File puptcrit/puptcrit.0503, message 41


From: CzechMarionettes-AT-aol.com
Date: Tue, 8 Mar 2005 11:06:14 EST
To: puptcrit-driftline.org-AT-lists.driftline.org
Subject: [Puptcrit] Ruptcrit] shadows outsin the living daylights




In a message dated 3/8/2005 9:21:03 A.M. Eastern Standard Time, 
mail-AT-magicalmoonshine.org writes:

This may  seem an unusual query, but I have been wondering about the
possibility of  doing a shadow show outdoors in the daytime.  I was wondering
if  anyone has tried this.  It seemed that if the screen was in shade and a=20
strong light was shone on a white screen from behind (or the sun) and the 
puppets were in front rather than behind the screen that it might be 
possible.  I have tried shadow effects outdoors in heavily shaded  areas in
the past and was not satisfied with the results, but that was  with the
shadows behind the screen in the traditional fashion.  They  were visible but
very washed out.  Anyone want to weigh in on this  idea?  I'm sure the idea
has been explored before....
Michael 



You have all the elements right, so just play with them.  Direct  sunlight
from the front is worse than from the rear. 

We had surprisingly well defined shadows in our White Doe performance at  the
WTC plaza, of course, there was this huge tower, or two of them behind  us
that cut the sunlight nicely.  (The plaza was like a wind tunnel and it  toppled
over our proscenium, but that is another story.)

In a parks tour of Hamlet last fall, we had a few matinees.  On  the sidewalk
(sic!) next to Washington Market Park in Tribeca, we managed to  actually use
sunlight as our light source for the shadows, and it looked  great and eerie.
 The matinee had better shadows than the evening  performance with too many
ambient light sources from street lamps etc.  We  also did well in a matinee in
Snug Harbor in STaten Island where we were shaded  by the Music Building.  
At Plaza Cultural in Manhattan, we  had planned to push the shadow screen all
the way to the far end of the playing  area, to  catch the shadow of a willow
tree.   The sun moved  to an uncomfortable angle since we had rehearsed it
earlier, and it  didn't work well, so, for the next shadow scene (Laertes-Hamlet
duel), we  invited the audience to move to the other side of the screen.  We
made the  decision in the middle of the performance and whispered directions to
everybody  in the cast while on stage, and somehow we managed to be more or
less on  the same page when the moment came.


V=C3=ADt Horej=C5=A1
Artistic Director


THE CZECHOSLOVAK-AMERICAN MARIONETTE THEATRE
JOHANNES DOKCHTOR FAUST

The Petrifying Puppet Comedye
Starring  100-year old puppets
With a supporting cast  of  Michelle Beshaw, Jonathan Cross, Yvette Edery,V=C3=ADt
 Horejs & Theresa Linnihan

Boston Playwrights=E2=80=99 Theatre
949  Commonwealth Avenue, Boston
Monday, March 14 and Tuesday, March 15, at 7:00  PM
Tickets $5 for students, others $8
For reservations call (617)  353-6211

& in NYC
Jan Hus Playhouse
351 E 74th Street  between 1st & 2nd Avenues
March 31-April 17
Thur-Sat, at 7:00  pm,   Sunday matinees at 5:00 pm
Tickets $18/$12 SmartTix  212-868-4444  _http://www.smarttix.com/_
(http://www.smarttix.com/)


czechmarionettes-AT-aol.com_  http://www.czechmarionettes.org/_
(http://www.czechmarionettes.org/)
212-777-3891
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