File puptcrit/puptcrit.0704, message 160


Date: Sat, 28 Apr 2007 17:04:32 -0700
To: puptcrit-AT-lists.driftline.org
From: Mary Decker <marydeck57-AT-sbcglobal.net>
Subject: [Puptcrit] Bruce David Schwartz


Hi Alan. When was Bruce Schwartz' first Regional Fest at Asilomar? 
Where and when was Bruce Schwartz' first National Festival?  -Mary 
Decker


>
>
>Message: 4
>Date: Sat, 28 Apr 2007 22:17:14 GMT
>From: "Alan Cook" <alangregorycook-AT-msn.com>
>Subject: [Puptcrit] Bruce David Schwartz
>To: puptcrit-AT-lists.driftline.org
>Message-ID: <BAY113-DAV109B3BB9D9BCB668128E05BC4E0-AT-phx.gbl>
>Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
>
>Bruce had a short write-up in 2005 October issue #37 of Yogi Times, 
>Los Angeles Edition (Theme of issue: "All one music") with a 
>thumbnail photo of him.
>
>www.yogitmes.com/los_angeles/articles/10_2005/editor_word.html
>
>He is a partner in YOGA HOUSE in Pasadena CA and in the just-opened 
>Yoga House in Tolucca Lake (North Hollywood) CA.
>
>I'm glad so many remember his puppet artistry, but you might be 
>surprised at the difficultes there were to bring him to the 
>attention of Puppeteers of America. His first Regional Festival 
>appearance at Asilomar CA began with a five minute PIERROT on the 
>Pot Pourri late night program (Richard Green was not willing to 
>allot him more time for the 15 minute RAT OF HUGE PROPORTIONS first 
>performed at Renaissance Pleasure Faire in Agoura and Mill Valley CA 
>and scripted by Bruce at age 17). Thanks to Lettie Schubert, we were 
>told that if the Membership Business Meeting ran shorter than usual, 
>he could have a 15 minutes but if only 14 minutes or less remained, 
>there would be no perfomance. Several who saw the PIERROT the night 
>before, helped make sure the Busness meeting was more efficient than 
>usual. So Bruce debuted at a REGIONAL Festival during or immediately 
>after the Busness Meeting (in the same chapel space).
>
>His first Nationl Festival was in a LARGE AUDITORIUM, which he very 
>nearly cancelled cuz 300 was about the maximum size audience for his 
>chamber puppetry. Well, I advised him to perform anyway because 300 
>more people would know about his work, and I proceeded to buttonhole 
>some of our more effective PofA members and plead with them to 
>arrive early for a close-up seat. I was unaware that others 
>eavesdropped in the cafeteria line and also arrived early. That was 
>the only show that week which had a big waiting line before the 
>doors opened.
>
>Later, Bruce did an unofficial bonus performance in a 500-seat 
>classroom---still too big, but an improvement.
>
>At the 1980 World Puppetry Festival in Washington, DC headed by 
>Nancy Staub for PofA/UNIMA Bruce did REPEAT PERORMANCES IN AN 
>INTIMATE  PERFORMANCE SPACE. Among the resulting benefits was a tour 
>of Japan (Finally!---we had sent photos to Japan of his beautiful 
>puppets with no results earlier. In fact I asked one Japanese 
>puppeteer if they had received the earlier photos & press kit and 
>was told, "Yes, but we didn't know what he DID with the puppets" 
>until the 1980 Festival. Once they saw, Bruce went to Japan, 
>performing in Japanese, went to France (where some puppets were 
>stolen then returned after news releases) and finally a lot of 
>people got to see him around the world.
>
>It should not have been so difficult, but all too often there is a 
>lot of struggle involved. It WAS made easier by help from some great 
>allies in PofA (including Mary Churchill & Paul Vincent Davis in the 
>Boston area and Jim Henson put Bruce on the Muppet Show as a guest 
>with Cleo Lane),
>
>The full story was an example that when a puppeteer is REALLY GOOD, 
>too many assume that such a performer does not need any help in 
>finding audiences. If that were true, who needs theater critics or 
>puppet organizations???
>
>ALAN COOK
>
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