From: BFall <bfall-AT-toledolibrary.org>
Subject: RE: PUPT: Eureka!
Date: Thu, 26 Sep 2002 14:04:40 -0400


 

-----Original Message-----
From: kenner B
To: puptcrit-AT-lists.village.virginia.edu
Sent: 9/24/02 1:01 AM
Subject: Re: PUPT: Eureka!

I too read the article and it did make me question some of my choices.
I have to say I am in the middle of writing a show that does deal with
death 
and capitol punishment in a sense. It is a very old folk tale and has 
survived the test of time very well. It also has relevance to todays
world. 
I have wanted to make it into a puppet show for years. However I am
pretty 
new to the puppetry and don't know all the ins and outs of how the
business 
works. I am not motivated by the almighty dollar per se, but I also
don't 
have any philanthropist friends who can bail me out of a show that cost
me 
several hundred dollars to build and then bombed because it wasn't right
for 
the times or the audience. Then I got to thinking. First IMHO art has a
duty 
to make people think. It doesn't have to be earth changing thoughts or
life 
inspirations, but it should at least get the neurons firing. Second,
lets 
look at those big shows that were mentioned in the article. Let's see
there 
is that giant. He did not make a splash down into a swimming pool when
the 
stalk cut in half by that rascal Jack. I believe he met his demise. Then

there is the wolf who became a hearty stew for that masonic pig. Nothing

cuddly about that. Mr. Wolf did not send out Reds grandma for fresh 
biscuits as I recall. The more I thought about any of the classics the
more 
I was met with at least one of the characters challenge to mortality.
This 
brought up an old saying that I think became even more relevant to me.
It's 
not what you say, but how you say it. I will continue with my show in
the 
best way that I can and let the poo pooers poo poo because that's what
poo 
pooers do. The rest will see it as a story that means something to real 
people.The telly tubbys can't even avoid the wrath of some people.

I am glad this was brought up in discussion as I needed to vent as well.

Ken

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Kenner & All:

I'm a little behind in my e-mail, so maybe someone's already made my point
(such as it is), but for what it's worth . . . Sanitizing folktales seems to
be a popular pastime of modern America.  The way some people tell it, that
wolf hits the boiling water and flies right back up the chimney.  Cinderella
forgives her wicked stepsisters and even finds them husbands.  The
woodcutter kills the wolf and slits open his belly.  Lo and behold, Granny
and Red emerge alive and well!  In France, the wolf devours Le Petit
Chaperon Rouge, because that's what happens to little girls who disobey
their mothers (Poor Granny was just an innocent, caught in the crossfire, so
to speak).

On the other hand, American TV was far more violent than what I saw when I
lived abroad.

So what is my point?  Well, I admit I'm not sure.  Just that this dilemma
has plagued us Americans for sometime.  Why are we so much more "careful"
about some media?

Wondering in Ohio,
Brid



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