Date: Sun, 14 Apr 2002 16:13:27 -0500
Subject: Re: PUPT: Farscape


Farscape, popcorn and chocolate ice cream. Could Friday night get any
better?!

I edit the newsletter for Twin Cities Puppeteers, Minnesota's puppetry
guild, and each month I write a little column called "Yada Yada Yada." Last
year one of those columns featured Farscape:

******

These days TV is swarming with puppets. They mostly inhabit childrenıs
programming. But one genre of adult TV ‹ science fiction ‹ often relies
heavily on puppetry to make its fabulous worlds believable. For my money, a
SciFi Channel show called Farscape offers some of the best science fiction
puppetry ever exhibited. Two of the showıs main characters, Rygel and Pilot,
are animatronic puppets. They appear in every episode and are marvelously
believable. This is not surprising, given that Farscape is a production of
The Jim Henson Company.

Rygel is my favorite. He is more properly referred to as ³Dominar Rygel the
XVI, Ruler of the Hynerian Realms, Beloved by 600 Billion Subjects²
(according to him). Heıs a smallish, froggish, selfish little
helium-expelling bag of egomania, but heıs endearing.

A few weeks ago, Farscape began its third season with a behind-the- scenes
summary of the series to date -- a Farscape primer. It was hosted by the
showıs lead actors, Ben Browder and Claudia Black. As they described Rygel
and his role on the show, the Toady Dominar himself floated in on his
ThroneSled and pointed out that the show was really all about him. Claudia
flashed a sardonic smile, leaned over to Rygel and said ³Rygel, thereıs a
call for youŠ Spielberg on Line 1.² ³Oh, um, excuse me,² Rygel graciously
apologized to the audience. ³I must go.² And off he sped. Ben snickered to
Claudia, ³Puppets are so gullible.²

Whoa! I thought. Heıs gullible? Who is it whoıs spending his career talking
to a two-foot mass of latex, fabric and servos as if it were a living,
breathing alien? But itıs okay to be gullible. In fact, for actors who
interact with puppets, and even more so for puppeteers, gullibility is
essential. Itıs in the job description.

How can an individualıs gullibility potential be assessed? I know a dandy
test. I have memories of my father to thank for it. He plied this amusing
little exercise on his willing children more than once:

Tester to Subject: Iıd like you to meet a friend of mine. His name is Tiny.
(Tester holds his or her hand out flat.) Here he is, standing on my palm.
Tiny is quite small, and also invisible.
Tester to hand: Whatıs that, Tiny? Youıre warm? Yes, it is warm in here. Why
donıt you take off your coat? Oh, alright, Iıll ask.
Tester to Subject: Tiny wants to know, would you mind holding his coat for
him?
Subject: (rolling eyes, but playing along) Uh, sure. (Tester mimes placing
invisible coat on Subjectıs palm.)
Tester to hand: Whatıs that, Tiny? You think we might as well be casual? I
agree.
Tester to Subject: Would you hold Tinyıs hat for him?
Subject: Okay. (Tester mimes placing small, invisible hat on Subjectıs
palm.)
Tester to hand: Whatıs that, Tiny? Yes, youıre right, it really doesnıt look
much like rain. Iıll ask.
Tester to Subject: Tiny would like you to hold his umbrella. Is that okay?
Subject: Sure. (Tester mimes placing small, invisible umbrella on Subjectıs
palm.)
Tester to Subject: Tell me something truthfully. Do you believe that Tiny is
real?
Subject: Of course not!
Tester to Subject: Then why are you holding his coat, hat and umbrella?

Gullible is as gullible does.

*********
Regards,
Diane

Freshwater Pearls Puppetry
http://www.freshwaterpearlspuppetry.com/

> Yes, I know it's another Henson project. But what does everyone think of the
> puppets?
> I do like that some of the aliens have been puppets so you get non-humaniod
> shapes in the mix.
> Kathleen



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