File puptcrit/puptcrit.0508, message 467


From: Angusson-AT-aol.com
Date: Mon, 29 Aug 2005 15:14:10 EDT
Subject: Re: [Puptcrit] Balloon Blowing
To: puptcrit-driftline.org-AT-lists.driftline.org


Hi Ray:

In 1953, I travelled as a young18 yo to my very first PofA festival at the 
University of Minnesota in the company of Joe and Mary Owens. 
Rufus and Margo Rose did not go that year and so arranged an introduction for 
me. The Roses and Owens were good friends.
Joe and Mary took me under their wing and we travelled in their car to 
Minneapolis. Back then, the interstate highways as we know them now had only just 
been begun. So we rode over miles of concrete which would abruptly die into 
graveled roads -the 'prep' for the highways.  
I used one of Joe's hand puppets - a dragon - during the ride and had fun as 
other cars with kids passed us.  I'd make it move and work the eyes. Simple 
pleasures....
Joe had a spring steel mechanism inside so that a single finger could close 
the eyes. Ingenious.

Joe was an engineer for General Electric Corp., in Schenectady, NY.  He was a 
mechanical genius. Where Rufus designed amazing controls, Joe developed 
amazing mechanics. I recall the device he had for his ballon blower. It appreared 
in an early Puppetry Journal as well, along with his singing tea pot which 
could pour out liquid. I think it had moving eyes, too. Not sure. 
He had a wonderful knife throwing act. The 'knife' was recessed into the 
thrower's arm.  As the thrower reached into the basket to get another knife, an 
electro-magnet, worked by a foot switch, pulled the knife out for all to see. As 
the thrower raised his arm to throw the knife, a spring release snapped the 
knife back into the arm as another 'knife' appeared in the target opposite, 
wobbling. These several knives were preloaded and released by a string pulled by 
the puppeteer. 

We had some pretty interesting folks at that festival too. Basil Milovsorof 
performed his "Sinbad's Eighth Voyage,' Ellen and Romaine Proctor, George 
Merten from Canada -wonderful, gentle man with amazing marionettes.  John Shirley 
and Lem Williams led the workshops.  Many other 'greats.' The Roses and Martin 
and Olga Stevens were not there.
At that time the fests were short, followed by what they called 'The 
Institute,' where we spent 7 days in intensive classes, (no shows) led by the Poctors. 
 Rod Young, Kathy Piper, Bob Mills and others were in this session. We did it 
all. Mostly marionettes.

Some of the Owens' 'archives' were sold off on eBay a few years back. I 
bought a letter from Rufus to Joe describing the brass horns he needed for his act 
with Oscar, the trained seal. The horns are still around. Joe must have made 
them in his shop.

I would ask Jim Gamble about his statement that the fests back then were 
"...more a closed social gathering than a National Puppetry Festival."  Unless I 
mistook his meaning.
The fest(s) then, as now, were open to all, with a fairly broad 
representation of puppeteers from all over the country and in fact, the world with a broad 
range of experiences. And to me, 'open' in the sense that most every 
experienced puppeteer was more than willing - in fact - eager to share what he knew. I 
know Jim would not disppute this. I just don't understand the "...closed 
social gathering' 

Joe and Mary Owens were very kind to me. Nice memories.
Thanks for the reminder.
Regards,
Fred Thompson

 dasilva-AT-puppetbooks.co.uk writes:

Way back at the 1956 PoA Festival a brilliant chap called Joe Owens
demonstrated his balloon blowing marionette, and it was published in the
workshop notes for that year. It had the CO2 cartridge in the chest and
an engineered valve operated by strings which could release the gas in
puffs.  I recall that we were amazed because other marionettists who
were doing the same 'trick' had a tell-tale rubber tube running
off-stage. I wonder how many there are who remember Joe?
Ray >>

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