television stand. A large puppeteered car, drum set, piano, wigs, costumes and all manner of merchandise were also stolen. Smook estimates the total cost to be roughly $40,000.
“We are starting from zero, basically,” she said. “It’s just a really tragic loss. My hands bled to make these things.”
The U-Haul box stuffed with props was delivered Saturday afternoon from Chicago, where Smook recently toured. She went to unpack it around 6 a.m. Monday and realized it was gone. So was the trailer carrying the box, suggesting that someone broke a lock, attached the entire thing to their vehicle and drove off, Smook said.
Surveillance stills from a neighbor’s camera suggest the box was taken just minutes before Smook came outside — between 5:35 and 5:49 a.m. — but the footage did not capture any potential suspects, she said.
Police responded and took a report of a stolen vehicle, a Los Angeles Police Department public information officer said.
The blow was particularly devastating because the show has no big investors or grant financing, Smook said. She’s mostly kept it afloat with money she saved while working in real estate in Chicago.
Smook is now racing to rebuild all of the props and puppets by Feb. 22, when her next show is slated to take place at the Dynasty Typewriter theater. But she’s not doing it alone: Dozens of artists have reached out to help, including those in Los Angeles, Chicago and even as far as Toronto and Trinidad, Smook said. She’s also launched an online fundraiser to bolster the effort.
There’s no way to replace all that was lost in less than two weeks, but Smook has been heartened by the support.
“The show will totally go on,” she said. “And it’s going to be one of the best shows ever because of how much the community has come together.”
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