From: Angusson-AT-aol.com
Date: Sun, 15 Dec 1996 13:18:49 -0500
Subject: Re: Double Bridges/Luman Coad



In a message dated 12/11/96 7:16:22 PM, Luman Coad  wrote:

>Plans for the Rose's double bridge stage can be found in Marjorie
>Batchelder's Puppetry Handbook. Unlike Bil Baird's stage, the front bridge
is
>higher than the back which eliminates any possibility of stepping directly
>from one to the other. 
>
>A question for Fred Thompson: Most of the Rose's productions needed only one
>or two performers. Was the front bridge ever used to advantage?
>

Luman, Sorry for the delay.
I think our posts must have crossed in cyberspace.

I excerpt the following from my earlier post and have added a bit more:
The Roses travelled with four puppeteers, trimmed it down to three and later
did the shows by themselves. 
(After the fire in 1961, the Roses used a much simpler, single bridge stage.
If anyone is interested in details of that design, let me know.)

Just a note on the advantages of using two bridges. Obviously, the whole
thing had to be choreographed. But for instance, when Rufus and Margo did
their Oriental Tumblers, "Taka-Handee and Jump-a-Ponee, it was easier to get
out of each other's way by using two bridges. [ Much of that routine was
"vertical", so it really meant that at times, the puppeteers would be both in
the same space.]  
They had several "tandem" routines over the years. For "Rip", two bridges
came in handy when dealing with all of Heindrick Hudson's crew. And for
"FLOTO" the trapeze clown [it was used to advantage].


In addition, Luman, I recall how crowded it got on the single bridge when
trying to do "Rip" or "Pinocchio". Walking a puppet clear across the stage
was a feat. Rehearsals were the key but sometimes Rufus would "improvise" or
forget and we'd have to invent. Sometimes a puppet was hung and the puppeteer
would step back to allow the "walking" puppet to move past, and then would
take up his puppet again.

Also, in the earlier version of "Pinocchio" there were a few more puppets and
more elaborate scenery. This was when there were three or four puppeteers. So
the advantages of two bridges were not only obvious but necessary. When the
Roses pared the company down to just two, puppets were suspended by "hanging
hooks" placed at particular places along the leaning rail and front rail.
These puppets were kept alive by planning their reactions to the action and
moved at appropriate times. A poor substitute for a puppeteer, but when
that's what you got............ you know. 
The show curtain could be operated from the front bridge or the floor, so
depending on the scene, the action could be ""happening" as the curtain
opened. And another puppet could make its entrance immediately. One didn't
have to climb onto the bridge after opening the curtain. The lights and music
were controlled from the bridge.

I never saw "The Mouse in Noah's Ark" from backstage but that was a complex
show with a double cast of two different scale marionettes and an exquisite
shadow sequence of the animals loading onto the Ark. The double bridge must
have been used to great advantage. Carl Harms worked that show with the Roses.
 They only performed it a few seasons. That show used marionettes, hand
puppets, shadow puppets and Margo herself, from the waist down, as the large
version of Mrs., Noah. A marionette of Mrs. Noah was used in scenes with the
smaller scaled cast of marionettes. I know you didn't ask about this and I
hope you don't mind.

And, from a personal perspective, the Rose's double bridge stage was just
"neat" in design and concept. Efficient, strong, practical, and just nice to
look at. It had beautiful maroon masking with a Chiffon velvet yellow-green
show curtain which shimmered under the lights. After I saw my first Rose
marionette show, I knew that when these curtains "quivered", Rufus had pulled
himself up onto the bridge and the show was about to begin. Well over forty
years ago, I still recall the magic of that moment and what followed. And of
course, it was always over much too soon.

Fred Thompson



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