Date: Thu, 9 Jan 1997 10:51:37 +1000
From: jdalhsim-AT-netspace.net.au (Janet Dalgliesh)
Subject: Re: The Future of Puppetry


Okay, here's my two cents worth....



>Will puppetry be extinct, or will it be a leading form of entertainment?

Depends where you are in the world - in certain areas it's currently a
leading form, but that might change as LA-based culture encroaches on the
rest of the world (sorry, guys, but it's true that there's a perception of
US imperialism - especially culturual - in the East and the Third World,
and in Australia too).  Puppetry certainly won't be extinct, and if we can
take a leaf out of Japan and Indonesia's books, it could be a leader
everywhere!  I don't mean stylistically, I mean seeing ourselves as serious
and professional artists who have much to offer the whole community, not
just the kids.


>
>Will there still be such a thing as a stage act, or will all entertainment
>be over the internet or tele-net?

There will always be a place for live performance, though it might not
always be on a formal stage.  But yes, I think theatres will survive -
every time technology moves into an area, the "handmade" stuff takes a bit
of a battering, then suddenly people realise what they're missing and a
huge resurgence of interest takes hold.  Look at calligraphy, handcrafts,
quilting, etc.  Same will happen with theatre.



>
>Will the puppets of the future be animatronic or made of some futuristic
>cyborg organic materials?  Part living flesh - a biogenetic creation still
>requiring a puppeteer to manipulate and create the illusion of independent
>thinking?  Or will they remain simple objects and be all that remains as
>examples of earlier primitive forms of expression?

Again, I think all these forms will have their place.  There's already a
kind of living puppetry - have you come across the Australian performance
artist Stelarc?  He had a performance where electrodes were connected to
his muscles, and members of the audience were able to control his movements
via electronic controls.  At one stage he even had a web site so people
could log on, see him via CUSeeMe, and control him via their mouse.  I
never saw it myself, but have seen it written up and reviewed.

I guess that qualifies as a kind of community puppetry project, though not
exactly my cup of tea!


>
>Will those of us on this list be remembered by the puppeteers of the future?
>


Aaah - now you're asking the tough one.  Given the lack of knowledge *most*
(not all, by any means) puppeteers have of their forebears, I suspect we'll
be long forgotten by 2050!  Except perhaps by our descendents, if we're
lucky.....

Mind you, I intend to still be here in 2050, so if you like I'll put a
posting on the list to remind them all of who we are.  I'll be about 95 by
then, but I plan to retain the marbles for at least that long!!

Cheers, Janet

**************************************************
Janet Dalgliesh and Hugh Simpson

jdalhsim-AT-netspace.net.au

"The most wasted of all days is that in which we have not laughed"
(Sébastien R. N. Chamfort, "Maximes et pensées")




  --- Personal replies to: jdalhsim-AT-netspace.net.au (Janet Dalgliesh)
  --- List replies to:     puptcrit-AT-lists.village.virginia.edu
  --- Admin commands to:   majordomo-AT-lists.village.virginia.edu