File puptcrit/puptcrit.1003, message 492


Date: Wed, 24 Mar 2010 12:58:48 -0700
From: Steven Barr <lapuppet-AT-gmail.com>
To: puptcrit-AT-puptcrit.org
Subject: Re: [Puptcrit] Russian Puppetry


For Robert R. and others
     I have several large Puppet books from France brimming with
photos of  Russian Puppeteer, Obrasov. From these photos I see his
work was traditional but included very modern aspects as well. .. what
I call Abstract or experimental puppetry, with puppeteers in full
view, shapes as puppets, wordless... I also know his company was very
large-- somewhere over 80 members in the heyday of the mid-80s I
think, so they had many shows, for adults and for children. In the 50s
and 60s there were the Cabaret shows with risque puppetry that also
flourished in Paris (Yves Jolie) at that time-- some of this is pure
experimental puppetry.
I also work exclusively with Eugene Seregin who worked in that Moscow
company for 20 years-- although with the fall of the USSR so went the
big theatres. He made his way to Los Angeles in the early 90s because
he found no work in Russia. But out of the frying pan and into the
fire and Eugene has not had much work here-- although I will always
call on him first for any project, and his work is marvelous. I call
him a genius, in fact. I just can't keep him employed.
You said 'in the time of the tzar"  -- which Tzar? They probably had
all kinds of puppets although the traditional marionnettes and
handpuppets were most prevelant. And by the way, after seeing that
charming clip on your website with the hand (glove) puppets with
moving mouths... I remembered seeing a Russian group from Gorky (in
1985 in Roumanian festival) performing with large hand puppets with
moving mouths. So your style would work perfectly for a russian tale.
Good luck on the show and thanks for inspiring me to look into my old
books and re see the gems I had forgotten were there.

Steven Ritz-Barr
Visiting Professor, Animation, UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television
Owner, Classics in Miniature, Inc. <www.classicsinminiature.com>
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