Date: Tue, 4 Feb 1997 11:53:56 -0500 (EST)
From: miguel martin <mimartin-AT-bgsm.edu>
Subject: Re: Shadow Puppets


At 08:32 PM 2/3/97 -0700, you wrote:
>I am a university student enrolled in a puppetry class and for my final
>project I plan to produce a shadow puppet show of "There was an Old Woman
>who Swallowed a fly" on an overhead projector.  I have never produced a
>puppet show of any kind and would love to hear any ideas, especially about
>shadow puppets.  I am also looking for other simple puppets and ideas.  I'm
>new at all of this and could use any advice.  Thanks alot.
>Janet Halverson
>

janet, in 1995 i built a puppet show as a final part to a long worked toward
master in fine arts degree.  i can say this, and this has little to do with
puppetry:  pace yourself.  don't get drowned by the weight of telling your
story.  make the story the most important thing in the world and tell it
with your puppets.  don't be concerned by what any one thinks, not ever,
just tell your story.  when i did it, the story wasn't yet clear in my head,
so the performance suffered, but you are worknig from a standard story, this
may be a great help.  if you are working with others, assistants, actors,
other puppet operators, make sure they know exactly what you want.  this
isn't their show, its yours.  i did this and my assistants were really good.
each of them was an artist in their own right, but they managed to displace
their personal views just to concentrate on helping me - if you can get
that, go for it!

also, try to put as much of the responsibility of performing onto others if
it is possible.  this should help you free yourself, move away from the
action, see it more clearly and judge what needs to be changed etc, then you
are the director of your show.

well, maybe not much help, but i had a minute and thought i could try.

miguel martin
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miguel martin <mimartin-AT-bgsm.edu>

  "In the end everything can be reduced to the one simple element which is
all a person can count upon in his existence: the capacity to love.  That
element can grow within the soul to become the supreme factor which
determines the meaning of a person's life. My function is to make whoever
sees my films aware of his need to love and to give his love, and aware that
beauty is summoning him."
  --Andrey Tarkovsky
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