File puptcrit/puptcrit.1003, message 221


From: Christopher Hudert <heyhoot-AT-mindspring.com>
Date: Tue, 9 Mar 2010 12:18:13 -0500
To: puptcrit-AT-puptcrit.org
Subject: Re: [Puptcrit] UNIMA's Encyclopedia of Puppetry



On Mar 8, 2010, at 9:12 PM, Hobey Ford wrote:

> There are  roughly  5000 names in the index about 90 of which are from 
> the US and a majority are mentioned in passing,
> without much if any detail. Of those living and practicing puppetry 
> from the US who had full articles most were adult puppet theater
> performers, scholars or involved with UNIMA.  <clip>   To a French 
> reader it would seem that the majority of puppeteers currently working 
>  in the US either work for the Muppets or perform for adults. <clip> I 
> may be mistaken but some of the finest puppetry going on in the US is 
> not recorded.  I was pleased to see Drew Allison and Paul Mesner 
> mentioned but only as names without any information about what they 
> do.  <clip>  but there is no index mention of David Simpich,  
> Hystopolis, The National Marionette Theater, Oregon Shadow Theater, 
> Tanglewood Marionettes, John Ludwig, and so so many more. Do the 
> editor want to gussy up American Puppetry as though we are 
> sophisticated puppet practitioners?

Ah, Hobey, you have plucked the chord of what is my main objection to 
the current UNIMA-USA. That of the severe neglect of family/children's 
puppetry. I respectfully disagree with this philosophy and have taken 
it up with different members of the UNIMA-USA board over the years. I 
have repeatedly been given an answer that, in my opinion, amounts to a 
"Yeah, we know that. What's your point?" Well, my point is that, if you 
really want puppetry to be respected and accepted, you as a 
practitioner and as a body of people must begin to respect it yourself. 
I have nothing against adult puppetry, and certainly not against 
Muppetry, but a big part of this respect needs to be the acknowledgment 
and encouragement of quality productions in the area of 
family/children's entertainment. This is probably THE predominant area 
of puppetry within the US, and certainly a cash cow for the industry as 
a whole. Why lead it to slaughter? Oh, wait, let me put it in terms of 
shows that a family puppeteer might do. Jack's cow has NOT run dry, so 
don't lead it to town to sell off. And don't kill the golden goose to 
get the unlaid eggs, or weren't you paying attention to the moral of 
the story? Of course this problem is not limited to puppetry. When I 
was in college, the theater department I was in look down its nose at 
musical and children's theater - until they had to raise cash for a new 
building. Then they went to the barn, dusted off the cash cow, groomed 
it and trotted it out for show, milking it all the way to the bank. 
Seems ignorant to neglect the area that gives the most experience (aka 
WORK) to beginning (and not so beginning) performers. And on Broadway 
some of the longest running, biggest block busters have been family 
shows which, on more than one occasion, have included puppets. UNIMA, 
UNIMA-USA, P of A, puptcritters, and puppeteers in general should 
promote and encourage QUALITY family/children's puppet productions. 
Believe me, it is much easier to plant and nourish the seed of love of 
puppetry in a young fertile mind than it is to plow into and change the 
hard, set ground of an adult mind.

   Now, it seems to me that a natural place for the UNIMA encyclopedia 
to start would have been its own archives of those it honored with a 
Citation of Excellence. Certainly at the very least a fairly full 
listing could or should have been a part of the book. A company or 
individual who received multiple Citations would, in my mind, at least 
be sited in the book. Okay, so that list would be fairy long. But to 
cull it down a bit you could limit it to practitioners of the art and 
leave off the Citations that went only to technical or other 
contributors. Some of those would be included in other places, 
including performing Citations, so the ones that contributed 
significantly in those areas would still be included.

   I doubt that I will rejoin UNIMA-USA until some sign of attitude 
change towards family/children's puppetry takes place - or I get an 
UNIMA Citation. I don't see either of those happening anytime soon, but 
I also doubt they will miss me.

   Maybe I should stop now before I really get on a rant and needlessly 
upset someone.

Christopher

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