To: puptcrit-AT-lists.driftline.org
Date: Sat, 14 Jan 2006 01:23:03 GMT
Subject: [Puptcrit] Professionals DO make mistakes


Hey Mark, it won't surprise you that I agree with Robert Rogers. Naivitee is at play in this discussion. 

If professionals never made mistakes. all the critics would be out of work.

Professional filmakers, painters, actors etc etc etc etc make mistakes on a daily basis.

NOBODY is perfect. We can only AIM FOR PERFECTION as all professionals strive to do. If they miss, then they try to do the best they can with the budget, the time, the available talent and the available rehearsal time allows. That is why many shows have previews before an official opening, or why there are out-of-town-openings, to try things out. Usually big-time changes follow.

If we all followed your dictum, none of us would be puppeteers. By the way. I have seen Chinese acrobats fall, drop stuff, and make other mistakes after lots of practice, so should they quit? I hope not.

Blanding Sloan, doing interesting marionette productions in San Francisco in 1929, before I was born (really!) often said "IT TAKES AN ARTIST TO RECOGNIZE A HAPPY ACCIDENT"---creative mistakes can lead to clever recoveries and discoveries which can be retained in future performance.

Ever been to a stock car race? The audience hopes for a mistake that will send a car flying through the fence. I've seen a few puppet shows which proved exciting in similar ways. I've seen PROFESSIONAL PUPPETEERS fall off tables AND LAND ON THEIR FEET to spirited applause (Jay Mashall, esteemed showman at a regional fest in Pasadena).

Mark, can you honestly tell me you never, ever made a mistake in performance? If you answer "yes", I won't believe you. Do you really think that if you made a mistake, you should give up puppetry? I'm really curious.

ALAN (four letter-word) COOK ( 4 more letters) 

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