From: GAzPuppets-AT-aol.com
Date: Thu, 10 Nov 2005 02:32:53 EST
To: puptcrit-AT-lists.driftline.org
Subject: Re: [Puptcrit] holiday shows


 
We've made our living from puppetry for almost 30 years.  Used to be  that 
Christmas was one of our busiest times, going to schools and shopping  centers 
with a Christmas show.  Now schools hardly ever book a Christmas  show, unless 
it's a Christian school, who mostly want all religion and no  Santa and we 
don't have a show like that.  We have our own theater and  run Christmas and 
Easter shows and sometimes Hannukah shows  there.  Schools come for field trips.  
The kids have to return a  permission slip to come, so if they're going to 
object, they won't come.  
 
Holiday shows are still much in demand at child cares and parties, the  cuter 
the better, and aimed very young.  Make a show that is easy to set  up, easy 
to understand, and tons of fun and if it is a Christmas show, make sure  that 
Santa makes an appearance.  
 
Our Holiday shows are mostly Santa and the Easter Bunny, but we  reference 
the meaning of the holiday.  In THE ELVES AND THE SHOEMAKER,  the couple sing, 
"Is there anyone now who couldn't believe that miracles  happen on Christmas 
Eve?"  The Easter Bunny forgives someone who tried to  hurt him with, "Isn't 
that what Easter's all about?  A fresh start for  everybody?"  So it's the spirit 
of giving, love, rebirth, etc. that is  referenced, not doctrine.  
 
We also have a "Silly Bunny's (fill in your own holiday) Show"   wherein 
Silly Bunny loses presents or valentines or Easter baskets or  whatever to a 
crocodile.  
 
One of our most popular shows is called "Trouble at Haunted Mountain"   which 
includes ghosts and a skeleton.  Interestingly enough, we were booked  to do 
it at a school this past Halloween.  Just before the show, a  teacher came up 
and asked us if it had anything like a witch or a ghost in  it.  Yeah!  There 
was one girl whose parents objected, so they took  her elsewhere during the 
show.   
 
On a related note, we do a show callled NAVAHO based on Navajo  "mythology".  
Most of the stories came from a book published by the Navajos  called "Navajo 
History".  When we first started doing it, we had white  eastern transplants 
object to the violence in it.  Then that complaint  stopped and we got 
complaints that Coyote was not a good role model.  Then  there were objections to the 
gambling.  The Navajos like it but we  have to be sure to do it after the 
first frost and before the first thunder, so  booking is tricky.
 
Nancy Smith
Great Arizona Puppet Theater
 
 
 
In a message dated 11/5/2005 8:44:27 PM US Mountain Standard Time,  
robertrogers-AT-frontiernet.net writes:

>  Hey, without Christmas & Hannaka, you're missing a lot of fun!    Jim 
> Gamble

Absolutely!  Finally somebody got it  right!

When I raised the question, I merely expected to hear from other  performers 
about their problems and/or successes.  Instead, I have  been reading a 
litany of declarations, protests and outrage.  Good  grief.  I guess, judging 
from most of the responses which ignored the  "nuts and bolts" of the 
problem, many of you don't support yourselves by  your puppetry.

Robert Rogers 




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