The power in DOING

I had come home the day prior from the gig in the Bronx presenting Helping Drew to about 500 pre-K through 4th grade students. I was mounting some of the puppets on stands to be sure they properly aired out. After two shows back to back, they get plenty of hand sweat inside. Drew had a loose arm rod that had originally been hot-glued into place and it was time to epoxy the rod into the dowel properly. I took him into my room where I have my make-shift workshop table set up, made a slit in the duct-taped dowel to remove the rod, cleaned it off and snipped the bend at the end in preparation of inserting it into the top of the dowel after I got it drilled. Drew looked back at me with his puppet grin and I couldn't help but smile.

In March of 2010, I created a couple of random puppet characters inspired by a friend's suggestion. One, King Victor, resembled my late grandfather, the other, Prince Skip, was an alternative thinker who preferred wearing a pink polo with a bejeweled fleur de lis. Prince Skip would later become Drew. Today, I was struck by this journey. One of Drew's fellow students, Victoria, started her life as Geraldine Allison Flamowitz and was originally created in January of 2009. When Prince Skip was originally created, I was working the last few months of my graphic design job in advertising. We were already informed that our jobs had been cut as part of corporate down-sizing and we were patiently waiting our exit date as to be eligible for a severance package and unemployment benefits. I had a couple of ideas in the back of my head as this chapter would end. I had worked several years with a local non-profit theatre group and they were just purchasing their own building. There was much work to be done in graphic design and production that would keep me plenty busy with the thought that it might, one day, be a full-time paying job. I had previously recorded a CD in 2005 that had decent reviews but, ultimately, did not satisfy my creative yearnings, as well as a brief stint in photography and digital art that only satisfied for a brief time as well. A puppet company was definitely a thought in the back of my head but, how?

I spent time learning my craft at puppet school with Michael Earl and learning from fellow puppeteers and builders in the business like Pasha at Project Puppet, Matt Ficner of Creepy Puppet Project and Tom Stewart at Puppeteers Unite. I combed through puppet blogs extracting all the information I could. I remember reading all the content that Swazzle wrote in their early blogs and interviews with people like James Wojtal. The internet can be such a valuable classroom. In January 2009, I had taken a puppet foam carving class at Lone Wolf Tribe in Brooklyn and saw this wonderful Goethe quote that Kevin had posted in the workshop and it quickly became my mantra. “Whatever you do, or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius and power and magic in it.” I dared to dream again, as I had as a child, that I could be a puppeteer and, in 2006, the way I began was to start to build puppets. The act of creation and the creativity of others, all that online research, continues to stoke the fires of my creative process. So desperate to find a way to perform, I sent an email off to the guys at Swazzle to see if any of their shows could be done on a royalty basis. They were very nice in turning me down and it was an important lesson to learn. If you want to be a legitimate puppet company, you should express who YOU are through scripts that you find or that you write or adapt. A signature show becomes the 'soul' of that puppet company. Later, I did find a local performer, Alex Ishkanian, who was doing a live, one-man show on bullying. He would embody all the characters with song and monologues to express how the characters felt. I saw the opportunity for puppets where dialogue needed to be created in between the characters and Alex liked the idea and got on board with my project. As mentioned earlier, Prince Skip and Geraldine would fall into the lead rolls of Drew and Victoria respectively. While new puppets were made specifically for Principal Tector and Lee, other earlier puppet creations filled out the background, student body.

When you're doing what your 'soul' knows deep-down you should not be doing, you ultimately will not be satisfied. As Helping Drew was being developed, I became less and less satisfied with the negative politics at the non-profit theatre group and realized how much of my own time I was not dedicating to my own project. I resigned and, in between the job search, I was able to spend more time developing the puppet company. As previously documented on this blog, we opened Helping Drew to a showcase of friends and family earlier this year and began booking in area schools. I signed on with Theatreworks USA as a National booking agent and they had me flying out to an arts in education showcase last week in Ohio. Prior to my trip, I was reading Grey Seal Puppets Drew Allison's blog. He wrote in one of his entries "Sometimes the places those little hunks of polyfoam take me are just too cool." Back to my workshop table at the beginning of this entry, that's exactly how I was feeling. Not only had my puppets taken me to Ohio and a school in the Bronx that I would never imagine going to, this entire journey from 2006 to the end of my graphic design career and the start of this new chapter, all of these incredible people I've met online and in person in this wacky and wild puppet community… there is no other place I'd rather be right now.

Helping Drew slide projected on the big screen at the Ohio conference

I was reminded of an online chat with Puppetsmith members when someone was asking where you begin on a certain project and Pasha mentioned my favorite Goethe quote. The simple message was "BEGIN IT!" It's very easy to get caught up in lists and what needs to be in place for you to have the perfect situation to start but, one can easily get caught in a rut of stagnation if you don't at least DO something. Watch videos, read blogs, see puppet shows and FEED your creative brain. Learn from others and STAY OPEN when people talk about how they do things. We video taped my original showcase and SO many mistakes were made but, that was the wonderful part. That video was invaluable at improving the show. Down the line, I hired a wonderful puppeteer who brought NEW creativity to the show and he even improved MY way of puppeteering. I'm a member of Puppeteers of America and love to read their quarterly Puppetry Journal from cover to cover when it arrives. I'm filled with inspiration from one page to the next. I think any artist will agree that staying open and connecting to this flow is paramount to their growth. WELCOME when people show you a new way of doing things. If it doesn't work for you, you don't have to use it but, many times, there is always something new to learn when you remain open.

New shows are beginning to line up to be produced and my journey has really just begun. I've often told the story of a dream I once had where I proudly proclaimed "I'm an artist" and began to levitate in an expression of freedom. It was an awakening of sorts, realizing that my professional path would not be a traditional one like my peers. As a puppeteer, I'm even more certain of who I am and what amazing direction my life is going in because I'm finally creating my journey as I have always imagined it.

Workshop Round-up and New Creations

The past couple of weeks have been a welcome creative boom. After the success of the puppet manipulation workshop with the younger students, my friends at Just Off Broadway, Inc. asked me back to repeat the 2-hour workshop for their teen students. They end their 2-week intensive with a showcase of their class-work and the creative director, my friend Joyce, asked me to make the puppets available for the evening showcase to perform one of the group numbers that we practiced in class. Since it was only the first verse and chorus, I suggested adding a couple of the solo pieces to the beginning and crafted a short, almost two-and-a-half minute montage for their puppetry performance. The students made me so proud and the energy at the showcase definitely reached a high for the performers and the audience when the stage filled with puppets. It was a wonderful testament to the magic of puppetry. I absolutely adore this photo Joyce took of me and the students.

While doing the workshop for the younger class, I had cleared 8 of my puppets for the 13 students to use. Some had to share, obviously. For the older kids, I was more trusting and went about readying more puppets so that each student could have one in class. I got 13 ready in my stock and had 2 more to build. I had new build ideas brewing for a while and started some basic forms. One was a tentative rebuild of my first puppet Benny. In the process, I wanted to give him different eyes and when the ideas started to take shape, I was building a whole new puppet all together who turned out to be Helga. Complete with real wig, crazy eyes, wonderful blue nail polish and matching earrings and, of course, her crowning glory, a hairy mole on her face. She was truly an inspired creation. The dress is size 2T from JC Penney clearance rack and the bolero-style sweater was an ebay find, size 3T. Double sided tape is a great fix to keep sweaters clinging to puppet shoulders. Helga is the Project Puppet Rotondo Pattern with the Rotondo Fleece Covering Pattern.

My second puppet I wanted to finish for the students was a simple, Glorified Sock Puppet Pattern. I started out with this shaggy turquoise fur aka Punky Muppet from Mendel's. I first started with the nose and thought I would do a hedgehog style character. After trimming the fur and getting the larger eyes in place, I thought I might have a nondescript monster puppet but, I already had a similar one in darker blue. If I could find a good turquoise fleece, I would do ears and hands in that color but, knew my selection at the fabric store might be limited. I liked the idea of using a terry cloth towel so, headed to my local Target instead. As I made my way through bedding, I found a fantastic twin-size fleece blanket in turquoise for only $12.99. The color-match was almost perfect and Douglas the Demented Bunny was born.

Lastly - yes, another puppet! Some friends in the puppet community were conducting a 'top secret' puppet building workshop over the weekend. I really hope it rolls-out soon so I can shout it from the roof-tops. I had a fantastic time building with a group of passionate builders and puppet peeps. We spent two days diving into all of the puppet building basics - character development, proper stitching, working with fur and trimming, contact cement, hot glue, arm rods, and all the details that create the final product. It was 2 solid days of creative work, 9-5. Whatever they charge for this class will be well worth it. The class instructors are there for every question and guidance needed, not to mention, a lot of fun. The final product was a monster and, oddly enough, the next script my writer is working on for Up In Arms is about monsters so, this guy may actually make his debut in one of my shows. For inspiration and creativity, this is one of my best works to date. Tentatively named Russel [or Rusty for his fur.] Yes, that's a mohawk.

Moving Right Along...

Helping Drew, my anti-bullying puppet musical has secured a national booking agent, Theatreworks USA, which will begin to secure bookings in their over 2500 outlets this coming school year. Good friends of mine arranged the introduction and we met at their studios in Manhattan to showcase the show. Our first show has been booked for October and I already have a couple shows booked for local schools as well.

Recently, I've just been updating some puppets. I've added arm rods and articulated hands to older puppets that didn't have them. I'd also like to build a couple extra small puppets to use in situations like the kids classes. I've purchased a new backdrop system that will be easier to set up and transport. I'm testing the ability to have my backdrops printed on fabric and Velcro it to a frame that will make transporting that much easier as well.

This past Thursday, my friends at Just Off Broadway, Inc. asked me to come by their theatrical academy [camp] to teach some puppetry 101 to their students [photo above]. I was happy to oblige since these are the friends who made the introduction with Theatreworks and have worked so tirelessly to help get my puppet productions off the ground. Working with kids is always an unexpected pleasure. It's fun to hear what they're curious about. "You made these??" Well, all except one. Other curiosities included: what's inside the mouth? [material], how do you work both arms?, and... you play with these?? Kids bring their own delight and playfulness when working with the puppets. It inspires my own sense of play and creativity so, it's a welcome time of inspiration. It was a joy to see them so engaged and reluctant to have our time together end. I get to repeat it in a few weeks with the older students as well. Can't wait.

Easy Puppet Fixes

One thing I have come to love about puppet building is the ease in which you can fix or update most puppets. In the beginning, I built puppets by sewing as well as using a generous amount of hot glue. My early puppets had head and arms with a body 'sleeve' that the arms were glued to. When I learned a simple, foam body to add to my puppets for better form, I used a hair dryer to melt the glue to remove the arms. The body sleeve became a neck sleeve that went into the new body and the arms were fixed with doll joint to the new foam body. Most parts can be re-used if they are still in good shape. I also learned to either Velcro or safety pin the neck sleeve to the bottom inside the body. If a head needs to be re-built or replaced, the old one just detaches and slides right out. No need to rebuild an entirely new puppet.

I also started my puppet building with hands that were stuffed with poly-fill and used a very primitive technique to insert removable arm rods. When I learned a better method to create puppet fingers that were posable and a technique for permanent arms rods, I could easily unstitch the hands, replace the appropriate pieces and sew them back shut. Similarly, with mouth-plates, if they needed a repair or a better grip, you can cut along the back of the puppet hairline with about 1/8th - 1/4 inch fabric from the edge of the hair to sew back together after you access the repair area. This fix is virtually unseen when done properly.

I built this puppet Harvey Furstein back in May of 2009 in a puppet building workshop. I only wanted a basic black pupil and the building method taught was simple yet, with the goal of getting the best results. The hands were just two pieces of fabric glued together with the wire sandwiched in between for posable fingers and the arm rods. The whole hand was then hot-glued to the end of the arms at the 'wrists'. The eyes were also 'lined' with a pipe cleaner. This original incarnation had larger fangs which were replaced soon after the build with smaller ones. Just last month, I decided to update the guy. The eyes were done first by removing the glued-on pipe cleaner and painting over the pupil and eye with acrylic paint. I've been happy with the results of the craft eyes and used those instead with a better placement of the pupil. The eye-lining was replaced with a strip of craft foam. I used the hair dryer again to remove the hands and had extra of the original fabric to build 3-dimensional hands and new arm rods. Any of the old arm fabric that was gunked up with glue at the end, was simply cut away. Harvey looks better than ever now with his bright blue eyes and pro-looking hands.

I made a little blue monster and he was only the 2nd puppet I ever built. He was my first try at the Project Puppet Glorified Sock Puppet pattern. I didn't even take pictures of his original form because I felt he was just a trial 'flop'. The ping pong eyes were glued to the top of his head with flat, black pupils that never had any real personality or focus because the eyes would shift atop the flimsy head. Recently, I decided to at least give him the 3-D craft eyes. When drilling holes in the balls, the dremel slipped and gorged a nice line into one of them. That was it, time to get the hair-dryer to remove the ping pongs. When considering a larger dome eye, I thought I should firm up the head with a foam skull modeled after the top half of the head pattern for the puppet itself. With a firmer 'skull', the posts of the new dome eyes were secured inside and the eyes now have great personality and focus. Another successful, easy fix.

Helping Drew Promo Video is LIVE!

The 2nd showcase we had back in January was filmed by a camera crew and the wonderful, promotional video they made was just delivered and uploaded yesterday.

Our first elementary school show was February 15, 2012 for pre-K to 2nd grade [4-7 year olds] and they were just the perfect audience. We had a blast.

Our Facebook page is up with regular updates for the current shows. Most updates will appear here in the blog but the blog will also carry the regular builds and other puppet happenings. https://www.facebook.com/upinarmspuppets

Showcasing the show

SO much has happened in the past week and a half! The showcase for Helping Drew was a smashing success with wonderful feedback given and lessons learned. If you can rehearse your show in a space that will accomodate all your set-up, it is invaluable.

The initial scenery for the show was printed on a 5-foot wide banner [3-feet tall]. It was wrapped around the stands with Velcro and did not look as neat as I wanted. Above the 6-foot tall stage, it also looked rather dwarfed and the shiny fabric used for the stage looked like a black abyss though, the show stood on its own and was still pitch-perfect [if I must say so myself]. Doing a showcase like this allows one to solicit feedback and see how it works in order to make the necessary changes. A friend of mine informed me about black masking fabric which absorbs the light instead on reflecting like the shiny fabric. It's also called duvetyn and has been ordered to replace the shiny stuff. One note suggested that the top half of the stage should look like a part of the scenery - perhaps a side of the building. We had a 2nd showcase set up for filming on Thursday where I was able to have a new backdrop of 7 feet and mounted it flat on 2 pieces of foam core. It looked great. The side of the school building will be added prior to public performances.

We made another change for lockers that we had mounted in the foreground on either side and made them more 3-dimensional by adding sides and a top. Anything to add more depth, I think, really helps to make it come more alive.

Just as I was making all these changes and getting everything organized for when we finally go out with the show, I received my first phone call from a school that wants to book Helping Drew for February 15. It has begun! After all this time. What an amazing journey.

Anti-bullying puppet musical launches!

I'm too excited as I approach the launch of my anti-bullying puppet musical Helping Drew. We're 'launching' this weekend, January 14, with a private showcase for our creative crew and starting to accept bookings for K-5 school assembly programs.

A 5 minute audio sample is available on our website at http://upinarms.biz/Events.html

If you want to follow us on facebook, please 'like' us at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Up-In-Arms/324412420924871

My puppet life ~ Fall 2011

I have neglected updates in months and there is much to report so, I'll dig right in.

Back in September, I produced a puppet weekend for a local theatre group. We hosted a Tough Pigs Muppet Vault, had shadow puppet and marionette show [by The Puppet People] for the daytime/matinee shows and hosted a puppet slam with local talent along with a showing of Heather Henson's Handmade Puppet Dreams. The poster for the event [below] was designed by Pasha at Project Puppet.

Inspired by Project Puppet's Borsa pattern and this great fur that I found, I made this live-hand puppet which was completed toward the end of October. I was considering making a puppet for a raffle to raise funds for my anti-bullying puppet show that I'm working on but, fell in love with this guy so much, I couldn't part with him.


After a couple of rehearsals with new vocal talent, we were finally ready to get into the recording studio to record the anti-bullying puppet assembly program Helping Drew. It filled me with equal parts excitement and this feeling that this is the "put up or shut up" moment. This production has been gestating for so long and you get to this moment and you're like "oh, right, I really have to do something with this!" The process started back in January and went through the re-writing process, an initial recording session that didn't produce the results I needed and my obligations to the theatre I had been helping that kept me from focussing, along with my last studio that did not come through.

I had a business acquaintance whose husband makes ring tones for cell phones so, I knew he had some studio connections. He ended up offering to record us knowing he had capable equipment. He had great excitement and confessed his love for puppets - especially the Muppets. When I asked what I could pay him, he insisted on doing it for free. He was smiling and having a great time through the whole session since it was something he never had the chance to do.

I had terrific talent for the session. My friends Joyce and Ed both worked professionally in theatre and did table reads in Manhattan for upcoming theatrical shows and even did a read on an early Lopez/ Marx [Ave Q guys] scripting of another show they had worked on. Another one of my voice talents, Joni, had taken John Tartaglia's master class. She's got a great female puppet voice - somewhere in the neighborhood of Kate Monster and Abby Cadabby.

The 1/2 hour show took us about an hour and a half to record. We plowed through and only did additional takes where we messed up. I excused the actors when I felt we had everything complete and spent another hour and a half with the engineer to choose our takes, make sure all the spacing was cleaned up and the cues were in the right place. I should have a preview copy soon enough after all the levels are cleaned up.

I was at Party City yesterday and purchased nice big serving spoons for some sweet puppet eyes for the next puppet I hope to use for the raffle I previously mentioned.


All in all, everything is going great and the puppet projects are a great source of excitement and motivation. Excited to see The Muppets this coming week as well! Getting my Muppet geek on and seeing an early morning showing as well as attending an evening show with the extended family. Can't wait to share this new Muppet chapter.

A week of puppet

This past week was colored by many puppet events/encounters that I thought I would share. In Beacon, NY, Second Saturday celebrations center around art events all over town. The Music On The Squares events showcase live bands playing in various locations at different times of the day. This year, they incorporated local puppeteer [and writer] Peter Ullian who brought his puppets to Main Street on Saturday the 9th. Peter's puppets talked about US history. While one told some very 'creative' interpretations of history, the other tried his very best to correct the tall tales. It was a very humorous and raucous puppet performance aimed at young audiences.


On Monday, the 11th, I had the pleasure of meeting Pasha Romanowski from Project Puppet on his trip to New York. Pasha brought along fellow New York puppeteer Scott Biski as we met in front of the old Henson office on 69th Street. The Kermit prints in the sidewalk are no longer and the building was in transition with the new owners. No activity was going on and the building looked to be rather empty and without life. We walked down to FAO to peep in on the Muppet Whatnot Workshop. On the way, we did what any puppeteer/puppet builders would do, we talked puppets and puppet building. It's nice to be amongst those in the family of puppet. FAO had a few Muppet shirts in the baby-doll style along with a display of the Muppet PookaLooz plush. It's also nice to see that the kiosk continues to employ enthusiastic Muppet/puppet fans.


We headed downtown continuing our 3-man puppet conference and ended up in the fabric district doing what any 3 grown men would do - shop for fake fur! Although some of the prices seemed steep compared to what I'm use to paying online, Pasha gave a quick lesson in the quality of the fur and backing. Still, I might have to stick with the cheap stuff for now.

Thursday, the 14th, was the gala opening for the Jim Henson's Fantastic World exhibit at the Museum of The Moving Image in Queens. My friend and Richard Hunt biographer J. Max Stein scored a VIP invite and invited me along as her 'plus one'. Brian, Cheryl and Heather Henson were in attendance along with Dave Goelz puppeteering a Mayor Mike Bloomberg puppet for the opening remarks. I spied John Tartaglia in the crowd and met Tough Pigs' Joe and Ryan who bring their Muppet Vault to the Puppet Weekend I'm producing this September. I had seen the Jim Henson exhibit on its stop earlier in Massachusetts but it was fun to to revisit this inspiring collection again and see the addition of Ms. Piggy decked out in her wedding gown. The VIP group was treated to an 'Art of The Muppets' commemorative poster that looks like a promo for the original Art of The Muppets book and has a copyright of 1980 on the bottom. It measures 19 inches by 29 inches.


The 'week' ends with me auditioning acts for the September Puppet Weekend and continuing to work on putting together my own puppet shows for school assembly programs in the Fall.

"Helping Drew" build

I never felt this project would be finished and now that it's nearing completion, it has me very excited. I am especially passionate about helping ease the bullying problem that still plagues our schools - something that was very prevalent when I was in school and sometimes made my experience less than happy.

As I wrapped up this build, I had one last character to create, the school principal. She started as a different build and then I switched gears and turned to the tried and true Project Puppet patterns.

A head was born and I stuck on a pair of glasses to size up the eyeglass look.

I had custom-dyed my first batch of antron fleece a beautiful purple hue. I was really excited by the results and even more excited to see it covering the new build.


I initially started with a human-style wig in dark, tight curls. I specifically wanted cat-eye style glasses for the puppet and headed to the party supply store that has a full line of costume accessories. I found a wonderful, bright pink wig that I knew would look better than the dark curls. Naturally, the puppeteer had to try on the accessories before the puppet.


In the end, the puppet looked better. I popped out the eyeglass lenses and traced them to a white foam sheet, making sure I cut just a little wider around the trace in order to glue them to the back of the eyeglass frames.



A completed puppet, with nose, was ready for an outfit. The next day, I was off to the mall to hit up the kids racks for some 2T/3T sizes.


I hit up the usual suspects - Children's Place and Old Navy as well as Bon Ton children's department. I get close and start to formulate an idea of what I need - a feminine 'blouse' and a sweater was on order for this build. My last stop was Sears and, I was happily surprised by my find. I think you'll see they all look perfect together and the puppet seemed to approve.


'Flo' joins the rest of her cast in the show "Helping Drew" which is being offered to K-5 elementary school assembly programs. Rehearsals begin soon and will be shopped at an arts in education showcase in late May.

Costuming My Puppet

I love a simple trick to get things done - whether it's the magic that happens during the performance or the little tricks we use in creating our build. In the final scene of my new puppet show, a character breaks out into a song and dance number. He exits the stage and returns in full 'Chorus Line' costume. I purchased some gold sequined fabric and thought that some way, I would find the right hat and vest to cover in the material. I purchased a small top hat for a doll that I figured would tilt to one side on the puppet's head. I wasn't really comfortable covering it with the fabric so, purchased metallic gold glitter spray paint instead. After getting that situated, the hat just looked too small for the puppet.

In creating the vest, I couldn't find a child's suit vest cheap enough so, went about patterning my own - cutting it from a sheet of fun foam and then spraying the cut out foam with super 77 spray glue and then laying it on a flat piece of fabric. After sitting with that, I figured - if I could find a hat pattern, I could cover the flat pieces with the fabric and then fashion the hat. A quick google search and I was set. I enlarged the pattern to fit my needs. The hat was a little tall - more formal for my taste so, I cut it down before I glued everything in place. I ordered a silver sequined bowtie online and I will have a black shirt underneath it all when it's finished. For now - here is the costume in process. Happy World Puppet Day!!

All Hands On Deck...

...or, these are a few of my favorite things. I went out shopping over the weekend to my favorite puppet supply stores, Home Depot and Lowe's, America's best known hardware stores.



Any puppet builder will tell you that there is no one place to purchase puppet building supplies. There is inspiration everywhere and I compiled some well-known supplies readying myself to complete a build this past weekend. In the image is a package of doll joints from the hobby shop, hands and foam pieces from the fabric store, Weldwood contact cement and a small container of flat black paint from the hardware store, pre-fab wooden handles for the control rods from a materials exchange and drop ceiling wire for the control rods as well [from the hardware store as well.]

Quite a while ago, I purchased The Complete Doctor puppet building tutorial DVD from Dr. Puppet. I have watched the various installments at different points and it's just a wonderful resource to go back to time and time again to re-establish technique for the budding puppet builder. Jay, who runs the Dr. Puppet website, talks through the lessons like a puppet building friend who has tried all the techniques and knows some of the best and easiest ways to get professional results. In my latest viewing, I picked up on Jay referring to the group of puppeteers over at PuppetsAndStuff.com. I knew the site but had failed to join until recently. One of the admins at Puppets and Stuff is Daryl of StiqPuppet. Daryl was known for his blogtv channel of puppet building tutorials. I was thrilled to find that Daryl has transferred the videos to a Youtube account. Daryl shows various aspects of puppet making as well as proper puppet performance, cleaning your puppet and even a video on how to keep your puppet workshop organized. We're so lucky to live in this day and age where inspiration is right at our fingertips. Sometimes, I'll even grab the good old Foam Book and just leaf through to stoke the ideas.

Of course, I would be remiss if I didn't give a nod to Pasha over at Project Puppet who has been SO instrumental in getting my dreams off the ground. His new website Puppetsmith will be providing even more inspiration for puppet builders for years to come, I'm sure. My latest puppet was designed from the Project Puppet Simple Series Roly pattern. His name is Lee and he will be starring in an anti-bullying show for K-5th grade elementary school assembly programs.

Puppet Building with Michael Earl

Back in January of 2010, I had a great time at Michael Earl's Television Puppetry Workshop in NYC. Michael and Roberto are making a name for themselves in the puppetry world as they offer classes coast to coast through their newly created Puppet School. I remember Michael's puppets being very effortless to operate. New puppet builders like myself are always searching for that 'perfect mouthplate' and I always love incorporating new building skills into what I already know. When I saw that his Puppet Making Workshop was being offered this past Thursday [Dec. 2], I signed up immediately.

Michael and Roberto's relaxed approach makes learning fun and accessible for everyone in the class no matter their level of expertise. Within a matter of a few short hours, five new monsters were 'born' into the puppetry world. Michael's puppets are very simplistic but big on personality.

I originally intended to bring a bag with me to carry my new creation on my way back through the city to my home-bound train. I left the bag at home and slung the new creature over my arm as I walked the few blocks to my uptown subway stop. I'm glad I left the bag behind as I saw the quick glances and smiles blooming on the crowd of faces as I walked by. Those moments remind you of why you chose to be a puppeteer.

This Saturday, Dec. 4, was the holiday parade in Beacon, NY and my new little monster just needed a Santa cap and he was a natural for the day's festivities. I thought "Ned" was an appropriate name for the time being and he made many friends and took lots of photos with people on his first public outing.

Me and Ned before leaving for the parade

Down & Dirty Dog Puppet

I took Matt Ficner's puppet building workshop in Spring of 2009. It's been well over a year since I began building my own puppet using what I learned in Matt's workshop and I have FINALLY finished it. The foam head base was built last year after I knew my 9-5 job was going to be outsourced. The puppet was one of those projects I kept putting off until the job ended. It finally came to pass this October and, slowly, the puppet muse crept back in and before you know it, fur was flying and I was slinging the hot-glue gun once more. As a graphic designer, there's nothing I like more than what we call "down and dirty tricks" - simple tricks to get a job done. Matt's method to puppet making was a great crash-course in "down and dirty" puppet making. I had a lot of fun watching this guy take shape and finally come to life. The ears are pose-able with a built-in wire armature. The nose was sculpted from light-weight sculpey clay and its wet-like sheen was created with stain glass paint. Following are a full body view, head close-up and ear span images.

Thank You Richard Hunt!

Sunday, July 18, I was excited to produce Jessica Max Stein and her presentation on Richard Hunt. More than the presentation itself, the whole experience reminded me of an episode of Fraggle Rock where someone comes in to your life and causes you to look at a part of yourself and leaves everyone positively affected for having met.

Max's two-hour presentation was filled with wonderful stories of that Muppeteer that we all love, Richard Hunt. Video clips included vintage Sesame Street, Muppet Show and Fraggle Rock. It was a joy to relive those moments with Max's insight into Richard's life and career.

It turned out Max and I are both queer, Jewish, Muppet fans who hail from Niskayuna, a town in upstate NY. Her experience and my own had some similarities and it was great to get to get to know a kindred spirit.

Max created this uber-cool Toronto Fraggle Geography Google Map inspired by her recent trip to Toronto. Check it out!

Fantastic Puppets

Wednesday, June 16, I took a day trip to Lexington, MA to the National Heritage Museum to catch the Jim Henson's Fantastic World Exhibit before it's final bow on the East coast at the end of this month. I had heard some casual fans say that they had wished there were more puppets in the exhibit but, if you are a true fan of Henson or just a fan of the artistic process, this exhibit had plenty to make you happy. When I first walked in and saw a 1970s full-bodied Kermit sitting in a display case, the 10 year old in me just stared and wanted to say hello to my old friend. It was wonderful to connect to that youthful awe again. The exhibit was dotted with gems such as Jim's original concept drawings and college-age poster designs. As a creative person, I could appreciate what a well-rounded artist and how amazingly talented this man was.

The old commercials played on loop in one room including this great Ideal Toys commercial from 1966 that featured some of the irreverent humor from the Muppets that we all came to know and love. As a puppet builder, it was wonderful to finally see to some of the great Muppet creations and study their design up close. I don't want to give everything away but, suffice it to say, it's something every Muppet fan should try to see. So far, the last booked leg of the tour is 10/30/10 - 1/23/11 at the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago. If you haven't seen it yet, I would highly recommend it.

Thursday, the 24th, I found myself in Brooklyn, NY taking in St Anne's Warehouse Labapalooza which featured 4 snippets from developing puppet artists. The artistry was inspiring and Lone Wolf Tribe's Hobo Grunt Cycle was phenomenal to say the least. Kevin Augustine weaved a beautiful narration with very little dialogue. The images were hauntingly beautiful and the theme of life, death and rebirth was captivating.

The Rainbow Connection: Richard Hunt, Gay Muppeteer

I'm very excited to be producing this event in July.

The Rainbow Connection: Richard Hunt, Gay Muppeteer, a presentation by author Jessica Max Stein, will be held Sunday, July 18, 2010 at 2pm at the Cunneen-Hackett Arts Center, 12 Vassar Street, Poughkeepsie, NY.

Richard Hunt joined the Muppets at age 19 and went on to be a central performer on the international blockbusters Sesame Street, The Muppet Show and Fraggle Rock, creating such beloved characters as Scooter, Janice, Beaker and Statler (in the Muppet balcony), even briefly performing Miss Piggy in her early drag queen days. Hunt died of AIDS-related complications in 1992, only 40 years old.

Author Jessica Max Stein is working on a biography of Hunt, based on her best-selling zine The Rainbow Connection: Richard Hunt, Gay Muppeteer. Her 2-hour presentation includes over an hour of Muppet clips interspersed with details of Hunt's fascinating story as a Muppeteer who happened to be a gay man. She teaches English at the City University of New York, and lives in Brooklyn.

Zines will be available for sale at the event. (See JessicaMaxStein.com for details.)

Tickets are $5, cash at box office/day of show. Reservations suggested, seating is limited. Call 917 502 4098 or email info@upinarms.biz. Event info: upinarms.biz

Stuffed and Unstrung

I will never forget, as a young Muppet fan, eagerly writing the Muppet Show Fan Club and asking them about the possibility of coming to see a taping of the Muppet Show. At the time, I had no clue that it was taped in the UK but, that was beside the point. I received a reply from some staffer at the fan club explaining to me that the Muppet Show was not taped like a regular show with an audience. I may have been young but, this, I understood because I was eager to see the process! I was chomping at the bit wanting to see how it was actually done! As a young puppeteer, I needed to see my creative peers in action. Alas, my dreams would be put on hold for a good 30 years.

Last Saturday, April 10, I had tickets with friends to see Stuffed and Unstrung at the Union Square Theater in Manhattan and finally got to see the process in all its glory. The giddy 10 year old inside was unleashed as I purchased a Stuffed and Unstrung t-shirt. I spied the tarp-covered mound of puppets on stage as the neon "Stuffed and Unstrung" sign flashed above.

When the actors took the stage and the familiar "Puppet Up" theme played out before us, I eagerly anticipated the merriment and [very] adult comedy that would keep us all in stitches for a nearly 2 hour show. How lucky I felt to see skits like the aliens visiting an erotic bakery or the news story of Justin Bieber after being attacked by Godzilla - or the Hot Dogs in their 12-step program breaking their addiction to Tiger Woods. These were all so hysterically portrayed but, because of the fact that this is improv, would be unique to the time I saw the show. Thinking of how many different skits were made up on the spot like that during the run of the show just made you appreciate what they are actually creating all the more.

It warmed the true fan's heart to see a couple of classic Henson skits worked in to the program. Brian creates a skit on the fly after intermission that makes your jaw drop when you realize what's happening. After having mastered that piece, he must have a blast creating it every night. Still, he drops a little improv into it to make it unique for every show. The audience participation skits are a lot of fun and each person invited up on stage looked like they were re-living a part of their childhood too. How can you not smile with these incredible puppets within arms reach?

I thought it was cute and kind-of telling when a staffer parked herself at the front of the stage during intermission to guard the puppets. You would have to actually have a pretty good reach or jump up on stage to get close enough to the puppets but, I guess they must know there's enough rabid fans out there with little self control.

If you can make it to Manhattan, Stuffed and Unstrung is running through Saturday, May 29 and, beginning April 29, all 9pm shows will be moved to 8pm for all those who cherish an earlier bed-time. Go see this fantastic show! You will be happy you did.

Puppet Slam February 5th, 2010

Friday night, 2/5, I found myself in SoHo with a couple of good friends to take in the "Puppet Blok Gets Punched" at Dixon Place. The Dixon Place Puppet Blok teamed with Drama Of Works' PUNCH Puppet Slam for a night of adult puppet entertainment. It was a mix of drama, song, poetry and comedy with styles ranging from hand/rod puppets to bunraku and shadow puppetry. There was an awe-inspiring black-light performance by Evolve Company, a touching shadow puppetry homage to a soldier leaving home for war beautifully sung and performed by Alissa Hunnicutt with Sarah Lafferty, a loving tribute for a departed loved one by Papermoon Puppet Theater and rib-tickling comedic scenes provided by James Walton, Suzie Wong, Patryk Wilinski and Kim Mikenis. Bravo to all involved in bringing this show together. This was my FIRST adult puppet night out and it felt great to bask in the talent of my puppeteer peers and feel inspired. If you're in the NYC area, check in with Dixon Place http://www.dixonplace.org for future Puppet Blok performances and Drama of Works PUNCH http://www.punchpuppetslam.com/

Michael Earl Television Puppetry Workshop

Yesterday, I took a very informative and hands-on workshop in NYC for television puppetry. The teacher, Michael Earl, is a former Muppet performer as well as a puppeteer on projects such as the "Men In Black" films and "Team American World Police". Michael is such a pro and watching him bring to life his simple, classroom puppets was like watching a Sesame Street dress rehearsal. It was a different story when us students got in front of the camera but, having the technique to practice is great.

The class was a full day from 10am to 5pm with a half-hour lunch. With a limit of 8 students, we all got ample camera and puppet time. The class was broken down into various exercises that started simply with the bare hand in order to understand the movement and get use to the opposite orientation of the movement on a monitor. Specific poses and techniques were emphasized that could then be built upon through practice. Songs were used to help with various techniques and Michael was a patient, professional guide throughout.

Strictly from a 'fan' perspective, Michael provided anecdotes and lessons from his years with the Muppets and learning from his mentors such as Frank Oz and Jim Henson. It was thrilling to hear his stories from his 'Muppet' days and I could have happily listened to those for half the day.

If you think you know puppetry, wait until you start performing to a monitor. Our class ranged from seasoned Broadway performers to a person just starting in puppetry and everyone in between yet, I feel we were all pretty new to this style of puppetry performance. It certainly created great energy from everyone and it was interesting to learn something from each unique energy that people brought.

If you get the opportunity to take one of Michael's workshops, I can't recommend him enough. Even in a one day class, so much is covered that it is certainly money well spent. You'll want to take notes so bring a notebook and Michael welcomes puppeteers to bring their own puppets to use later in the class. The monster puppets he uses for class are perfect for the exercises and are easier to use when the whole class is doing the same exercise.

Michael has up-coming one-day workshops slated for NYC, San Francisco, Chicago and Atlanta. I highly recommend anyone interested to sign up now. Michael said the workshop in NYC for March 2010 already had 6 students on the waiting list. That leaves only 2 slots left so, puppeteers - jump on it!