From: "Bell, John" <john.bell-AT-uconn.edu>
To: "puptcrit-AT-puptcrit.org" <puptcrit-AT-puptcrit.org>
Date: Thu, 21 Jan 2010 16:55:16 -0500
Subject: Re: [Puptcrit] Antiquity, puppetry, and Chicago


The Chicago Little Theater experiments of Ellen Van Volkenburg were important in classical terms (not sure how you might be defining "classical"...) because they started out with Shakespeare....

Burr Tillstrom's 1930s work with WPA puppet theater also focused on Shakespeare plays, which they performed with handpuppets (outside) and marionettes (inside) in Chicago parks.

jb
________________________________________
From: puptcrit-bounces-AT-puptcrit.org [puptcrit-bounces-AT-puptcrit.org] On Behalf Of Dawn Tracey [dawn.tracey-AT-gmail.com]
Sent: Wednesday, January 20, 2010 1:16 PM
To: puptcrit-AT-puptcrit.org
Subject: Re: [Puptcrit] Antiquity, puppetry, and Chicago

Thank you so much, everyone!  Your suggestions have been incredibly helpful.

This study is part of a larger project on Classicizing Chicago.  When
the piece is made public, I will be sure to send a link to the list.

Again, many thanks!
Dawn

On Wed, Jan 20, 2010 at 10:14 AM, Steve Abrams <sapuppets-AT-gmail.com> wrote:
> John Bell's book
> Strings, Hands, Shadows: A Modern Puppet History
> is packed with photos from the Detroit Institute collection. There is a
> great photo  of a self-portrait marionette that McPharlin built.
>
> If you plan to go to the DIA, try to make contact ahead of time.  It is
> certainly possible they will show you the vast treasure of puppet history
> that is well cared for in their storage space.
> SA
>
> On Wed, Jan 20, 2010 at 6:57 AM, <puppetpro-AT-aol.com> wrote:
>
>> Thanks, Steve.
>>
>>
>> I have seen many photos of the 1933 Chicago World's Fair on the web, even
>> some of the exhibits within the Travel & Transportation building -- but
>> nothing about the McPharlin exhibit. I'm guessing he might have done it and
>> "was done with it" -- going on to other more interesting work. He was very
>> prolific.
>>
>>
>> The Detroit Institute also has a great collection, and I asked about
>> getting photos, but they are operating with very little staff and budget
>> these days...guess I'll need to take a trip, eh?
>>
>>
>> Rolande
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: Steve Abrams <sapuppets-AT-gmail.com>
>> To: puptcrit-AT-puptcrit.org
>> Sent: Mon, Jan 18, 2010 2:26 pm
>> Subject: Re: [Puptcrit] Antiquity, puppetry, and Chicago
>>
>>
>> Rolande
>> This is fabulous material. Thanks so much for posting it.
>> Another possible lead for you.
>>
>> When I was doing my research on puppet collections i stumbled onto the fact
>> that the Detroit Children's Museum has a collection. (I have not been
>> there).  I was told that most of it was donated by Helen Reisdorf who
>> worked
>> closely with McPharlin. There are hundreds of puppets. Some are Pelham and
>> Steiff and Hazelle and I think they actually loan some of them out. I was
>> told there are also puppets by McPharlin, Martin Stevens and others.
>>
>> I would be very curious to get  an updated first hand report on what they
>> actually have. Could someone get in there and get digital photos? That
>> would
>> be ideal.
>> Steve
>>
>> PS- I nearly mentioned Kungsholm to Dawn. It is possible that some of the
>> puppet operas done at Kungsholm had a basis in Greek, Roman or Biblical
>> myths, but I dont know the entire repertoire of Kungsholm
>>
>> Is Androcles and the Lion  a legit Greek tale? It is a variant of Aesop
>> Lion
>> and the Mouse
>> The Tatterman Company in Detroit and then Cleveland, did Androlces -and it
>> is certainly likely that they performed in Chicago
>> SA
>>
>> On Mon, Jan 18, 2010 at 1:07 PM, <puppetpro-AT-aol.com> wrote:
>>
>> > Dear Dawn,
>> > So glad you are doing this, and I would love to hear more detail about
>> your
>> > findings. I have been working on a group of Paul McPharlin marionettes
>> that
>> > were involved in an exhibit (not a performance) at the Travel and
>> > Transportation building at the 1933 Chicago World's Fair. There were many
>> > puppet troupes performing at this fair (and others), and McPharlin
>> reviewed
>> > them in his "Puppetry Yearbooks". Check those Yearbooks out as sources!
>> > Also, the Kungsholm restaurant had a miniature puppet opera, which had a
>> > very interesting history.
>> > Information on the puppets I worked on can be found at:
>> > http://www.purplerock.org/html/pmhorse.html
>> > and (the human characters) at:
>> > http://www.purplerock.org/html/www.purplerock.orgpmcpharlin.html
>> > Very truly yours,
>> >
>> > Rolande Duprey
>> > Purple Rock Productions
>> > www.purplerock.org
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> > -----Original Message-----
>> > From: Dawn Tracey <dawn.tracey-AT-gmail.com>
>> > To: puptcrit-AT-puptcrit.org
>> > Sent: Sun, Jan 17, 2010 3:48 pm
>> > Subject: [Puptcrit] Antiquity, puppetry, and Chicago
>> >
>> >
>> > Hello all!
>> >
>> > I am in the process of compiling information about puppet performances
>> > of antiquity in Chicago.  This may mean many things, including
>> > - Puppet theatre adaptations of classical texts (i.e.: ancient Greek,
>> > Roman, or Hebrew/Old Testament)
>> > - Puppet plays that draw upon Greek or Roman myths as their source
>> > material, broadly speaking
>> > - Live actor productions of ancient texts or myths that incorporate
>> > puppetry
>> > - Anything else that seems to relate
>> >
>> > If anyone knows of relevant productions (from any decade), I would
>> > love to hear about them!  Thanks very much.
>> >
>> > Cheers,
>> > Dawn
>> > _______________________________________________
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