To: <puptcrit-AT-puptcrit.org> Date: Sun, 4 Oct 2009 15:03:53 -0400 Subject: Re: [Puptcrit] Nightingale in Toronto: Lepage and Curry I think - every one from the street can bring "to a puppet a lot more than that". But they are not PUPPETEERS. Vladimir > From: imissy-AT-mac.com > To: puptcrit-AT-puptcrit.org > Date: Sun, 4 Oct 2009 14:19:15 -0400 > Subject: Re: [Puptcrit] Nightingale in Toronto: Lepage and Curry > > The question was "I don't know what someone who is exclusively a > singer can bring to a puppet other than a nice singing voice." > > And I think my answer is -- a lot more than that. > > On Oct 4, 2009, at 2:08 PM, Vladimir Vasyagin wrote: > > > > > "Not that a non-singing puppeteer can't feel those things or touch an > > audience in that way, of course they can! But it's technically > > happening outside of the puppeteer".????????????????????? > > I am not a Musician. I am not a Dancer. > > > > I spend all my life to "touch an > > audience" on my own PUPPETEER's way. > > Vladimir > > > > > > > >> From: imissy-AT-mac.com > >> To: puptcrit-AT-puptcrit.org > >> Date: Sun, 4 Oct 2009 12:04:15 -0400 > >> Subject: Re: [Puptcrit] Nightingale in Toronto: Lepage and Curry > >> > >> I'm usually a lurker on this list, but this subject hits close to > >> home. > >> > >> My background is in music (I have a master of music degree from > >> manhattan school of music). I am a singer who came to puppetry > >> about 4 > >> years ago. I love being a puppeteer and am very proud to be working > >> in > >> this art form. > >> > >> It's undeniable that music and puppetry have a special connection, > >> with most puppet shows incorporating music in some way to help tell > >> the story. I think when a puppeteer can bring the music literally > >> through themselves and into the puppet that is a very beautiful and > >> powerful thing. It also happens to be what really makes me tick, so > >> I'm kind of passionate about that fusion. > >> > >> So to answer, what a singer can bring to a puppet -- I would say, a > >> musicality and fluidity and emotion that resonates in our body as our > >> instrument. With the goal, as any puppeteer has, of putting that > >> passion into the "brain of the puppet" as it were. We offer no > >> barrier > >> between the music and the puppet, so when we take a breath...so does > >> the puppet. When we feel the crescendo in the music, so does the > >> puppet. When we feel the retardando from the pathos of the moment, so > >> does the puppet. > >> > >> Not that a non-singing puppeteer can't feel those things or touch an > >> audience in that way, of course they can! But it's technically > >> happening outside of the puppeteer. > >> > >> Alissa Hunnicutt > >> > >> On Oct 4, 2009, at 12:13 AM, Preston Foerder wrote: > >> > >>> When they don't exist in the same person (and sometimes when they > >>> do), I've > >>> always found that there is a power struggle between the puppet > >>> builder and > >>> puppet performer (who I would call the puppeteer but this will > >>> probably also > >>> get me in trouble). Many times as a performer, I've been given > >>> puppets with > >>> blocks built into them to keep the puppet from doing motions the > >>> puppet > >>> builder doesn't think it should do. As a performer, of course, the > >>> first > >>> thing you do is rip these things out so that you can have the > >>> freedom to > >>> manipulate the puppet as you would like. Curry, as the puppet > >>> builder, seems > >>> to believe that the way he has built the puppets makes it impossible > >>> for > >>> them to give a bad performance. I hope he's right but I doubt it. > >>> > >>> As a director, if I'm training a non-puppeteer in puppetry, I would > >>> rather > >>> have someone with a movement background, i.e. mime, dance, etc., > >>> than > >>> someone with primarily an acting background as I have found that > >>> many actors > >>> have a hard time taking the character out of themselves and placing > >>> into an > >>> outside object. Generally what you get, as has been mentioned > >>> before, is > >>> someone doing a lot of acting with a puppet at the end of their arm > >>> doing > >>> nothing. I would rather have someone who is primarily a puppeteer > >>> which > >>> necessitates a knowledge of movement, voice, and acting skills. I > >>> don't know > >>> what someone who is exclusively a singer can bring to a puppet other > >>> than a > >>> nice singing voice. > >>> > >>> Preston > >>> > >>> -----Original Message----- > >>> From: puptcrit-bounces-AT-puptcrit.org [mailto:puptcrit-bounces-AT-puptcrit.org > >>> ] > >>> On Behalf Of Christopher Hudert > >>> Sent: Saturday, October 03, 2009 12:55 PM > >>> To: puptcrit-AT-puptcrit.org > >>> Subject: Re: [Puptcrit] Nightingale in Toronto: Lepage and Curry > >>> > >>>> I'd be curious to read some of Taymor and Curry's thoughts on not > >>>> using > >>>> puppeteers, if anyone knows where I might find them. I do remember > >>>> reading > >>>> that Taymor first trained in mime under Lecoq, and so perhaps comes > >>>> to > >>>> puppetry seeing it as a means to experiment with human movement and > >>>> body, > >>>> rather than focusing on the puppet itself. > >>> > >>> I've been trying to resist getting drawn into this thread, and I > >>> don't > >>> want to take sides, especially the "other" side BUT... > >>> > >>> Though I don't fully agree with the reluctance to hire puppeteers, I > >>> do > >>> understand it to a large degree. > >>> > >>> The thought does occur to me that part of this reluctance for Taymor > >>> and Curry may be more in the lack of diverse performing training > >>> that > >>> we puppeteers have (particularly in America). Too often we come to > >>> the > >>> table from the angle of the object/puppet with little training or > >>> experience in the many other disciplines of performance. How many of > >>> us > >>> have taken the time to study dance, movement, mime, magic, acting, > >>> voice, singing, etc., etc., etc. in order to be a better puppeteer? > >>> Many actors, on the other hand, continue taking classes to increase > >>> their craft. We puppeteers (and I am including myself in this) often > >>> trend towards the classes in the creation of the tool (puppet). Even > >>> if > >>> you review the archives of this list I believe you will see the bulk > >>> of > >>> the conversation is toward materials, methods of building, and > >>> performance review and few (if any) mentions of what great acting > >>> class > >>> or instructor someone has discovered. > >>> > >>> But even if Taymor, Curry, and others hire non-puppeteers and teach > >>> them to manipulate puppets, aren't they training them to be > >>> puppeteers? > >>> Aren't they then increasing our ranks, and infusing it with a new > >>> bloodline? A bit of bio-diversity is not a bad thing, me thinks. > >>> Perhaps some of the protests (though unspoken) are more that they > >>> didn't hire "us/me" and that "I" didn't get a shot at this juicy > >>> plum > >>> than it is the lack of hiring puppeteers. I understand the argument > >>> that perhaps if they hired a puppeteer the manipulation of the > >>> puppet > >>> would be better, but that is coming from students of the object/ > >>> puppet. > >>> If you look at it from the school of performance/theater (where > >>> Taymore, Curry, and some others are probably coming from) it is more > >>> important that the acting/story be the stronger element. And I don't > >>> otherwise hear a chorus of complaint when new puppeteers join our > >>> ranks. Why is that? > >>> > >>> There is also the aspect of the difficulty of training out bad (or > >>> at > >>> least bad for what is desired) puppeteer habits in order to train in > >>> the desired ones. It's often easier to start with a clean slate than > >>> to > >>> try to wipe an old slate clean. Or at least in my experience. > >>> > >>> I find I would probably side with Taymore, Curry, and others 6 or 7 > >>> out > >>> of 10 times. But then I come to puppetry from "the other side" > >>> (acting/story) so maybe that has something to do with it. > >>> > >>> > >>> > >>> I suspect I just hit the hornet's nest with a rock. I better run and > >>> jump in the lake. I'm sure people are going to tell me to do that > >>> (or > >>> worse) anyway. > >>> > >>> Christopher > >>> > >>> _______________________________________________ > >>> List address: puptcrit-AT-puptcrit.org > >>> Admin interface: http://lists.puptcrit.org/mailman/listinfo/puptcrit > >>> Archives: http://www.driftline.org > >>> > >>> > >>> _______________________________________________ > >>> List address: puptcrit-AT-puptcrit.org > >>> Admin interface: http://lists.puptcrit.org/mailman/listinfo/puptcrit > >>> Archives: http://www.driftline.org > >> > >> _______________________________________________ > >> List address: puptcrit-AT-puptcrit.org > >> Admin interface: http://lists.puptcrit.org/mailman/listinfo/puptcrit > >> Archives: http://www.driftline.org > > > > _________________________________________________________________ > > Hotmail: Trusted email with Microsoft=92s powerful SPAM protection. > > http://clk.atdmt.com/GBL/go/177141664/direct/01/ > > _______________________________________________ > > List address: puptcrit-AT-puptcrit.org > > Admin interface: http://lists.puptcrit.org/mailman/listinfo/puptcrit > > Archives: http://www.driftline.org > > _______________________________________________ > List address: puptcrit-AT-puptcrit.org > Admin interface: http://lists.puptcrit.org/mailman/listinfo/puptcrit > Archives: http://www.driftline.org _________________________________________________________________ Hotmail: Free, trusted and rich email service. http://clk.atdmt.com/GBL/go/171222984/direct/01/ _______________________________________________ List address: puptcrit-AT-puptcrit.org Admin interface: http://lists.puptcrit.org/mailman/listinfo/puptcrit Archives: http://www.driftline.org
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