Most people familiar with the work of Phillip Huber and The Huber Marionettes are surprised to discover that he doesn’t come from Europe. He is a native of Northern Illinois small towns, born in Belvidere and raised in Dixon. Phillip was the youngest (by eighteen years) of three sons in a humble, middle-class household. Both of his brothers were out of the house and had joined the military by the time their young sibling appeared. His parents never suspected that their son might, one day, choose a career so foreign to the ordinary Midwestern work-a-day world.

Phillip was only three years old when his mother presented him with a gift of a hand puppet dog. He was delighted with this present, and although naturally shy, he could often be found hiding behind the couch, giving shows for anyone who might pass through the living room.

As he grew, so did his love for puppets. At age five, he was given his first marionette, also a gift from a mother who now recognized and encouraged her son’s growing fascination with this "pretend theater". The precious Howdy Doody marionette, purchased with S&H Green Stamps, was Phillip’s most treasured possession. But, marionette manipulation is not a simple skill to master, and Phillip was frequently frustrated in his attempts to make this character alive. His father, sitting in his easy chair, would hang the tangled mass of strings from a floor lamp and patiently unwind the little toy figure, returning to his paper just long enough to read one more article before his son would again request his untangling expertise.

Finally, at age 12, Phillip’s marionette performances started to show promise and a little remuneration. Props and scenery were added to the elaborately staged entertainments he offered to neighborhood children in the "basement theater" of his home. Learning from library books, he started designing, crafting, and sculpting his own marionette figures to replace the store-bought ones. He even developed a modest touring show for entertaining family reunions, mother-daughter banquets, Woman’s Club and Boy Scout meetings. This part-time profession would help to carry him through that awkward time called High School.

A diligent and creative student, he always found a way to incorporate his special talents into his schoolwork. An Abraham Lincoln marionette recited the Gettysburg Address for extra credit points in History class. A marionette dancer became a unique Art class project. Phillip’s performance engagements and professionalism increased with his experience and he even found himself becoming a minor local celebrity by winning first place in both The Petunia Festival and Walnut Days Talent Shows. All earnings and prize money went toward his Principia College tuition.

His mother sent him off to college with the cautious advice to study something that would help him find a "good-paying" job if Puppet Theater failed. Phillip took this advice to heart and entered upon a double major in Theater and Education, while filling electives with as many Art courses as possible. But, his love for puppetry & theater in general still managed to dominate his educational experience. He became known as the "puppet man" on campus. He built giant rod puppets for a department production of "The Tempest", instructed other education majors on the use of puppets in the classroom, even undertook a Senior Drama Project of designing, building, and directing a marionette production of Mozart’s "The Magic Flute" (including the training of six novice puppeteers). His dedication was rewarded. Within three days after graduation, he received a job offer and a plane ticket to California to join one of puppetry’s premier producers, Tony Urbano & Company. Phillip’s apprenticeship lasted eight years and delivered extensive experience in TV and stage performance.

Upon leaving the apprenticeship, Phillip spent a short period freelancing. He even performed with one of his idols, Jim Henson and The Muppets. Although major commercial work beckoned, his desire for greater artistic freedom led him to join forces with David Alexander and build a company known as The Huber Marionettes.

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