Ty-Rone Travis wanted to share a serious message about the joy of learning with students at Lancaster Elementary School on September 27, so he did what he always does. He put words in someone else’s mouth—his puppets.
A professional ventriloquist, deejay and comedian, the Richmond native mesmerized nearly 600 students, who ranged from kindergarten to seventh grade. Two separate shows were hosted by the Rappahannock Foundation for the Arts (RFA).
Travis, appearing as Uncle Ty-Rone, brought to life the real stars of the show: the jeans-wearing puppet Ty-J—his seven-year-old son who faces peer pressures big and small; Raggz, a yellow hound dog hungry for healthy nutrition; and Baby T-Rex, a green dinosaur that shows students how to safely care for a younger sibling.
From the moment he walked out to his deejay table, Travis had the audience engaged, singing and dancing to….
