From: mjm <mmoynihan-AT-wi.rr.com>
Date: Sat, 13 Jan 2007 16:30:31 -0600
To: puptcrit-AT-lists.driftline.org
Subject: Re: [Puptcrit] My Newest Creation: Billy the Goat


One question.
Is Billy Goat Gruff?



Sorry, could not resist.

I adapted a version of ANIMAL FARM  where all the actors playing 
animals that walked on 4 legs used handcrafted arm stilts as well as 
masks that were actually atop their heads, leaving their eyes and 
mouths relatively unencumbered. It was a long run, and I do not recall 
any back problems, but all where pretty physically trained and a group 
physical and vocal warm up was held right before every performance.

Where is your weight centered when walking?
How well can you see from inside the costume?
What about talking, breathing, etc.
It looks absolutely wonderful.
Is it quite warm to wear?

Moynihan
milwaukee, usa (where it is now quite cold)

On Jan 12, 2007, at 3:29 PM, Kevin Pittman wrote:

> It's been a while since I've posted about anything puppet related, so 
> I thought I'd share some pictures of my latest costume puppet 
> creation, Billy the Goat:
>
> http://www.forestpuppets.com/costumes/billy/
>
> Billy is a one-person quadruped character that I perform using custom 
> designed hand stilts.  The hooves are soft, made from flocked vinyl 
> and padded with foam for shape.  With the hind feet, only my toes slip 
> into the hoof, while my heel sits up in the leg - the middle of my 
> foot is supported by a wedge of rubber in the back of the inside of 
> the hoof.
>
> Billy's mouth is articulable, controlled by a cable mechanism running 
> down to my left hand.  I tend to have to stop walking to be able to 
> work the mouth control, but that hasn't proven to be a real problem so 
> far.  The entire costume is one piece except for the back hooves, 
> which are separated to make dressing and cleaning easier.
>
> While such a costume puppet may seem to be a pain in the back 
> (literally) for some people, I find Billy to be a wonderful joy to 
> work with, and I can hardly wait to get him out into some really big 
> events and see the crowd's reaction to him.
>
> Kevin
>
> --

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