Date: Mon, 16 Jan 2006 08:56:40 -0500
To: puptcrit-AT-lists.driftline.org
Subject: Re: [Puptcrit] La tete Blanche: puppet show success


Congratulations, Mathieu.

It sounds like a wonderful show.  I can't wait to see pictures of your 
puppets.

Anne


On Jan 15, 2006, at 11:16 PM, Mathieu René wrote:

> Hi all.
> The new Theatre play for which I made two tabletop puppets started 
> tonight.
> I was there, all anxious to see them appear in stage lights.
>
>
> The show is called La t=EAte Blanche. It is by a Montreal company named 
> "Qui va l=E0"
> It is in French. It plays at the Montreal theatre La Licorne, from 
> tonight till end of February.
> Schedule:
> January 15, 16, 22, 23
> February 11, 12, 13, 19, 20, 26, 27
> 8:00 pm, doors open at 7:30pm.
>
> La Petite Licorne (the cafe inside La Licorne)
> 4559, ave Papineau, (corner of Mont-Royal)
> Montréal, Quebec, Canada.
> telephone:(514) 523.2246.
>
>
> The first show is always an exciting moment for me. Especially this 
> time. I had not gone to any of the rehearsals, and did not even read 
> the text. I usually need do, but this time, the puppet descriptions 
> were self-explanatory and clear.
> This contract was quite a challenge. I was hired last minute, and had 
> only about two weeks to make the two puppets with two accessory 
> modifications, while I had other contracts going on.
>
> The resulting show was a total inspiration. I feel free to rave about 
> it since I truly was not involved in the whole thing. I ust made the 
> puppets, and saw none of the process.
> So, as an audience member, I was transported into the life story of a 
> young old lady.
> The main character is played by herself, a non-actress who does a 
> fantastic job!
> She lead a fantastic life. The show is a fiction-documentary about her 
> life, with lots of visual and musical and poetical interpretations. 
> Lots of symbols used efficicently. This young yet fantastic theatre 
> company mixed Storytelling with music with poetry with puppetry 
> (puppets and found objects) and acting to create a new way of looking 
> at a lifetime. Everything was re-interpreted, up to the music that you 
> hear when you first enter the room as an audience member.
> Can you imagine guests to a mundane dinner represented by chess 
> pieces? I saw it! Amazingly believable and "=E0 propos".
> A knit woolen scarf became an endearing and hilarious hairy mess of a 
> dog right before our eyes, and vanished like magic, turning back into 
> the scarf. I never saw anything quite like it.
>
> I like efficient simplicity better than extravagant complexities. This 
> show is all about simple and efficient, so very well done that 
> everything seems quite real and natural. I could feel this is filled 
> with the lives of everyone in it.
> The whole thing is very intimate as well. both thanks to the contents 
> and to the size of the venue: very small and narrow. Less than a 
> hundred people at a time I'm guessing.
>
> An ephemeral jewel like this has to be seen before it becomes just a 
> memory. By choice of everyone involved, the show will be retired when 
> the lady cannot perform it anymore. I think it a great if courageous 
> decision. Can you imagine working so hard on a show and not know how 
> long or how short it will run? The three founders of the company are 
> like that, they are not affraid to try.
> I want to work with them again.
>
> Details about my puppets:
>
> -an egg-headed young boy in complete suit and tie (costume by 
> Sandrine, girlfriend to one of the puppeteers, whom I will hire in the 
> future for more amazing costumes). The translucent paper mache head 
> lights up in the dark, with a modified LED book-light embedded in it. 
> The rigidified handle of the lamp serves as a manipulation stick for 
> the head. The head is magnetised at the neck for easy assembly, as the 
> character is born as just an egg with small cute black eyes(buttons).
> The character eventually inhabits a golden bird cage, where he sits 
> and whistles and is protected from the world. His head can be 
> manipulated by the stick, which is placed to stick out of the trap I 
> cut out of the wires.
> I did not design this one. I constructed him to resemble a drawing 
> from one of the puppeteer, as close as possible without sacrificing 
> movement and mecanics. I just added orbits and eyes on the egg for 
> more life to the character.
>
> -An old lady, in white bathrobe, white hair and white slippers. She is 
> dressed the same and looks almost like a twin sister of the main 
> character, who's wearing a white wig. It took me 9 hours to pattern 
> and sew her bathrobe to resemble the lifesize one worn by the main 
> actress. I'm no natural-born patternmaker, but I'm proud of the 
> result. Her head is on a neck made of a wooden ball and socket joint 
> (my first), her elbows are the segmented arms joined with a nylon 
> strap (from a backpack). Her knees are nonexistent, but appaear to be 
> perfect in movement, thanks the the lower leg being weighted and 
> filled, while the upper leg is just a piece of sponge(polyfoam) shaped 
> like a leg with cissors, and crossed by an axis made of stiff wire, 
> running trough the hips. Just the right amount of tonus and bounce, 
> while remaining supple enough for a natural sway in movement when the 
> puppet is sitting with dangling legs. The lady started from a hard 
> rubbery plastic doll. I covered her entirely in paper mache for 
> strenght and texture, changed her shoulder articulation, modified her 
> foot position and shape, switched from a left-to right swivel to a 
> universal joint for the neck, re-sculpted her entire face, replaced 
> her hair by custom-fitting a human size wig. She has mini rods 
> sticking out the back of her head, wrists, and heels. Her back has a 
> small loop handle sticking out for more subtle movements. You should 
> see her during the "gyddyup" scene where she is bounced on her 
> father's knees, because they are simulating a horse race. Watch her 
> bounce with joy! Unusual yet endearing to see such a kid in such an 
> old looking puppet.
>
> Both puppets started from actual previously-loved dolls. The boy is 
> from a cloth bodied doll with arms and legs (no articulation) of 
> rubbery plastic.  They look great under the simple stage lights.
>
> After the show I received so much positive feedback about the puppets 
> from the puppeteers and audience alike (hint: it helps if you walk 
> around with the puppet in your arms) I didn't know what to say except 
> thanks a lot, repeatedly. some even asked about how it was built. I am 
> proud to say I stopped myself before I went into technical mode. I 
> don't want to induce coma.
> Do we get inddiffrent to the feedback eventually?  Gee, I hope not. 
> This is only the fifth professional puppet show I build for.
>
> I was on such a cloud after, that I forgot to take time to take the 
> pictures I need for my portfolio. I usually set up my studio for 
> photos at home BEFORE I hand over the puppets. This time everything 
> was to be used quicker than I could turn around and take a deep 
> breath! I only have pics inn progress, which I'm glad I took. Anyway, 
> I will come back to see the show again, and perhaps take pictures of 
> the entire show. I'm getting good at that and enjoy the challenge of 
> capturing magical moments. Flash-less and on tripod, of course.
>
> If you come to Montreal during the previously mentionned times and get 
> to see the show, let me know. We may meet and talk shop.
>
> I will post pictures on my website when I get some, and keep ya posted 
> about it.
>
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>
> Mathieu René Créaturiste
> Marionnettes, Masques, Etcetera...
> Puppets, Masks, Etcetera...
> creaturiste-AT-magma.ca
> www.creaturiste.com
> (514) 274-8027
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