From: "Alan Cook" <alangregorycook-AT-msn.com>
To: puptcrit-AT-puptcrit.org
Date: Sat, 31 Oct 2009 16:56:11 GMT
Subject: Re: [Puptcrit] GRAND LITTLE THEATER-correction of correction


Stephen--

I did get to see the Zhang Family Musicians Tuesday night. We had strong winds that evening, so travelling the 50 some miles to Costa Mesa was a bit eerie---plastic & paper bags, tree twigs, cardboard carton pieces, dust, leaves and such flying through the air from Altadena to Anaheim. It felt surreal, and the freeway traffic moved MUCH slower than usual. At the beginning of the trip, you could not see the mountains immediately north of Altadena & Pasadena---they were obscured by all the dirt & ash in the air (a result of recent wildfires that burned for 2 weeks).

I met Jackee Marks in Costa Mesa. She drove from Hermosa Beach to the theater via the #405 freeway and did not encounter all the airborne trash.

The Zhang Family's presentation was lively---every move seemed nicely choreographed. Your shadow screen worked well. But I wish there had been some context forthe second shadow puppet demonstration--who was the puppet man on screen with the tree and the flowering plant (was the plant a rose bush, a peony or ???). And what was the man doing?

The horsemen battling,  indicated impressive manipulation skills, but got repetitive withhout any other elements.

In short, I'd have liked to have seen more complete scenes than a mere demonstration of puppet manipulation. Also wish I'd been able to examine or see a puppet up close (perhaps in a lobby display case since a private party for the cast & select guests was scheduled immediately following the performance, so there was no time for "backstage visiting" (and no backstage) at the Samueli Theater, which has hosted the Old Trouts from Canada, the Salzburg Marionettes, and other puppet offerings.

>From the audience I could not tell if the shadow puppets were tradutional leather or possibly plastic. The tree set piece had a modern feel to it.

Were you able to see their shadow figures up close? Do you know if they make their own puppets, or what they color them with?
All that sort of information was left out of information provided.

I enjoyed the Zhang Family presentation. The second segment was described in a local review as a shortened 35 minute version of an event that can last 2 or 3 days. But that 35 minute version FELT like 2 or 3 days. Ritual can have that effect---but I was surprised at the humor injected which echoed livelier versions of the Zhang Family routines.

Did you get to meet the shadow performer? Do other members of the group work shadows?

So many unanswered quesions.

And I'd like to have heard Wu Mei do a brief solo on the pipa---since it is usually a solo instrument.

In fact, I'd like to have heard EACH instrument alone before they were played together---like tasting the various ingredents of a stew before they are mixed together in the kitchen.

On my return home, I was amazed that the freeays were not littered with debris. The winds were less intense. Not until I reached Pasadena did I see a lot of plant debris along the roadways. In Altadena where the winds were the strongest, there were banks of pine needles at the sides of the road.  Nearly home, my street was littered with Palm branches.

Friday, L.A. County sanitation crews were cleaning up my street for hours, while I chopped up two 12 foot tree limbs which fell down in my backyard, squashing a camellia bush which newly trimed will survive minus several small branches. I filled seven 32 gallon trashcans with liquid amber leaves and branches before our regular trash pick up arrived around 6:45 p.m.--the pickup crew was running late since my neighbors put out more trash than usual. They usually show up between 2 pm & 5 pm---their delay gave me time to fill the maximum allowed (8) trashcans (one of which was household stuff)--and I filled two more cans to put out next Friday. Still have leaves & pine needles to clean up later.

Do you know if the Zhang family got to meet any puppet people in NYC?? Or to see anything of NY?

Such a long trip for them! 


-----Original Message-----
From: Stephen Kaplin
Sent: Friday, October 23, 2009 4:52 PM
To: puptcrit-AT-puptcrit.org
Subject: Re: [Puptcrit] GRAND LITTLE THEATER-correction of correction

The Link worked for me. Thanks Alan. And I hope you get to see the  
Zhang Family Musicians and shadow puppeteers. That will be something  
that very seldom gets to this hemisphere.

Stephen
On Oct 23, 2009, at 3:08 PM, Alan Cook wrote:

> When I tested the little theater link on my previous post, on my  
> system it fails, yet if I manually type in the same address to  
> contact a webpage, it works. I do not know why. Tech stuff continues  
> to elude me.
>
> www.grandlittletheater.com
>
> if clicking on to the web address fails, try the manually typed route.
>
> This may seem a lot of bother, but I really think the little theater  
> is worth it.
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Alan Cook
> Sent: Friday, October 23, 2009 11:58 AM
> To: puptcrit-AT-puptcrit.org
> Subject: [Puptcrit] GRAND LITTLE THEATER-correction of correction
>
> www.GrandLittleTheater.com
>
> I cannot claim to be a good typist---here is proof that I am a poor  
> typist. I hit a comma intead of a period, so finally it should  
> work.Instead of a computer screen, my system uses a TV screen (a pre- 
> digital low definition screen) so the difference between a dot and a  
> comma is not easily checked when proof-reading. Apologies & then some.
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Alan Cook
> Sent: Friday, October 23, 2009 11:10 AM
> To: puptcrit-AT-puptcrit.org
> Subject: [Puptcrit] GRAND LITTLE THEATER
>
> Sorry- CORRECTION NEEDED, so here it is"
>
> www.GrandLittleTheater,com
>
> I mistakenly put a space in the wrong place before.
>
> Take a peek at the photos and check out the sale prices.
>
> The Bright Path Enterprises company is in Layton, Utah. I live in  
> Southern California. I have no financial interest in the company,  
> but I would like to see puppetry folk have the chance to see and/or  
> own these toy theaters at sale prices.
>
> ALAN
>
>
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