From: Rolande Duprey <Puppetpro-AT-aol.com> To: puptcrit-AT-puptcrit.org Date: Sat, 4 Oct 2008 09:24:02 -0400 Subject: Re: [Puptcrit] Economy & Puppeteers Bob, We've had several discussions of this on puptcrit. the result: yes, it's affecting us. HORRIBLY. As to my solo work, it's actually doing better than the other shows I have in the roster -- probably because it's less expensive. But everything is down. I directed & continue to perform a health education program with puppets that is presented in all the Hartford Elementary Schools. It is very well designed and built -- a booth with hand puppets & hand&rod puppets...probably the only live theatre of any sort that most of the kids see. We've been doing it for ten years. Just last week I got the news that the funding has been pulled. Our last show will be in December. The state is in a fiscal crisis, and has been for years... I suppose it wouldn't be so bad, except the program we do is the vestige of a health education initiative that is fast disappearing. The City of Hartford cut all health educators in elementary schools a couple of years ago. I spoke to one of them last year -- she said that we won't see the costs for a few years -- but then, when young girls get pregnant (and have to go to the state for help) -- or teenagers get STDs of various sorts -- and have to depend on state agencies, then, we will see the cost that an "ounce of prevention" may have stopped. I don't consider the health ed. piece "high art" -- but nonetheless, it's been entertaining and teaching the children of Hartford for a long while, and is woven into their memories and minds. They remember the characters from year to year, and the episodes are talked about and discussed in classrooms. They enter into puberty with a clear understanding of healthy behaviors. There are more ramifications to this, and it scares me. In Pakistan, after formation of the country, there were over 400 puppeteers making their living there. When I visited in 2000, there were less than 40 "folk puppeteers" -- all others had been forced to stop because of economics, or other reasons. It is a very poor country. Perhaps it always has been in many ways -- but culturally? It is still rich ..but maybe not as rich as it once was. This is happening all over the world. And, the artists are the first to be affected by any economic change. We are the canaries in the coal mine. Rolande On Oct 3, 2008, at 8:22 PM, BNathanson-AT-aol.com wrote: > I am wondering how the U.S. economy is affecting puppeteers around the > country, particularly solo puppeteers such as myself. Here in > Flori-DUH, a few of > my regular sponsors have asked if I could charge them less than I > charged them > last year. I realize that Flori-DUH is a pretty backward state, > but I > cannot go backwards in my pricing. I politely informed them my > costs for things > such as gas have gone up considerably. I suspect it is going to be > rough > going for all of us for at least the next few years. How is the > economy > affecting the rest of you? > Bob Nathanson > Bobseyeview > > > > ************** > New MapQuest Local shows what's happening at your destination. > Dining, Movies, Events, News & more. Try it out! > > (http://local.mapquest.com/?ncid=emlcntnew00000001) > _______________________________________________ > List address: puptcrit-AT-puptcrit.org > Admin interface: http://lists.puptcrit.org/mailman/listinfo/puptcrit > Archives: http://www.driftline.org _______________________________________________ List address: puptcrit-AT-puptcrit.org Admin interface: http://lists.puptcrit.org/mailman/listinfo/puptcrit Archives: http://www.driftline.org
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