Date: Wed, 30 Jul 2008 22:24:42 -0400
From: The Puppetry Arts Theatre <info-AT-puppetryarts.org>
To: <puptcrit-AT-puptcrit.org>
Subject: Re: [Puptcrit] Muppets


Oh good.. Finally something I can respond to!! It's been too long! Yeah me!

I'm on the flip side of that. I really really really don't like string
puppets. In fact, in all of my grants etc I write- "no strings attached" in
my project descriptions. Pupcrit seems to huddle strings n punches on here-
I rarely see any hand puppeteers. I think its bc we don't have time to
reply- we are working. (Hahaha I made a funny)!

Muppets have a wonderful design and style of hand puppets, but it's their
structure- not design- that influences other hand puppets--- Why? b/c it
works! What's that? I said IT WORKS!

I think that the lure if you will of the muppet structure is bc its REAL
-its tangible, the audience can relate to it, cuddle with it, its alive and
creates a better relationship with an audience...with no strings attached.

I find that its very easy to design and perform strings or punch n  judy
stuff when muppet style hand puppets are a bit more involved providing more
animation and interaction-and THAT my puppet friends creates the whole
relationship with audience thing I mentioned already.

I am sure someone hovering over a stage of that play ---where the puppets
are all little people and a human actor walks in their town n they tie him
down, oh whats the name of that play everyone uses too much (Starts with a
"G" right?) --and is barking mad about what I said, I know...
But don't get your strings tied in a not.

You gota also consider- today- for the most part-strings usually mean kids
birthday parties and little darkrooms where kindergarteners visit on
weekdays for $5 tickets. When hand puppetry pays a union actor $875 a day
and making a hand puppet offers a min of $1600 on up up up up.

I think I'll stick with the green guy. ( now that was a play on words about
kermit- a hand puppet and well, money, for those of you who didn't get it)

Good times and will look for you all at the Emmet auditions! (that's a No
String performance!)


On 7/30/08 9:29 PM, "robertrogers-AT-robertrogerspuppets.com"
<robertrogers-AT-robertrogerspuppets.com> wrote:

> I have to be honest - and please don't be angry with me - I'm not a big
> fan of the Muppets.  In the early days, I loved seeing them on the Ed
> Sullivan Show and the Jimmie Dean Show.  I think that they were much more
> inventive and daring back then.  And I never bought into the Kermit/Miss
> Piggy romance.  It just didn't strike me as funny.
> 
> Now, when I look at a site like Puppethub.com, I am frankly distressed by
> all the Muppet clones that appear in the posted videos.  It's as if there
> is a large population of people who aspire to draw comic strips, and then
> work in the exact style as Charles Shultz.
> 
> There's more to puppetry than foam and ping pong balls.
> 
> Robert Rogers
> 
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