Central West End fire destroys legendary St. Louis puppet theater and kills one person

Firefighters found a body Saturday in the rubble of a fire that destroyed the legendary Bob Kramer’s Marionettes puppet theater in the Central West End on Friday night.

Tara Rick, director of operations for the St. Louis Office of the Medical Examiner, said Monday morning that forensic testing hadn’t yet begun, and it could take several days to positively identify the victim.

“The case is under our jurisdiction, but the victim hasn’t been scientifically identified at this time,” she said.

Harold Karabell, neighbor and president of the West Pine-Laclede Neighborhood Association, said he and others in the area are saddened by the incident.

“It’s unimaginable,” Karabell said. “Everyone is just horrified.”

The St. Louis Fire Department responded to a call shortly before 7:30 p.m. Friday, according to KSDK-TV Channel 5. Officials confirmed at 1 p.m. Saturday that a body had been recovered.

Fire department spokesman Capt. Garon Mosby told the TV station that firefighters went into the fully engulfed, two-story brick building to look for two people believed to be inside before being evacuated due to dangerous and rapidly deteriorating conditions.

Mosby said firefighters rescued one man, Dug Feltch, who was treated for smoke inhalation at a hospital. Feltch was Kramer’s partner for decades. They lived on the building’s second floor.

A post Saturday on the neighborhood association’s website described Kramer as a “neighborhood icon.”

“Bob Kramer’s Marionnettes burned down last night,” it stated. “It is a huge loss to them, to the neighborhood, and to the world of puppetry.”

A photo of Kramer was propped on a railing outside the theater on Saturday night, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

The building’s first floor dated back to 1913, the newspaper reported. It housed the theater, a gift shop and woodworking shop, where Kramer and Feltch built their own puppets.

Kramer and Feltch were upstairs watching TV when they smelled what they thought was a barbecue, according to Karabell, who talked to Feltch after he was rescued. Then the building erupted in flames.

Karabell speculated that the fire’s speed could have been accelerated by paint and other flammable items in the downstairs workshop.

Karabell organized a GoFundMe campaign for Feltch on Saturday. As of Monday morning, it had raised more than $40,000 of its $100,000 goal.

“For more than 50 years, Kramer’s Marionnettes has been a beloved institution in the City of St. Louis and an internationally-known cultural treasure,” the campaign page states.

“Co-Owner and Master Puppeteer Dug Feltch lost absolutely everything in a horrific fire on Friday evening, January 20. Dug is the longtime beloved vice president of the West Pine-Laclede Neighborhood Association. The association wants to assist him to the maximum extent possible.”

Kramer and Feltch produced puppet shows in the historic theater at 4143 Laclede Ave. They also traveled to major U.S. cities, Europe and Russia over the years.

The BND published a feature story about what was then known as Kramer’s Marionette Theater in 2005 with the headline “Look Who’s Pulling the Strings.” Kramer was 60 at the time.

“My godmother gave me marionettes, but when I was 3 or 4, I couldn’t handle the strings,” he said. “I needed time to untangle them.”

Kramer was 5 when he made his first puppet, a fabric clown. As of 2005, he had handcrafted an estimated 800 of them, including characters such as Marvin the Moose, Charlie the Caterpillar and Susie the Ostrich.

The last posts on the Bob Kramer’s Marionettes Facebook page in November and December promoted the holiday show “Christmas in Cookieland.” A message now on the theater’s website reads:

“On Friday, January 20, 2023 Bob Kramer’s Marionnettes was completely destroyed by an horrific fire. A GoFundMe page has been setup to help Dug Feltch, Bob Kramer’s partner, who lost everything in the fire. Any (assistance) you are able to provide is immensely appreciated.”

This story was originally published January 23, 2023 at 12:32 PM.