NPF ‘09 Gallery NPF ‘09 Itinerary

The Puppetry Journal, produced by the American guild, The Twin City Puppeteers (Minnesota), have a wonderful selection of photos of all the shows at the National Puppetry Festival. Included are photos of the Jim Henson exhibit at the Centre of Puppetry Arts (I don’t know how they were obtained, since photos weren’t allowed…), along with the Little Pirate Mermaid that was performed there and I had wanted to find pics of them. The photos of the shows are really great, showing lots of different puppets for each of the performances.

Go back and read the reviews, and compare them with the pics!

NPF ‘09 Gallery NPF ‘09 Itinerary

Before launching into it, to make things easy I’m putting everything in one post: you can find a summary of the show ratings (below) here, including a few thoughts on the shows themselves; a summary of the festival highlights (below) here; return to the itinerary to see that I’ve updated it with links to each day’s diary post and show reviews, so they’re all easy to find and read according to your particular fancy.

Also, forgive the length. I thought that I would have very little to say - or at least I had very little on my mind when thinking about the trip in general - but once I sat down I found I had heaps of things to say.

Overall thoughts on the trip

Over the past few days I’ve been thinking about the benefits of going to the festival; and find myself struggling to answer it. My expectations of the event were so different than what I got that I’m actually disappointed. The workshops were honestly not worth travelling so far to attend - although informative, it’s nothing I couldn’t have gotten from websites online or books ordered from Amazon. And though I could say that being around other puppeteers is itself encouraging and reinvigorating, I spent so little time actually making acquaintances with anyone (staceyrebecca not included) that I find that too wasn’t as good as I’d hoped.

One could be tempted by those statements to think that I’m writing off the whole trip, but I’m not. At the very least, I got to prove to myself that travelling - no matter how difficult emotionally - is possible, and that my newfound ideas of how to mitigate the panic attacks is not only on the right track, but repeatable. Most of all, there were even some new things that I’ve discovered which will help improve things for ‘next time’ (every time I return after travelling, I think "never again"). 

I recently filled out the festival survey, and found myself making a lot of criticisms of the event. Most were small things - better signage for instance - but I think it’s mostly due to making the comparisons between the NPF and UNIMA 2008 (the latter site is no longer available, visit the blog page of my site for the diary posts from that experience). In many ways they are incomparable. Because of my scholarship from UNIMA Australia though, I must not only think about, but write about, what I gained and experienced at the NPF. 

Did I learn anything fantastically new or something that opened my eyes to new techniques, ideas, or ways of using puppetry? For the most part, no. I did have my eyes opened for some fantastic shadow puppetry - see Danny the Diver - but as mentioned above, nothing really pushed the boundaries of puppetry. Perhaps this is due to the nature of the shows presented, which were of often random quality. But I really expected the workshops to teach me something, especially to allow me to have hands-on experience building. I specifically chose workshops where my knowledge of the subject was minimal at best, or for the shadow puppets, where my knowledge could use some refinement. I found myself unchallenged, and in learning, isn’t that exactly what is needed to gain anything of value?

Of what then, happened in my mind? I discovered a way forward in writing a script for puppetry which I’ve been brainstorming. Although my word working workshop (ech, alliteration and a repeat of ‘work’) provided impetus for the move forward, I’m not 100% sure that it occured because of what we learned in the class, or simply from activity naturally improving creativity (the more active puppetry I do, the more likely I am at being creative in general. The more I sit on my ass, the less creative I am). Likewise I discovered a new way of attaching rods to my shadow puppets; but this occured on the second night of the festival - before I attended the shadow puppet workshops - and again, not related to anything from the NPF itself. 

So did nothing really inspire me? Did I really get zero out of this whole experience? The obvious answer is yes. But it got me thinking: I’ve been doing puppetry now for about 7 years, and only really been taking it seriously for the last year and a half. Over the last year, I’ve taught myself a considerable amount in terms of shadow puppetry and what I can do with it. In fact, just finding my niche in shadow puppetry is new in itself, and only occured thanks to my visit to UNIMA  2008. Perhaps I was expecting too much from NPF; that my learning has come so far over this time that I need/needed more than what I got from the ‘beginners’ workshops at the NPF. I feel somewhat annoyed, especially in regards to one thing: I received a scholarship from UNIMA Aus. to go, and the majority of the reason I applied was because I wanted to learn more in a place/setting that wasn’t available here in Australia. I actually almost feel as though I let down the people behind, and premise, of the whole scholarship. I hope that those who made the judgement call don’t feel as though it was wasted, particularly in light of the following…

But also, I find that something else unexpected happened. Although nothing really made me want to change my plans for my business - in fact, in some ways it solidifed them further - I did do one thing. I missed my friends, and fellow company members, Jeany and Susan. We’d been talking on and off for years on making a new show, doing this, doing that, but with work and other commitments (and lack of money or ideas), we never seem to get around to it. I really love working with them, and miss doing so quite a lot. I knew all of this before I left, but at the festival, seeing so many people actually making shows, as well as celebrating each other’s work, it made the feeling a lot stronger. So I’ve resolved to try and resurrect Sticky Apple Legs from its lethargy; Jeany and I have already been thinking on similar lines for a new project, which would also coincide with some personal plans for Puppets in Melbourne… so maybe by the end of the year we can have something put together. 

Before I leave you with the highlights and show ratings, I thought it would be a good idea to also have a side-by-side comparison between NPF and UNIMA 2008 (see table below, I go on a bit of a sidetrack in the following paragraphs). I will add that these things I think are interesting: as mentioned previously, NPF is predominantly by puppeteers, for puppeteers, whereas UNIMA 2008 was more by puppeteers for the public. As such, I think it’s good that included in the registration fee to NPF is all entrance costs to see shows; and that even if the quality of the shows weren’t great, that it’s also good to have everyone attending the festival go to see all the shows (instead of picking and choosing like at UNIMA 2008, where I missed a lot of good stuff because of time and money). However, I think that the quality and quantity of workshops available at NPF were reduced because of the overprogramming of shows (3 hours total per day of workshops, vs about 6 hours total per day of shows). 

Finally, I would add one more thing: I wish Australian puppetry was a little bit more community-minded. In the US, there are state and city ‘guilds’, where small local groups of puppeteers come together to support each other, see other people’s work and share information. This is on top of having UNIMA USA and the umbrella organisation, Puppeteers of America. Attending NPF, it was clear that many, if not most, of the attendees had friends, colleagues and workmates also in attendance; and that this biennial festival is predominantly a time to catch up and make connections. Although Australia has the UNIMA Aus branch to rely on, our community is so small and sparse, that it’s difficult to be in contact with others; further to that, I would suggest that UNIMA Aus is underused, and that the community here is less willing or able to spend the time meeting up. We also have no guilds, and though I’m tempted to set one up in Melbourne, I know that it would fail miserably - and quickly - for the exact same reason UNIMA Aus is underused.

Likewise, any puppetry festivals here are presented for the public only, and classes and workshops are offered likewise. Any opportunity for the Australian community to meet up is limited at best; and it would be wonderful if we could arrange a NPF of our own (only perhaps a little better ). I know that other (younger) puppeteers have commented on the woeful amount of communication between the rest of the industry, but I also know that the (older) puppeteers have been trying for decades to establish our very own centre of puppetry (venue, workshop space, etc.). There is a lot of room to move forward, and I think it is necessary for the younger generations that the Australian puppetry industry gets off its ass and makes some of this happen.

In fact, other than wanting to start producing shows again, this is the single biggest effect of attending the NPF: I’m going to be more active in UNIMA Australia’s activities, including actually attending meetings where possible, and being more vocal as a member of the organisation. I’ve long been an open and vocal advocate of the arts/theatre in Australia - from submitting my thoughts to government inquiries, to writing on important issues (see my letter about VCA) - so it’s about time I get active about puppetry on a more substantiative level. Heck, I started in this direction the very moment I began the Learn Online page and blogged about where to buy puppets in Australia, etc. If there’s not enough info out there about Australian puppetry, then why not write about it? Likewise, if there’s not enough community involvement in Australian puppetry, then why not get involved yourself and help change things? It would be great if my efforts resulted in an Aussie festival of our own, or something more substantial by way of community gatherings.

… Overall, my experience has been mixed. Couple nervousness and stress with a lack of sleep and food; then blend it with a dash of boredom and semi-good shows… And then top it off with some genuine learning and growth, and a rediscovery of certain aspects of my passion for theatre… Well, I’m not sure what that adds up to. 

(I hope I’ve covered all the differences between the two festivals; I’m sure I’ve missed something, but there’s a lot of stuff here and I can’t think of everything right now!)

NPF Highlights

Actual festival highlights:

• Meeting staceyrebecca, and all the other people at the festival
• Seeing Nana Projects’ fantastic shadow puppetry
• Seeing Hobey Ford’s foamie puppets, up close and personal; they’re so unbelievably flexible and lifelike!
• Jim Henson Day, not just being there for the announcement, but for The Little Pirate Mermaid, which was a fantastic set
• And I think the A Puppet Intervention film, word working workshop, and the overall festival experience for reinvigorating my need to actually produce shows, inspiring a few lightbulb moments, and to get more active in UNIMA Aus activities. 

Sightseeing highlights: 

• Going to the Fabulous Fox Theatre in Atlanta (more info on Day Two)
• Doing the Segway tour in Atlanta (see Day Nine)
• Watching the Black Holes film in DC (see Day Fourteen)
• … And I think I’ll include the moonlight trolley tour of DC; despite having a panic attack, on reflection, it was really great to see all those famous places and I think if I’d have just eaten properly I would have enjoyed it immensely (see Day Eleven)

NPF Shows

I’m posting here my original ratings; but I do also want to add a comment or two. After leaving the festival, I find my mind returns again and again to a number of the shows, even if they didn’t receive the highest ratings; Danny the Diver is my top favourite, but also in the list is the True Story of the Three Little Pigs (things may have gone wrong, but it was lots of fun); The Dragon King was perfect theatre, but I almost prefer The Little Pirate Mermaid in a weird way… maybe because it pushed the boundaries with their realistic sets. Likewise, those who received highest ratings I’ve not thought about again since seeing them. Indeed, proof that a confusing storyline is a bad idea is in that a few of them I’ve actually even forgotten what they were about! And with Panther & Crane, I really now think they deserve one star, not two (though I’ve left the rating intact to reflect what I thought at the time), as even Cinderella in Muddy York was better than P&C; funnily enough, I’m also tempted to reverse that for Bride - making it a two star instead of one. Looking over the ratings, it’s sad to see the quality all over the place; UNIMA 2008 averages at a 4 star rating (4/5, instead of here which is out of 6), meaning a higher quality of performances overall at UNIMA 2008. Sadly, I was also waiting for my Angel; a show that so completely challenged the concept of what puppetry is that it’s hard to forget. Even Danny the Diver doesn’t near Angel’s repeatable watchability factor - well over a year later, and I’d go to see Angel every day for a week if I could.

	Danny the Diver & Alonzo’s Lullaby The Dragon King (technically unrated, but I’ll stick it here anyway) An Evening with John Tartaglia Poli Degaine (Punchy Draw)
	The True Story of the Three Little Pigs by A Wolf  The Day it Snowed Tortillas La Muela del Ray Farfan The Little Pirate Mermaid
	Mallory Lewis and Lamb Chop The Rainbow Bridge and Other Tales Entertaining a Thought
	The Box? A Show of Feelings
	As I Lay Dying  Panther & Crane Cinderella in Muddy York El Hombre Ciguena (The Stork Man)
	Bride Secrets History Remembers

NPF ‘09 Gallery NPF ‘09 Itinerary

This was the last show of the festival, and boy, did I wish they had chosen to finish with something else (preferably Poli Degaine). This was performed by Lone Wolf Tribe in the Ferst Centre. Billed as an expression on the transition from polytheistic beliefs to monotheistic, I would actually describe the show as a discussion on the frailty and imperfection of god trying to find a way to please humanity and going crazy with it (also a commentary on Jesus being a creature forced into performing for his father). That actually sums up the plotline pretty well; especially considering there’s not much by way of dialogue.

The puppetry itself is a weird conglomeration of foam rod puppets, paper puppets and object theatre.

Where this show combined dance and puppetry in similar themes to Angel, it is Angel that breaks the conventions, and Angel that I would call a puppet performance. Bride is less of a puppetry show than a show with puppets in it. Whilst that definition usually isn’t an insult, this time it is. I could actually imagine the entire show done using actors, or with dance… that is, the puppets are redundant. If there is no good reason to use them other than you simply want puppets in the show, then why have them? And indeed, the puppets themselves are used so sparsely as to be uninteresting to any puppeteer.

The puppetry was well performed I suppose, though I’m not sure whether it was the design or the manipulation of them that made it all seem a little mundane. There is a scene where God is teaching Jesus to dance, and the puppet did not seem to have enough flexibility to do the movements with any clarity. (Perhaps that is the point, as God is disappointed that Jesus can’t seem to get the choreography perfectly enough) A human version of a puppet appears and performs the exact same choreography - we see what God imagines the dance to look like - and I have to say, if that was done on So You Think You Can Dance, the judges would boo them off the stage. 

Then we get to the puppeteers - all dressed in black, bunraku style. This would be fine except for one thing: it’s hard for people in black costumes to camoflage themselves when the stage is completely backdropped with white plastic sheets. Although they could hide in the shadows of the dimly let stage, I found them very incongruous, especially as much of the time they were noticeably running off or moving around onstage as if they’d been told the only way to not be seen was to get off as quickly as they could. There’s a difference between moving speedily, and moving subtly, and they missed the mark on subtle. 

The only enjoyable part of this show for me was the music - oddly, a combination of pre-recorded and live music - as I could watch the band play at stage left. Indeed, by this point of the night, I was so tired and I ended up dozing at the end of the show, and probably missed a lot of things.

I’m giving this show:

NPF ‘09 Gallery NPF ‘09 Itinerary

Performed at the Centre of Puppetry Arts, The Little Pirate Mermaid almost puts The Lion King to shame. This is an actual commission from the Centre - this is something I’ve just worked out, and it makes total sense. The set design is configured in such a way I had no idea how they would be able to tour it; now I know that they probably won’t.

As you can guess, this is a retweaked telling of The Little Mermaid, with the only change that the man the mermaid falls in love with is a pirate. She then has to live on a pirate ship, until of course, everything resolves itself with her overbearing father, Poseidon. The entire show was done in rhyme (ABAB). Technically speaking, some lines weren’t in rhyme, but the show predominantly was. There were also occasional songs.

I’m not sure I can describe the true amazing-ness of the set design. We sit down inside the theatre and see this ‘wall’ of painted scenery pushed right up against the proscenium arch; therefore, the only thing really visible on the stage is the apron, which has two ‘waves of the ocean’ sitting on the floor (those flat boards that are painted to represent oceans… geez I’m crap at describing this). The wall itself is decorated with a ship, a large mermaid on the bow stage right, the captain’s quarters and a second deck stage left. Stage right is also a crow’s nest. In the middle of the side of the ship, where you have the portholes, there is a curtained off area, which would be the performance area for some of the puppets. Just slighly to the stage left of that are three cannons sticking out of the wall. Everything was painted beautifully and had many three-dimensional aspects to it, so it wasn’t just a flat painting. 

The performance uses marionettes, shadow and rod puppets, along with lots of moving parts: the mermaid’s head on the bow of the ship turns and narrates the story; stage left on the wall a painted wave rolls away to reveal a small performance area; the crow’s nest is accessible and a rod puppet performs there, the sails being pulled into place; the cannons ‘fire’ in the end of the show; the large sail on the ship is also a projection screen for the shadow puppets; the second deck is also another rod puppet performance area… and that’s just the beginning of the fun. For the scenes with the hag, some of it was even done using blacklight, to great effect. And the scenery itself within the marionette performance area (remember, the curtained off galley?) is just as stunning as the decorated wall. Every detail is thought of. 

My favourite part of this was when a Kraken appears (although at this point I was wondering whether someone had been watching a little too much Pirates of the Carribean), the head of which was a rod puppet operated from above (everything is operated from above, because of the marionettes) and appeared behind a small ship in the playing area. There were two tentacle rod puppets that appear from above, but in front of the small ship (so it looked like the tentacles were ‘on board’ the ship), and two inflatable tentacles appeared between the two waves set on the apron. The whole effect produced a good sense of dimension, distance and scale, and was the most believable thing I’ve seen onstage so far this week. 

I could say that the manipulation was flawless - although the puppet design was executed brilliantly - it wasn’t. The mermaid/merman puppets swam in a strange way, with only their tail fin moving up and down. A true tail should move from the knees or hips as well, but they didn’t. It made the whole movement slightly less than realistic. (At least, this is what I believe; I found it hard to pin down what exactly was wrong with the movement, though I knew there was something weird about it) There were also moments when, as needed by the puppeteers, they had to hang the puppet momentarily whilst it was still on stage. A couple of times this left the puppet looking awkward, with their bodies sagging slightly and ungainly. It would not have been noticeable to regular audiences, but to us, it was very obvious.

The show is sung and spoken clearly and well; I thought perhaps that the whole thing had been pre-recorded, it all sounded so good. But then when one of the puppets mentioned (in one of those, "we just need filler dialogue here as we exit the stage" moments) that they needed to remember to sign up to the Puppeteers of America festival, I realised it couldn’t possibly be pre-recorded. The four puppeteers that perform this show sing and speak the show themselves, along with doing all the manipulation and scene changes - this show is very complicated, and so I applaud them for pulling it off with very little wrong in the process.

At the end of the show, they gave a little demo of the show, which was great. They not only showed us some of their puppets - the marionettes have strings something like 2 metres long - but also hooked up a video which was projected on the sail/screen. The camera showed us behind the scenes of that great big wall, so we could see what they do behind the stage. It was very neat. For those who are interested, you can find a video below (not the same demo obviously, but still a video) of behind-the-scenes of the show, from creation and building to rehearsal. At about 5.15 into the video you can see some of the final set so you can understand my description above a bit better. (If anyone finds a picture of this show and its actual set, please let me know I’d love to post it here)

Funnily enough, I found myself wondering whether the set was a bit of overkill. But you know what, in the end, I think it’s pretty cool. Some of the stuff I expected the set to do, it did. But for most of it, I didn’t even imagine that it would happen. So I think this show should get a high rating, even despite some odd manipulation: