Date: Wed, 7 Jun 2000 17:50:36 +0100
From: Stephen Kaplin <skactw-AT-pop.tiac.net>
Subject: Re: PUPT: FW: Band Teacher needs your help!


>----------
>> From: paul royle-grimes <royleg-AT-kci.net>
>> Reply-To: royleg-AT-kci.net
>> Date: Tue, 06 Jun 2000 15:55:29 -0700
>> To: schroeders-AT-usa.net
>> Subject: Band Teacher needs your help!
>>
>> My name is Paul W Royle-Grimes and I am a music teacher in the Colorado
>> public Schools.
>>
>> I am currently teaching High School and Middle School Band.  I would
>> like to know if you can lead me to someone to can send me information on
>> how to build the giant pole puppets used in this years Disney Millennium
>> Celebration.  These puppets appear to fasten to the puppeteer's hands
>> and feet and mimic the movement on a very large scale (they could be as
>> tall as twenty feet).  I would like to build and use at least two of
>> these puppets in my marching show this year.  Maybe you know of a book
>> or plans on how to build these puppets.
>>
>> Thank you for your help
>>
>> Paul
>>
>>
>>
>
>
>
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Dear Paul,
	The best manual for making simple giant puppets is put out by Sara
Peattie and the Puppeteer's Cooperative in Boston. It's called "68 Ways to
Make Really Big Puppets" and is published by Bread and Puppet Press in
Glover Vt. It has great diagrams (not much text though), and is great
material for any level of skill. Contact the Bread and Puppet Museum for
that and other pamphlets related to giant puppet crafting at a basic level.
	Another source (harder to find I'll bet if it's not still in print)
is "Engineers of the Imagination--The Welfare State Handbook"  editited by
Tony Coult and Baz Kershaw and published by Methuen Books.The Welfare State
is a theatre company that is the English equivilant to Bread and Puppet)
Their manual has both great drawings and good descriptive text. They have a
section on  attaching really gigantic figures to motor vehicals, and how to
make a four story tall bonfire of the House of Parliament (try that on your
high school football field!)
	In regards to the Disney Millenial Puppets, they were probably
designed and built by Michael Curry. Unless you have  access to a serious
machine shop and some professional craftpeople, I suggest you pay attention
to Peattie's low tech approach. If this is your first time trying to build
one, just remember that giant puppets take lots more time, space and
materials than you think. But it's the kind of project a high school class
can really sink it's teeth into. Good luck!


		Stephen Kaplin






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