Pants on the Ground

This is not what I had planned on writing about today. However, this morning, I had a mortifying experience occur during a gig, and what better way to seal the deal than to write about it on the internet?

So, the train started down the track toward Disaster when we were asked to come to a summer reading program to perform with our life-sized alter-ego puppets. For this group, we were prepared to tell a handful of Louisiana folktales, and we rely heavily on audience participation. My partner built these puppets, and they are beautiful. We have used them many times, and although we initially had some issues with weight, we now have unobtrusive harnesses that make lengthy shows much easier. We, as puppeteers, are behind the puppets in puppet blacks, hooded - we manipulate one of the puppet's arm with our own arm in a sleeve/glove, and our other arm/hand is used to manipulate the head and mouth. The puppets share our feet, as my puppet's pant legs gradually wrap around my ankle.

Most of the students at this program had never seen a puppet show, and I would wager that not one of them had even fathomed this type of puppetry, based on their initial reactions. As we were entering the space, my partner checked me out, and remarked that my puppet's pants were sitting a little low. His comment was purely aesthetic - they are in period inspired tramp style clothes - and was not a comment based in logistical concern.

For this performance, we did not have to be mic'ed as the house was small, and both of our voices carry. What is particularly nice about this is that since we are hooded, we cannot read each other's facial expressions, but we can we whisper to one another, if neccessary. We have learned over the years when we have to be mic'ed to use secret words to let the other know if we are in trouble, a trick we immediately implemented after a dangerously hot outdoor venue. At any rate, about halfway through the show, my partner took a sec in between tales to let me know that my puppet's neck seemed truncated.

So, there we were, telling a story - volunteer performers with us in front of an audience of around 50, when, in an attempt to elongate my neck, I must have stretched the puppet's torso too much and I immediately felt the puppet get a whole lot lighter. Gasps from a handful of front row students let me know in nanoseconds that there was big trouble. As you may have guessed from the title, my puppet had lost her pants. Down around both of our ankles.

But, it gets worse. These types of puppets have no legs. They only have torsos, and brief thigh-beginnings, since we eventually share legs. So.....my puppet not only had her pants down around our ankles, but now looked like a very scary amputee. Not that amputees are scary, but this sight must have come as quite a shock. I know that it was to me.

I immediately grabbed the pants and held them to her waist, and let my partner know that I was going to leave and come right back. He had missed the whole fiasco (I think the whole thing was only a matter of moments) but knew that I must be having some serious technological issues.

As I cleared the view of the audience, I tore this now completely disloyal puppet from my body, and tried to regain my composure. I stood there for a full ten seconds, gathering my thoughts, and considering getting in the car and leaving. But, trooper that I have learned to be, I put her back together and calmly reentered the stage. I couldn't think of anything witty to say (not my strength, really) but I jumped back in and did my best to finish the show.

We always tape our performances. I have not yet gathered the courage to watch it, and I have little faith that I will in the near future, since I was definitely lookin' like a fool with my pants on the ground.

A Messy Business

This is not my house, but sometimes, it might as well be.

Due to my recent, but chronic, frustration of the state of my home workshop, I have decided to spend some time considering what things can be tossed/listed. This process has not been fruitful in the past. I am inclined to think that this is a problem that particularly plagues puppeteers (although I suspect that collagists and found artists have some idea of what I am talking about)...

Q. Can we get rid of the bags of empty paper towel and toilet paper cores?
A. Well, no...we might need to teach a class on using recycled materials for puppet-making, and we won't have time to accumulate that many.

Q. How about that box of leather scraps?
A. NO! Leather is expensive, and Tandy was having a sale! Besides, you don't need that much for a puppet.

Q. OK, what about the packs of wire hangars over there?
A. Those hangars are perfect for the rods on karagiozis. Wal-Mart doesn't carry them anymore. The ones now break too easily, for some reason.
Q. I know, but we don't have any karagiozis shows planned....
A. Yes, but we'll have them when we need them!

And so on, and so forth. You can't get rid of bolts of fabric or felt, because, well, you use it all of the time. You can't get rid of enormous rolls of foam for the same reason. Spoons make eyes, as do ping pong balls. Boxes of feathers and marabou boas take over your life, along with various containers of adhesives, scissors, and sewing equipment. This is to say nothing of lighting equipment, sound equipment, recording equipment, backdrops, props, and a myriad of theatre environments. I moved recently, and will again soon. My friends who helped the last time vowed that they would never help again. They have even offered to pay for professional movers the next time, just to relieve themselves of the task.



I am going to try again, though, to let go of some of this. I am currently completely overwhelmed, and I think that streamlining might be the best thing to cleanse the creative palette. Off I go....Maybe the next time I write, my workshop will look more like this:

We'll see.

It's a Kind of Magic

• In ancient China, puppets' heads were always removed from their bodies at night in order to keep them from coming alive.
• In ancient Greece, legend has it that Pygmalion, a Cypriot sculptor, carved the perfect woman from marble. He loved her so much that he prayed to Venus that she could come to life. Venus granted his wish.
• In the early centuries of the common era are some of our first references to the Jewish golems. A golem is a being created from inanimate substance, and much respect is given to those who are able to conjure them into being. It is said that golems have occasionally protected the Jewish people from attack.
• In the 1700s, Jacques de Vaucanson, a French inventor, created the first "robots." He is most famous for his "Digesting Duck," that had hundreds of parts, appeared to be able to drink and digest food, flap his wings, and poop. In creating the duck's intestines, de Vaucanson inadvertently gave the world flexible rubber tubing.
  
• In 1818, a novel was published anonymously that spun the story of Dr. Frankenstein, a scientist who discovers a way to create life. He rejects his ugly monster, however, and the monster seeks vengence on his creator out of loneliness and rejection.
  
• The late 1800's brought us the tale of Pinocchio. Geppetto, the Italian woodcarver, carved him from pinenut wood, and although he was a puppet, he dreamt of being a real boy.
• One hundred years later, Child's Play films introduces us to Chucky, a violent killer who dives into a toy box on his death bed and, of course, his soul is transferred into a "Good Guy" doll.

These are only a few examples that I could think of that illustrate how the world sees puppets. Of course, some are not traditional puppets, but I think that all of the examples underscore the fascination and respect that all humans have for the anthropomorphization of inanimate objects. I think, too, that we see it as fair trade for deaths that we experience. Click here, and you can see what seems like one more chance to see MJ. It was magic in the ancient times, and it is magic now. Consider also, Toy Story 3, in theatres now, making grown men cry. We love to suspend disbelief, whether we are puppeteers or not.

Which leads me to my video link for the day. I know many of you are very familiar with Philippe Genty, French theatre artist and puppeteer, but this video is one of my all time favorites. Get out your Kleenex.

A Happy Marriage

"In marriage there are no manners to keep up, and beneath the wildest accusations no real criticism. Each is familiar with that ancient child in the other who may erupt again.... We are not ridiculous to ourselves. We are ageless. That is the luxury of the wedding ring." ~Enid Bagnold, Autobiography, 1969

When people ask me what I do, they are instantly excited when I tell them. I suppose it is refreshing not to hear, "IT Specialist" or "Marketing." (not that there is anything wrong with either of these occupations, but I think we can all agree that they aren't in the minority) People even stay interested while I explain a little bit about puppet history, the state of puppetry in the US today, puppetry in education. But if I progress any more, perhaps into the lives of my characters, forget it. Eyes glaze over, some seem a bit frightened. It's nice to have a partner who totally gets it.

There seem to be innumerable husband and wife puppetry teams. Go ahead, google it. Many years ago, puppeteering families were not uncommon, primarily because of logistics, as they lived itinerant existences. But this tradition has continued, and I wonder if it is because of the necessary acceptance of an odd fantasy life.

It doesn't seem to matter, however, if the husband was the original puppeteer, and led the woman into the adventure, or vice versa. And, there are plenty of cases of puppeteers who meet on the job. Bil and Cora Baird, the famous marionettists known to the mainstream as the artists responsible for the "Lonely Goatherd" scene in The Sound of Music, fell into the-husband-brings-wife-into-the-fold category. Cora Baird graduated from Hunter College with a degree in the theatre, studied with Martha Graham and was a member of the Group Theatre when Bil heard her "do voices." Four weeks later, they married, and that was all she wrote: for the next thirty years, they were magical. Allie Scollon of Scollon Productions and Columbia Marionette Theatre, was a puppeteer from childhood, and introduced her boyfriend (and then husband), Bill, to puppets. They made marionettes in their one-bedroom apartment while working full-time jobs, eventually opening their own production company, and later, theatre. Mark Carrigan and Michelle Smith-Carrigan were both puppeteers at the same puppet company, married, and when the company folded, opened their own, the successful New York company, The Puppet People.

It is lovely and important in a marriage to be safe from ridicule. In puppeteering, it is essential. You are creating funny voices, climbing over one another, living in a vibrant fantasy life. Maybe the sanctity of marriage creates a two-fold safety net.

Disclaimer: I am in no way intentionally ignoring the many LGBT puppeteers in working marriages, I just cannot find any examples at this moment. Also, my use of the word "marriage" is completely ecumenical.

BCI and Puppetry?

In the 1970’s, scientists began exploring possible relationships between the human brain and external mechanisms with the hope of one day developing a way for the brain to manipulate these devices, primarily for use by the disabled. Interestingly, the possibility of such a relationship had existed in pop culture for many years, although the purpose was usually more dystopian in nature. Think Marvel supervillain and mad scientist, Doctor Octopus. Created in the early sixties, Spiderman’s enemy created four sophisticated mechanical arms that are operated by a harnessed, brain computer interface (BCI). Although his arms were originally designed to enhance his research skills by conducting precise movements with great strength, through an unfortunate turn of events, they were, for a time, fused to his body (of course). Currently, Doc Ock’s arms are no longer permanently attached (of course), but he is able to control them at a distance with invasive BCI. But I digress…

BCIs, which are also interchangeably known as “direct neutral interfaces” or “brain machine interfaces,” developed quickly during the 1990’s. Initially, BCIs were exclusively non-invasive, but eventually progressed to brain implants. By 2008, a monkey was able to stimulate a robotic arm with his mind at the Pittsburgh University Medical Center, using invasive BCI. However, non-invasive BCI research has also continued. The electroencephalography (EEG) skullcap, which records neuron activity, has been utilized extensively, due to its (relative) low cost and ease of use.

The possibilities of BCI, however, have not been limited to options for the disabled. The gaming industry, the toy industry and the US military have embraced non-invasive BCI, particularly in the past couple of years. In 2008, the US Army extended a $4 million contract to UC Irving, Carnegie Mellon University, and the University of Maryland to produce “thought helmets” whereby troops could communicate with one another mentally (I'm not making this stuff up). Within gaming, Emotiv Systems’ EPOC, released in 2009, has been widely received. EPOC, also operating from electromagnetic sensors, is closer to a medical EEG machine, and can gauge twelve different types of movement, emotions, facial expressions and head rotation. On the market for $300, EPOC operates with Windows PC games. In April 2009, Neurosky released Star Wars: Force Trainer, the first BCI toy to enter the competitive mainstream. An inexpensive simplified EEG headset, the Force Trainer is accompanied by a ping pong ball in a clear plastic tube. With the use of the headset, the brain controls a small fan at the bottom of the tube, and through concentration, the user is able to keep the ping pong ball elevated by operating the fan. Later in 2009, Mattel released Mindflex, a similar product which was expanded by the implementation of an obstacle course for the ball, and won the 2009 People’s Play Award Toy of the Year. Lastly, the September 2009 Robo-One Robot Fighting Tournament in Japan revealed the latest in non-invasive BCI technology: A bi-pedal robot entirely operated by a BCI headset. The University of Electro-Communications team had developed a 1.5 second thought-to-action robot that was only four pounds in weight and operated by an astounding twelve electrode connection to the brain. (An EEG has nineteen.)
You see where I am going with all of this? We, in the puppetry community, need to be fully participating in, and benefitting from, the burgeoning non-invasive BCI developments. Consider the ease with which many puppets could have been operated, and how much more expressive they might have been with such developments. Consider also, the possibility of the application of non-invasive BCI to smaller, less intricate puppets. How much more dynamic would Rizzo be if it could be controlled by thought? This is not to say that we ought to relinquish our loyalty to the traditional aspects of our art. What has always been a unique quality of puppetry has been our ability to stand both at the forefront of technology and resolutely at the rear, protecting our legacy and traditions. In a world where puppet traditions are declining or being remanded as child’s play, non-invasive BCI is an area where we could shine as a grown-up, sophisticated vanguard.

A NOLA Happenin'

So, although I am not always here to plug puppet happenings, a fellow New Orleans puppeteer, Brady, pointed me in the direction of some work that he has recently completed with a Young Audiences summer camp. Here is some of my conversation with him:

LP: Tell me a little about this camp and your program.

B: Young Audiences focuses on exposing students to the arts, which have been removed, in part, from the school system. Professional artists work with the students on whatever their expertise is, everything from African drumming to puppetry to rap. This camp, in particular, was four weeks long, and was particularly challenging because once a week they went on a field trip, so in total, we saw them for about thirteen class sessions.

LP: Wow! And had any of them had any previous puppetry experience?

B: No, not really. A few had seen a puppet show at school or at church, and of course, Sesame Street. But no, not really.

LP: So you are not always at the same school...

B: Nope. Almost every time I teach a course or camp, I go to another school. They try to rotate the teachers, so that the students get exposed to as many genres as possible. That also lets me work with all ages from 4-17.

LP: So, tell me about your classes specifically.

B: At this particular camp, I taught six classes a day to about 165 students aged 4 to 14. We start with introductions and class expectations, move on to warm-ups, team and partnering exercises, and then on to puppet history. Eventually, we design puppets and at this camp, we chose to focus our final presentation - which was a series of music videos - on the oil spill. I try to stay relevant and address issues that they are concerned or interested in through puppetry.

LP: What types of puppets did you all build?

B: We built Fandango-style paper bag puppets, sock puppets, shadow puppets, marionettes and puppets made out of recycled materials.

LP: That sounds like a lot!

B: Yeah, it was. Then we filmed short music videos that they had learned and pre-recorded. It was a little rougher than it might have been if we had had a longer session, but I am really proud of what they accomplished.

LP: How does this class differ than one of your longer courses?

B: Oh - a lot. I teach puppet manipulation more intensively, I bring in monitors so that they are able to see themselves as they work, everything is more intensive and there is time for so much more...But I do want to say that these kids worked incredibly hard to overcome their thirteen day learning curve.

LP: What are their biggest oil spill concerns?

B: How long it is going to last - the spilling and the ramifications - the animals, the fisherman, the availability of seafood, whether people will still visit New Orleans. I think that they might be getting tired of being "the underdog." Their biggest concern with their puppet film, though, is how many hits they are going to get!

If you would like to see their work, it is available on YouTube in sections: 1 and 2, since it is a little bit longer than ten minutes. But it's worth every minute to see our next generation of puppeteer/activists.

Shattering the Illusion

You know what drives me nuts? This kind of thing drives me nuts:


And this:



Granted, I am as big a fan and user of Photoshop as the next girl, but seriously, is nothing sacred? I also understand that perhaps I am not the most unbiased judge on these sorts of things, but a group of people spent time giving life to characters used to teach our kids (who we were habitually parking in front of television) how to read. Satire, you say? Yeah, that excuse would work if these images were used intentionally as satire, and not by sixteen year old boys on their MySpace pages.

Equally annoying, however, is the "adults only" disclaimer on the Sesame Street DVD that has episodes from 1969-1974. It is included because, in our attempt to sanitize everything, the following is now considered offensive or dangerous to our young people: Cookie Monster eats too many cookies, Alistair Cookie smokes a pipe and then eats it, Big Bird is delusional due to his having an imaginary friend, and Oscar the Grouch not only has bad manners, but poor hygiene. I mean, come on.

I, as you can see, am super-sensitive about the sanctity of puppet characters. Every puppeteer will probably not agree with me. There are plenty of accomplished puppeteers who create fully developed characters who are not super-sensitive or attached to the "souls" of their puppets. However, the following situation, I find, particularly odd:

Remember Labyrinth? David Bowie? "Dance, magic, dance...?" Unfortunately, Hoggle, the grumpy giant, did not fare so well. Due to lost luggage on a trip by Henson Associates, Unclaimed Baggage Center, a company that purchases, well, unclaimed baggage and then resells it, ended up with Hoggle. And there is where Hoggle stayed. And continued to rot, due to the foam that was used in his creation. No one claimed him, until Sowatzka's Dolls found it in their hearts to restore him. I wonder if (then) Henson Associates didn't notice that he was missing? Or after a large number of puppets, one missing isn't any big deal? No blame, I just wonder.