File puptcrit/puptcrit.0601, message 244


From: "Alan Cook" <alangregorycook-AT-msn.com>
To: puptcrit-AT-lists.driftline.org
Date: Tue, 17 Jan 2006 18:48:05 GMT
Subject: [Puptcrit] Taiwan hand puppet head repair


Oh, oh. Another puppeteer made a big mistake and broke a wood head. If there IS a candidate for giving up puppetry, that person is at the top of the list.

Is the cracked head a small or large head?

If large, the crime of throwing it with no experience is a felony.

Probaby it will be necessary to separate the two pieces if you can't get enough glue into the split. Try long tooth picks, bamboo skewers or a strip of manila folder to spread the glue if you do not have to split the head any further. It would be best to keep the head as intact as possible, use heavy rubber basnds as a "clamp".

Good luck.

ALAN COOK


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Subject: puptcrit Digest, Vol 15, Issue 28

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Today's Topics:

   1. Re: another note on TV and lip sync (mjm)
   2. Re: another note on TV and lip sync (eileen blumenthal)
   3. 12 best puppets ever (Susan Kinney)
   4. repairing taiwanese glove puppet (Yvette Edery)
   5. Re: repairing taiwanese glove puppet (Mathieu Ren?)
   6. Re: repairing taiwanese glove puppet (Yvette Edery)
   7. Re: repairing taiwanese glove puppet (Mathieu Ren?)
   8. Re: 12 Best Puppets Ever? (mjm)
   9. Re: 12 best puppets ever (BiersBlackwood-AT-aol.com)
  10. Re: (no subject) (nmt)
  11. Re: (no subject) (sandbar-AT-wowway.com)
  12. Re: (no subject) (corenste-AT-hunter.cuny.edu)


----------------------------------------------------------------------

Message: 1
Date: Mon, 16 Jan 2006 14:31:02 -0600
From: mjm <mmoynihan-AT-wi.rr.com>
Subject: Re: [Puptcrit] another note on TV and lip sync
To: puptcrit-AT-lists.driftline.org
Message-ID: <10a8062fdc9b55f3bca9af9b2614cbf5-AT-wi.rr.com>

As I grew up as a kid in Wisconsin I was very much a fan of Warner 
Brothers Looney Tunes. Today I still prefer highly stylized animation 
over attempts at realistic/naturalistic animation. My first memories of 
puppets were the sock puppets my mother made for us. On TV it was, of 
course, "Kukla, Fran and Ollie" and Howdy Doody.

My tastes have remain the same despite years, experience and training. 
When I initially studied theatre in college it was in a very 
naturalistic/Stanislavski influenced department. So when given a chance 
to study highly stylized and presentational Kabuki & Noh, it opened my 
eyes to other traditions (Commedia del Arte, circus arts, mime & 
pantomime, musicals, Bunraku, etc.). I still prefer everything to be as 
non reality/naturalistic as possible. Engaging and employing the 
audience's imagination to use it's abilities to give the form & subject 
matter of the art some highly subjective meaning/content is what it is 
all about for me.

I can understand how lip syncing becomes important in the early days of 
TV, which even today is still dominated by talking heads. But, and this 
is just my highly subjective opinion, the more realistic/naturalistic 
puppetry or animation or theatre tries to become, the less interesting, 
engaging and artistic it is for me.

Also, I would never want to be in the position to have to "certify" the 
professionalism or quality of another artist. Life is too short and art 
is too long and wide and deep for such things.

  Hippocrates may have been meaning the medical arts,
but I think this quote applies to much more:

?Life is short,
But the art is long,
Opportunity fleeting,
The experiment perilous."

mjm

------------------------------

Message: 2
Date: Mon, 16 Jan 2006 15:49:02 -0500
From: eileen blumenthal <hrotsvitha-AT-earthlink.net>
Subject: Re: [Puptcrit] another note on TV and lip sync
To: puptcrit-AT-lists.driftline.org
Message-ID: <3BF82732-85EF-4F01-B44F-7FFD8A9F335D-AT-earthlink.net>
	format=flowed

Right on, mjm.
Eileen

(Eileen Blumenthal)


On Jan 16, 2006, at 3:31 PM, mjm wrote:

> As I grew up as a kid in Wisconsin I was very much a fan of Warner
> Brothers Looney Tunes. Today I still prefer highly stylized animation
> over attempts at realistic/naturalistic animation. My first  
> memories of
> puppets were the sock puppets my mother made for us. On TV it was, of
> course, "Kukla, Fran and Ollie" and Howdy Doody.
>
> My tastes have remain the same despite years, experience and training.
> When I initially studied theatre in college it was in a very
> naturalistic/Stanislavski influenced department. So when given a  
> chance
> to study highly stylized and presentational Kabuki & Noh, it opened my
> eyes to other traditions (Commedia del Arte, circus arts, mime &
> pantomime, musicals, Bunraku, etc.). I still prefer everything to  
> be as
> non reality/naturalistic as possible. Engaging and employing the
> audience's imagination to use it's abilities to give the form &  
> subject
> matter of the art some highly subjective meaning/content is what it is
> all about for me.
>
> I can understand how lip syncing becomes important in the early  
> days of
> TV, which even today is still dominated by talking heads. But, and  
> this
> is just my highly subjective opinion, the more realistic/naturalistic
> puppetry or animation or theatre tries to become, the less  
> interesting,
> engaging and artistic it is for me.
>
> Also, I would never want to be in the position to have to "certify"  
> the
> professionalism or quality of another artist. Life is too short and  
> art
> is too long and wide and deep for such things.
>
>   Hippocrates may have been meaning the medical arts,
> but I think this quote applies to much more:
>
> ?Life is short,
> But the art is long,
> Opportunity fleeting,
> The experiment perilous."
>
> mjm
> _______________________________________________
> List address: puptcrit-AT-lists.driftline.org
> Admin interface: http://lists.driftline.org/listinfo.cgi/puptcrit- 
> driftline.org
> Archives: http://www.driftline.org



------------------------------

Message: 3
Date: Mon, 16 Jan 2006 10:51:01 -0500
From: "Susan Kinney" <rhienzi-AT-hotmail.com>
Subject: [Puptcrit] 12 best puppets ever
To: puptcrit-AT-lists.driftline.org
Message-ID: <BAY101-F2423A90BCFD11C404DBF3FA41B0-AT-phx.gbl>

Since Triumph's blue humor did not stop him from making the puppeteer's
dozen of "best puppets ever",


Note: I think a lot of people missed this link in the first "12 best puppets 
ever" email.  Puppeteers didn't make this choice...
http://www.crowndozen.com/twelves/archives/000239.shtml




------------------------------

Message: 4
Date: Mon, 16 Jan 2006 18:28:20 -0800 (PST)
From: Yvette Edery <art_goo-AT-yahoo.com>
Subject: [Puptcrit] repairing taiwanese glove puppet
To: new puptcrit <puptcrit-AT-driftline.org>
Message-ID: <20060117022820.61073.qmail-AT-web33115.mail.mud.yahoo.com>

Hi Friends,

Do any of you know how to repair Taiwanese glove
puppets? I was given one as a gift from another
puppeteer in cultural exchange and it was immediately
very, very special to me and someone else broke it
that very same day. It's head is cracked right off and
I want to know how best to glue it back and repair the
paint and laquer. If you know a lot about this style
and need to see a picture to best advise, email me and
I will send you one/some. If not and you can share
with the list, please do, it would mean so much to me.
It really broke my heart when I went to glue it and
saw how badly it was broken. 

Thanks,

Yvette Edery
Director, ArtistrYE Productions
Puppetry for Film, Television, & Theater

www.artistrye.com

__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Tired of spam?  Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around 
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------------------------------

Message: 5
Date: Mon, 16 Jan 2006 22:12:58 -0500
From: Mathieu Ren? <creaturiste-AT-magma.ca>
Subject: Re: [Puptcrit] repairing taiwanese glove puppet
To: <puptcrit-AT-lists.driftline.org>
Message-ID: <000f01c61b13$ec178210$b234f3c7-AT-critter1>
	reply-type=original

I'm sorry for your hurt, Yvette.
I wonder what that brute was thinking about, hurting a puppet!

But a glove puppet...is it not supposed to be very strong to resist being 
hit by fellow puppets with the stick?

Maybe if you ship it to the original artist (if known) so it can be repaired 
by the same talent and supplies and be better than new?

I wish you the best possible success in getting the puppet fully restored.


Mathieu Ren? Cr?aturiste
Marionnettes, Masques, Etcetera...
Puppets, Masks, Etcetera...
creaturiste-AT-magma.ca
www.creaturiste.com
(514) 274-8027 



------------------------------

Message: 6
Date: Mon, 16 Jan 2006 20:37:35 -0800 (PST)
From: Yvette Edery <art_goo-AT-yahoo.com>
Subject: Re: [Puptcrit] repairing taiwanese glove puppet
To: puptcrit-AT-lists.driftline.org
Message-ID: <20060117043735.95105.qmail-AT-web33104.mail.mud.yahoo.com>

Dear Mathieu,

Thank you for the kind words. Glove puppets are indeed
built very strongly, however this one took a real
blow. A fellow puppeteer asked me to let them
manipulate the puppet and since they were a puppeteer
I did not think twice before handing it over. They had
seen a Taiwanese puppeteer flip the puppet and have it
land back on their hand and attempted to simulate the
trick and my puppet flew into the air and smashed into
the wall, shattering the laquer and taking the head
right off the neck. It is holding on by a thread, but
the crack goes all the way through. I don't know
whether or not to just take it off so I can glue the
line thoroughly, or to glue the outside and hope it
holds. Its going to be like ripping a bandaid though,
whatever I decide to do. 

I would send it to the very puppeteer who gave it to
me, however, when he gave it to me (which was a
totally lovely moment I will remember forever, we
exchanged our puppets as gifts) he said it was very
old and a gift from his master and he was not a
builder (in Taiwan the builders do not perform and the
performers do not build). 

I know I could get another on ebay, but this is the
kind of gift you cannot ever replace. It has meaning.
It came from the heart. I want to fix this one, not
spend money I don't have on another one. Even if I had
the money to buy a hundred glove puppets, I would not
want to.

He's a little clown puppet. 

Yvette

--- Mathieu Ren? <creaturiste-AT-magma.ca> wrote:

> I'm sorry for your hurt, Yvette.
> I wonder what that brute was thinking about, hurting
> a puppet!
> 
> But a glove puppet...is it not supposed to be very
> strong to resist being 
> hit by fellow puppets with the stick?
> 
> Maybe if you ship it to the original artist (if
> known) so it can be repaired 
> by the same talent and supplies and be better than
> new?
> 
> I wish you the best possible success in getting the
> puppet fully restored.
> 
> 
> Mathieu Ren? Cr?aturiste
> Marionnettes, Masques, Etcetera...
> Puppets, Masks, Etcetera...
> creaturiste-AT-magma.ca
> www.creaturiste.com
> (514) 274-8027 
> 
> _______________________________________________
> List address: puptcrit-AT-lists.driftline.org
> Admin interface:
>
http://lists.driftline.org/listinfo.cgi/puptcrit-driftline.org
> Archives: http://www.driftline.org
> 


__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Tired of spam?  Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around 
http://mail.yahoo.com 


------------------------------

Message: 7
Date: Mon, 16 Jan 2006 23:52:46 -0500
From: Mathieu Ren? <creaturiste-AT-magma.ca>
Subject: Re: [Puptcrit] repairing taiwanese glove puppet
To: <puptcrit-AT-lists.driftline.org>
Message-ID: <001201c61b21$e6fcdd80$b234f3c7-AT-critter1>
	reply-type=original

Thanks for the details Yvette.
Seems to me this puppet's scar will be part of it's lifestory, once you 
repair him.

And repairing could be a great learning experience in taiwan building and 
painting materials.
Just the research part beforehand could be rewarding.

Just like me to try and see the positive in this tragedy.

I hope it all works out for you and your injured buddy.


Mathieu Ren? Cr?aturiste
Marionnettes, Masques, Etcetera...
Puppets, Masks, Etcetera...
creaturiste-AT-magma.ca
www.creaturiste.com
(514) 274-8027 



------------------------------

Message: 8
Date: Mon, 16 Jan 2006 22:56:40 -0600
From: mjm <mmoynihan-AT-wi.rr.com>
Subject: Re: [Puptcrit] 12 Best Puppets Ever?
To: puptcrit-AT-lists.driftline.org
Message-ID: <b5c380c7a7db78a629e6a1e0f16ad9a4-AT-wi.rr.com>

My personal top 12 Puppets

1. Mr. Riley, my 1st sock puppet (made by my mother)

2. Bulbous, 1st 16' giant, much too heavy, puppet we made for our 
summer outdoor parades & shows

3. Mr. Lunch (our variation on Punch, Mr. Lunch beat the heck out of 
junk food puppets for our "Lunch & Foodie" puppet show)

4. Mr. Twinkie (one of the villains/victims from "Lunch & Foodie", who 
when whacked by Mr. Lunch's bat/spoon shot white filling ? actually 
shaving cream from a pressurized can inside the puppet? to the howling 
delight of young and old audience members)

5. Punch the Red (The San Francisco Mime Troupe creation)

6. Mother Earth & Dr. Plutonium ?tie? (from our environmental show "Dr. 
Plutonium's Energy Circus!")

7. Any and all of BREAD & PUPPET THEATER'S puppets.

8. The giant puppets in Provisional Theatre's "Voice of the People"

9. Ken Feit's tiny origami/gum wrapper puppet

10. Paul Zaloom's object puppets

11. The grotesque muppets that appeared on the early Saturday Night 
Live TV show (like Scred and Ploobis)

12. Unadorned left & right hands having a conversation before a live 
audience.



------------------------------

Message: 9
Date: Tue, 17 Jan 2006 09:30:59 EST
From: BiersBlackwood-AT-aol.com
Subject: Re: [Puptcrit] 12 best puppets ever
To: puptcrit-AT-lists.driftline.org
Message-ID: <2d2.14a6269.30fe59a3-AT-aol.com>

I don't know that I saw old Charlie McCarthy on the list, but I'd put him 
there, as well as the Abe Lincoln   figure Walt Disney introduced at the World's 
Fair for "Great Moments with Mr Lincoln."   I'd include Abe as the 
representative for all the audio-animatronic theme park figures, including the newer 
Sarcos figures.

Of course, at his premiere, there were still a few bugs in Mr Lincoln, who 
took an extra bow before an audience, and who tore his chair apart at a 
run-through.   The robot was made to be even taller than the human Lincoln, and was 
known to take wild swings toward onrushing technicians (with bits of that broken 
chair), a la King Kong, or so the story went.

Sean K.
http://www.puppets.inuk.com/americas/usroundup.htm


------------------------------

Message: 10
Date: Tue, 17 Jan 2006 11:46:12 -0500
From: "nmt" <nmt-AT-sover.net>
Subject: Re: [Puptcrit] (no subject)
To: <puptcrit-AT-lists.driftline.org>
Message-ID: <002101c61b85$879c3700$0200a8c0-AT-DAVIDSTOY>

Dear Claudia:

Putting my $.03 in (as opposed to $.02 - inflation is effecting everything
these days):  MY personal feelings concerning how to evaluate and critic a
puppet performance as opposed to one performed by live actor is that there
should be NO difference.  It is either good theatre or bad theatre whether
performed by live actors or puppets.  A good puppet performance is what one
would refer to as 'puppet theatre' and a bad show is what one would refer to
as 'a puppet show' - BE SURE THAT DIFFERENCE IS POINTED OUT.  I would also
expect the person doing the critic of a puppet performance to also take into
consideration, and comment upon, the over all design and manipulation of the
figures.

Would be interested hearing from other puppeteers as to how THEY would
expect a puppet critic to review their shows

David A. Syrotiak, Artistic Director
NATIONAL MARIONETTE THEATRE

-----Original Message-----
From: puptcrit-bounces-AT-lists.driftline.org
[mailto:puptcrit-bounces-AT-lists.driftline.org] On Behalf Of
corenste-AT-hunter.cuny.edu
Sent: Thursday, January 12, 2006 1:46 PM
To: puptcrit-AT-lists.driftline.org
Subject: [Puptcrit] (no subject)

Hi All,

I am a Prof. at Hunter College in New York writing on puppetry, and one 
thing I am hoping to write in the coming months is a kind of primer for 
the contemporary puppet critic: an article that explores the particular 
issues and considerations for viewing and evaluating puppetry opposed 
to live actor theatre. Considering the recent discussion here, it looks 
like this project that I've had in mind for a while is indeed a good 
idea. I would love your input.

Thanks,
feel free to reply directly to me at: corenste-AT-hunter.cuny.edu
Claudia Orenstein

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------------------------------

Message: 11
Date: Tue, 17 Jan 2006 11:53:19 -0600
From: sandbar-AT-wowway.com
Subject: Re: [Puptcrit] (no subject)
To: puptcrit-AT-lists.driftline.org
Message-ID: <20060117171943.M78603-AT-wowway.com>

On Tue, 17 Jan 2006 11:46:12 -0500, nmt wrote
> A good puppet performance is what one would refer to as 'puppet 
> theatre' and a bad show is what one would refer to as 'a puppet 
> show' 

I'm not comfortable with defining a puppet show as a "bad show" and 
defining "puppet theatre" as a "good performance".  Whether it is a 
perfomance with people or with puppets, we use the word "show" not to 
describe the quality of the performance, but to name the experience.  "Avenue 
Q" is a Broadway show.  But we've used the "s" word.  Is it therefore by 
definition "bad"?  Locally, community theatre isn't critiqued because the one-
horse-town-newspaper-reviewer doesn't review anything by a company that is 
all volunteer.  He has a mental attitude reflecting the idea that community 
theatre isn't "real theatre".  Is that what we're trying to accomplish?

I think you're trying to come up with a way to differentiate between a good 
show and a bad show by saying one is a just a "show" and the other 
is "theatre" (sound nasal and snobbish when you say it).  But I've seen 
quality productions in a community theatre or with a church ministry and I've 
seen lousy productions from bigger named groups.

Having been involved in a lot of community theatre, I'd say there is a lot of 
good stuff being done by community theatre and a lot of bad.  But it's still 
theatre.

  I would also expect 
> the person doing the critic [sic] of a puppet performance to also take 
> into consideration, and comment upon, the over all design and 
> manipulation of the figures.
> 

That's getting into the truly important element of the critique:  the 
performance itself. Critique the story, the design, the performance without 
the condemnation that it's not "real theatre".

--
Sandy Barton
sandbar productions

SDG



------------------------------

Message: 12
Date: Tue, 17 Jan 2006 13:30:24 -0500
From: corenste-AT-hunter.cuny.edu
Subject: Re: [Puptcrit] (no subject)
To: puptcrit-AT-lists.driftline.org
Message-ID: <20060117133024.kx781geoe2uc4wgc-AT-webmail.hunter.cuny.edu>


It seems to me the interest in the issue of puppet criticism lies more 
in the kind of remark David said about "I would also expect the person 
doing the critique of a puppet performance to take into consideration, 
and comment upon, the over all design and manipulation of the figures." 
We all want a great experience at the theatre, whether we are watching 
puppets or human actors. But what makes a great experience? Do the same 
elements make a great experience for each of these artistic forms? Or, 
when watching puppet theatre, are there different elements we want to 
pay attention to and take into account and think about how to evaluate? 
And if so, how do we judge success and virtuosity in this arena? Just 
as you wouldn't apply the same criteria to a dance or even an opera 
performance as you would to a theatrical performance,  your attention 
is not placed in the same place with theatre and puppetry. So where 
should a critic be placing his/her attention? How should a critic be 
appraising those elements unique to puppetry? The lypsinching 
discussion is a very good example. Is this part of the art a critic 
should be looking for? Obviously someone trained to look at theatre may 
not be taking this skill into account, or noting that it is a skill at 
all. Does it ever become an interesting choice with a speaking puppet 
to intentionally or accidentally not lypsinch well? How can such 
choices within the limits and expanse of what the form of puppetry has 
to offer contribute to meaning, interpretation and overall theatrical 
experience?

This is the direction I'm thinking.
Thanks. Claudia




------------------------------

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