File puptcrit/puptcrit.0701, message 9


Date: Tue, 2 Jan 2007 12:44:34 -0500
To: puptcrit-AT-lists.driftline.org
From: Charles Taylor <cecetaylor-AT-verizon.net>
Subject: Re: [Puptcrit] Speeding puppetmaking courses?


Hi Matheiu,

In your letter, you do not mention the age of the students, the purpose of the
lesson, their or your objective in making puppets.   Therefor your question is
so generalized it would be difficult to answer to any specisivity.

Are these students five years old, eight, ten,  twelve, teenagers or very
interested adults?  The age alone would make a big differences in one=92s
approach. How much time do you plan to set aside for these lessons?
That would imply to what degree of seriousness of study.

You did mention that the students are paying.   Are the paying to learn how to
make =93toy=94 puppets that will be merely =93play things=94? Or do they expect to
have accomplished =93REAL=94 puppets that they can actually perform with?  Are
these puppets being made for a production at the students level?

I ask these questions because over the last forty four years of teaching
students I have endeavored to teach puppetry to the level of professionalism
that I thought the age of the students could accomplish. Always, there was a
production  as an end result. Five year old children must have simplicity,
immediate gratification and the thrill of performing. I found at that level it
was best to use shadow puppets, craft puppets of all kinds including paper
finger puppets, pre cut shadows, simple patterns and decorated styrofoam
balls, and eggs.

Third, fourth and fifth grade children are far more capable of working with
greater skills and handle paper mache very well. It takes a great deal of
encouragement to get them to gesso, sand, gesso and sand the heads.
If parents couldn=92t/wouldn=91t help with costumes then I did.

Adults (college age - perhaps high schoolers too) can do all of the above and
learn to sculpt in clay, make plaster molds, work with neoprene, sanding
tools, dremel tools, and anything else. The results very much depend on the
individuals enthusiasms and true interest.


I have worked with all of them with wonderful results.  I have been a public
school teacher and taught all grades from sixth down to kindergarten for four
and a half decades. Concurrently,  for ten of those years, I taught puppetry
to college students which was thrilling for me.  Private classes for adults is
profitable when there is interest.  Private classes for students has been done
by many in the Los Angeles, California area.  Harry Burnett of Yale Puppeteers
taught children for many years at Idylwild, California and in Claremont. Also
he gave private lessons in his home.

  Virginia Austin Curtis (creator of Clippo the clown  marionette) had a puppet
studio in Sierra Madre near Pasadena, California. Both of these veteran
puppeteers worked into their elder years producing youngsters that grew up to
incorporate their love of puppetry  within their professions. Harry and
Virginia eked out a living never getting rich but inspiring many around them.
Their approaches varied but always with the intent of sharing their love of
puppetry, history, performing and unique approach to  life.

There are NO rules for teaching puppetry except the ones you make for
yourself. Experience, practicality, your expectations and those of your
students dictate what is possible, practical and achievable.

A puppeteer wears many hats. Teaching puppetry is often the reward in itself!

I will send attached photos of students from long ago. The Everyman was a
college class that took a great deal of cooperative learning and the
production turned out spectacular for the 1975 Renaissance Faire at California
State University in Long Beach. I wish I had taken more photographs of my
students work over the years and I suggest you take pictures every opportunity
you get. It's a wonderful documentation. I hope you enjoy these.

Charles Taylor

[ The attached photos:
http://www.driftline.org/puptcrit/CTaylor/Idyllwild_puppeteers.jpg
http://www.driftline.org/puptcrit/CTaylor/Middleton_Marionettes.jpg
http://www.driftline.org/puptcrit/CTaylor/Middleton_Sarah_Morales.jpg
http://www.driftline.org/puptcrit/CTaylor/Middleton_news_1st.jpg
http://www.driftline.org/puptcrit/CTaylor/Middleton_skeletons.jpg
http://www.driftline.org/puptcrit/CTaylor/Minnie_Mouse_puppet.jpg
http://www.driftline.org/puptcrit/CTaylor/skeleton_2.jpg
http://www.driftline.org/puptcrit/CTaylor/third_grade_puppets.jpg
http://www.driftline.org/puptcrit/CTaylor/third_grade_puppets_2nd.jpg  ]



>From: =?ISO646-US?Q?Mathieu_Ren=3F?= <creaturiste-AT-magma.ca>
>Date: 2006/12/29 Fri PM 09:49:19 CST
>To: puptcrit-AT-lists.driftline.org
>Subject: [Puptcrit] Speeding puppetmaking courses?

>Hi all.
>
>My two students  left with semi finished hand puppets (fabric sleeves, paper
mache heads and hands).
>Both were not artistically experienced, but both had VERY impressive puppet
heads.
>One design turned into an intricate dragon, both a bit scary and wise-
looking, the other became a endearing old man with a huge mustache. This one
has brass pupils that are endearing, instead of the robot-look I was wrong to
imagine it would have.
>
>They may not have finished, but I still gave them the entire training to
finish on their own.
>Two days (12 hours) is never enough for students to finish a good quality
hand puppet, but at least, their designs were encouraged until awesome, the
paper mache was finished. The puppet sleeves are sewn, the hands are well on
the way. there would never be any tmie for costume making, not within 2 days.
>
>
>Question: I wonder what I could do to speed things up even more?
>
>I already sew the sleeves in advance, and prepare the studio and supplies
before they arrive.
>The longest step is design. I can't seem to find it in my heart to stop them
in their newly found enthusiasm for creating. Once they are conviced they can
do it, they have this sudden urge to have awesome results.
>I think there could be rules I could instate to simplify their designs, but I
don't want them to have boring featureless egg-heads! So far, the quickest and
economical method is to have them shape everything in crumpled newspaper and
tape, then adding details with crumpled aluminum foil.
>The forms are then covered with plastic wrap, and covered in paper mache
strips. This step is reasonably quick if the heads are small and not too
complex. I really optimised my paper mache methods, and it dries real fast. We
added an average of 5 layers per head in 5 hours today. While they are
applying paper strips, I can show them additional techniques by demonstrating.
Soon after each course, I send them reminder notes, just to make sure
everything is clear.
>
>Most of my students are total begginers, some never even finished a single
artwork.
>I refuse to lower my expectations just because they are begginers. So far,
this attitude has paid off. Not underestimating my students (and often
boosting their egos) means that their results are surprising. I could be
jealous of some of their designs, but I choose not to be, beause I could be
crying a lot. LoL.
>People come back for more techniques and reccomend me.  But I still miss that
thrill of seeing a completely finished product at the end of the course.
Asking them to send pictures is easy, but so far, not many have bothered. It's
easier to have them bring the puppet if they take another course, but not
everybody needs to take another course.
>
>I do have ideas, but they are not very great or comforting.
>Maybe I give too much in such a condensed form. I do it to make sure I
accomodate people more, since it costs them less and it is less difficult to
organise.
>I could make more money by limiting the amount of info I transmit them in
such short times. I could increase the minimum duration of courses (adjusting
the price higher, accordingly) It would be hard to stop my enthusiasm for
sharing, but it might make it easier on the participant's stamina.
>I don't want to limit the creative flow, but I guess simplifying the designs
by lessening the detail level might be necessary, if very disapointing to me.
>
>
>What tips do you have to help us work faster in paper mache puppetmaking?
>Thanks!
>
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