File puptcrit/puptcrit.0903, message 388


From: "Alan Cook" <alangregorycook-AT-msn.com>
To: puptcrit-AT-puptcrit.org
Date: Sat, 21 Mar 2009 19:02:40 GMT
Subject: [Puptcrit] Puppet Show from Mexico March 21-22 at Costa Mesa


Last night I got to see a puppet troupe from Mexico which was formed in 1975, and by now has presented over 11,000 performances. Until now, I knew nothing of their existence.  Last night's performance did not use string puppets.

There are links of interest at

www.OCPAC.org

www.OCPAC.org/media

and check out the webpage for Marionetas de la Esquina. There sould be a link through  the Orange County Performing Arts Center.


-----Original Message-----
From: Alan Cook
Sent: Saturday, March 21, 2009 11:51 AM
To: Kerry Hennessy, Ian Garrett, Justine Garrett, Michael Jordan, Sean T.Cawelti, KFelde-AT-scpr.org, audacity2008-AT-yahoo.com, vkipper-AT-gmail.com, Tyler Stamets, kpolebaum-AT-gmail.com, Jessica Hanna, Lucy Pollak, emilycoalson-AT-gmail.com, stmike3000-AT-hotmail.com, mdomingo-AT-gmail.com, freeman.haylee-AT-gmail.com, email-AT-brianwhiteillustration.com, simon.edelman-AT-gmail.com, 55frenchy-AT-sbcglobal.net, theamazingpinky-AT-yahoo.com, StringsNthings2-AT-aol.com, egoplum-AT-ebolamusic.com, John Nobori, wescrain-AT-hotmail.com, lindseycreates-AT-mac.com, stpatrick81-AT-hotmail.com, jowings1-AT-yahoo.com, bphelps-AT-gmail.com, ReedStudio3D-AT-aol.com
Cc: LAGOP IPM peide-AT-qwest.net
Subject: Puppet Show from Mexico Mar 21-22

The Orange County Performing Arts Center continues to bring a variety of puppet shows and other offerings  to the Samueli Theater in Costa Mesa from around the world.

Saturday, Marh 21st and Sunday, March 22nd there are matinees at 1:00 p.m. of "Emilio and the Enchanted Cow" presented in English with live voices by Marionetas de la Esquina, a Mexican puppet company established in 1975.

The show, presented in what looked like a form of Black Theater technique, uses colorful modified bunraku style puppets influenced in design by children's book illustrations and animated cartoons.. The scenery also shares that colorful kind of "look" with simplified shapes.

The staging is on two levels. The main level uses larger puppets and sets, operated by several black-clad puppeteers working against a black backdrop. The stage floor is a table-top arrangement, allowing for quick changes of scenery pieces such as Emilio's bed, playground swings, a slide, buildings or an outdoor fence.

The upper stage utllizes smaller simple rod puppets worked from below, and here the scenery is stretched from left to right with Emilio's new house, a mountain range, his new school---like a center spread illustration from a chilren's book.

As the story unfolds, we learn that Emilio is having difficulty accepting recent changes in his life. His parents have split up, they have new significant others whom we do not meet.

 Emilio finds himself living with his mother in a new town with a new school. He lacks self confidence for making new friends or for fitting in to a new situation. He even resists exploring his new neighborhood. He is the exact opposite of "The Little Engine that could" ---but his own imagination (or inner resources) provide him with a coping technique for dealing with his new problems. He has drawn a picture of a cow (his absent artist father had encouraged Emilio's own gift for art) and the drawing has magically become a three-dimensional friend whom only Emilio can see.

It is pop-psychology on a puppet stage.

With the cow's encouragement as well as Emilio's mom urging Emilio on, the young boy overcomes his fears, meets new friends, deals with a group of bullies (the cow nudges Emilio into a fight which Emilio wins---some parents may be concerned about this touch of machismo) and gets his life in order.

In one imaginative scene, the stage is all black, save for Emilio and a paint can marked "Tinta" and a paintbrush.  As Emilio "paints", a plant and a house appear, a brushstroke a a time, demonstrating the power of his imagination.

 Emilio's mother is  played by a live actress, and she hugs him and helps him get dressed for school behind a small screen, providing visual action which helps to counter problems with a very talky script.

The show is aimed for ages four years old and up, but as usual, there were a number of babies in arms populating the audience.
At least they were quiet throughout.

Marionetas de la Esquina has a revolving repertory of ten productions. It would be ineresting to know about their other offerings. They have presented over 11,000 performances in the one-third of a century that they have been active. 

Alan Cook
International Puppetry Museum
www.puppetrymuseum.org





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