Date: Mon, 05 Aug 2002 11:06:50 -0700
From: Mary Robinette Kowal <maryrk-AT-earthlink.net>
Subject: PUPT: Puppetry Critiscm


I've been away from the computer for a couple of days... wow.  And
that's all I'll say on that.

Meanwhile- in regards to Mr. Smythe's comments about criticism of
puppetry in the media.  At the Puppets 2002 festival in Atlanta, there
was a panel discussion on "Breaking Down the Wall" Which was about
marketing Puppetry for adults.   Naturally the question of critics came
up-  one thing that Drew Allison said (quoting Mark Levenson, I believe)
was that when discussing Theater, we will talk about Children's
Theater.  When discussing Puppetry, we will talk about Adult Puppetry. 
In other words, the natural assumption is that Theater is for grownups,
and a modifier is needed to place it in the kiddie realm, whereas the
assumption with Puppetry is that it's for children, and we use a
modifier to put into the adult realm.  

The thing that really struck me about this is that it's not a product of
the media, it is something that we, as puppeteers, do as well.  Even
while listening to this panel, I was surprised at how many of the
audience members, and even the panelists unconsciously talked about
marketing for children's audiences.

Perhaps if we began using the term Puppetry more generally, as in
Theater and started saying Children's Puppetry- or when discussing works
for adults, "This is not Children's Puppetry" we might slowly bring
about the assumption that Puppetry is as "serious" as Theater.  (This is
not to say that I think Children's Theater should be treated with any
less respect and attention than other forms of theater, so please don't
jump on that wagon.)

Something that also struck me in the wake of that festival occurred as I
was reading John Bell's excellent "Strings, Hands, Shadows: A Modern
Puppet History".  (I highly recommend this book.)  He refers to the
puppet renaissance that was occurring in the early part of the twentieth
century.  He quotes Paul McPharlin at one point as having the goal of
putting on "adult productions of drama comparable to those of the human
theater."  He also talks about human theater that incorporates puppetry,
and many other things that sound parallel to what is happening today. 
And they apparently were having a high degree of success.  Puppets on
Broadway, plays written with puppetry in mind... Those innovations were
eventually stopped, or set back by the depression and then W.W.II.

All of this is to say- it seems as if we've done this before.  This
attempt to be taken "seriously".  I don't know if I really have a point
here, it's more of a collection of thoughts that I've been having.  In
any case- I actually went to the library and looked up some of the plays
by these leaders of Modernists puppetry and there's some really good
work out there.  And it's not children's puppetry.

-- 
Mary Robinette Kowal
Other Hand Productions
http://www.otherhandproductions.com


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