From: Christopher Hudert <heyhoot-AT-mindspring.com>
Date: Wed, 4 Feb 2009 11:33:30 -0500
To: puptcrit-AT-puptcrit.org
Subject: Re: [Puptcrit] Inheritance


Hi Nancy,

   Can I get in line for some of the antique puppets, puppet books, and 
your own puppets? Just kidding. Well, mostly.

   As to your scripts, I'm sure that you realize that you've honed them 
to near perfection for you. They might or might not do quite as well in 
someone else's hands. That aside, I am reminded of the college 
professors' adage "Publish or Perish." Perhaps it somewhat applies 
here, particularly for scripts you have retired. Self publish and sell 
them through the P of A bookstore. You could sell them individually, or 
better yet in sets of 3 to 5 scripts. (Better because you might get a 
better price for a set than individually.) You could also try to have 
them published through a script house, but I suspect that would be much 
more difficult. And you could try publishing and selling through some 
place like Dover Books if the scripts could be performed through 
libraries, school or church groups, etc.  Barring any of the above 
ideas, you might consider donating them with performance rights to a 
puppet center and/or library with any usage fees going to that 
location. Check with the Center for Puppetry in Atlanta, the Puppet Co. 
Playhouse in Glen Echo, and others to see if they are interested. Each 
of the above scenarios has its own royalty/rights issues for you to 
consider and include.

   Another idea: Find and mentor someone who is just starting out. Get 
them started on some of your early retired scripts. Teach them how to 
make puppets, but let them develop their own style. It could be fun to 
see shows reborn and a new puppeteer given wings to fly.

   And a final idea: See if any of the puppeteers that you know and like 
would be interested in any of your scripts. What rights and how you 
transfer them would need to be worked out. For instance, you could 
grant limited rights - with or without royalties - during your lifetime 
or some set period, then have the rights transfer to them. But in any 
case, it might give them new life.

   Just some ideas.

Christopher
Sent via my Apple, because I don't have a BlackBerry

On Feb 4, 2009, at 9:07 AM, puppetmaster-AT-puppetswithpizazz.com wrote:

> Here's a new thread: now that I am getting older and have been 
> passionate about puppets for thirty-five years, I have accumulated a 
> lot of stuff that I, as a once young puppeteer would have died to own. 
> I don't worry about my antique puppets, my own puppets or my 400 
> puppet books. But what about my scripts? I have been performing solo 
> shows, tweaking them with each performance until (I am self indulgent 
> here) I have honed scripts to be nearly fail proof. What a treasure to 
> someone who is just starting out! How can I keep my life's experience 
> from being swept into the garbage? What have you done about the future 
> of your stuff? Nancy
> Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T

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