From: Christopher Hudert <heyhoot-AT-mindspring.com>
Date: Mon, 5 Oct 2009 15:59:22 -0400
To: puptcrit-AT-puptcrit.org
Subject: Re: [Puptcrit] Nightingale in Toronto: Lepage and Curry



On Oct 5, 2009, at 7:25 AM, Hobey Ford wrote:

> I think attitudes are shaped by expectation.  Once you have seen even
> a hard working thirteen year old gifted violinist, you wouldn't
> consider picking up a violin and hitting the national stage with it.  
> ....
>
>   When you see fine puppetry then you know there is a higher bar.  We 
> are many things:
> folk artists, highly professional companies, librarian story hour
> performers and rank amatures. ...
>
>  Part of not being a mainstream artform is that we aren't rigorously 
> trained as a
> rule.  If we pumped out a steady stream of first class nationally
> recognized artists then the perception would change.  I really don't
> care that much if Michael Curry hires non puppeteers.  I do care about
> raising the bar for myself and our artform so that in the future
> someone considering using puppets would clearly see the difference
> between novice and master and hire the master.

Do you think that Curry, Taymor, and the like do not know the 
difference between a master and a novice? I think they do, and they 
choose to use the novice to achieve the look and feel of what they 
want. They certainly have enough pull on the work they become involved 
with that they could (and would) demand better if that is what would 
work best for the end result. I suspect they have consciously made the 
choice to go with actor, singer, or dancer over more accomplished 
puppeteers, and there is a reason (or reasons) that suit their vision 
of the work. Or, perhaps, at times they are much less involved in that 
aspect than we would believe and so design with the expected 
limitations of not having puppeteers to work with. Or a mix of both, 
depending on the production. Or I totally don't know what the heck I'm 
talking about.

But I do differ with you, Hobey, in my reaction to seeing the talented 
13 year old, but I'll apply the same idea to a puppeteer. While I 
admire their gift and talent, rather than driving me towards putting 
down my puppets, it drives me to a desire to try something, to attain a 
piece of that artistry. Your shadow work inspires many, myself 
included, to pick up scissors and matt board and attempt something that 
hopefully will (one day) be fantastic. If I happen to luck into a 
national platform - especially the first time out of the gate, well 
lucky me, but I also know it would be awhile before I approached your 
level. (Of course, by then you will have moved up several notches...) 
For the performer who crosses over to be hired as a puppeteer for a 
large local, regional, or national theater work, I would hope that 
seeing a puppet 'master' would not intimidate them into putting down 
their puppets and walking away because they wouldn't achieve that level 
with their work. Far better that they attempt to give the finest 
performance they can, given the tools they have to work with.

Yes, we are a corp of puppeteers made up of professionals, folk 
artists, librarians, rank amateurs and others, each aspiring to our own 
level of interest. Yet, particularly for those of us who aim to be 
professionals, I think it behooves us to get some training in a variety 
of related aspects of the art. We don't necessarily need to undergo the 
rigorous training of some of the former eastern block countries or of a 
Bunraku artist, but we should not neglect the cross training as much as 
many of us (myself included) tend to do.

And let us not forget that, be it violinist, puppeteer, actor, or 
doctor, even through the vigorous training, many more wash out or 
achieve less than master status than achieve greatness. The bright 
stars, be they child prodigy or attain that status by polishing a 
nugget of natural talent, are few and far between. Many more minors 
players will be hired than masters, yet the mastery is what drives most 
to be better.

  Finally, why hire the master, when you are not using their talent to 
the fullest? Would you hire a top Hollywood make up artist just to 
apply eyeliner? I think not. Then why hire the master puppeteer when 
you have designed the puppets to be less, to be iconic, to be limited, 
to be symbolic? My job as a performer is to make the director's, 
writer's and designer's vision as powerful as I can. In most of my 
cases today, I am fortunate that I am also that writer, director, and 
designer. But when I am not, I am being asked (and usually paid) to add 
my seasoning to the pot, not make the pot and its contents my own.

Christopher

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