Best Way to Audition Puppeteers?

[crazy chris]

i live in a fairly small town... and our puppet theater is in dire need of atleast one more puppeteer....

i am a little nervous about an open casting call... being that its children's entertainment... i dont want any shady characters sneaking their way into my child friendly environment under the guise of a puppet enthusiast ...

ive opened up to the local theatrical community but so far havent had any bites...

the gig would be 3 days a week.... paid show by show... minimum of 6 shows a week... with many more shows on weeks with private parties or field trips

i guess the main problem is finding someone who can maintain an open schedule like that

im at a standstill right now... i refuse to open until ive got the best possible staff....

so i guess my question is... can u guys think of any other avenues of finding folks who are interested in puppetry and would like to learn the trade and make a little side money doing so?

cc

 

[TheCreatureWork]

If you are afraid of hiring "shady" characters then I suggest asking employees for a police check- basically the person has to go to their local police station, fill out the required police check form and then wait for 4-6 weeks. When it comes in then they will have basically a piece of paper showing that they don't have a criminal record- of course when auditioning I would ask prospective employees if they are willing to get a police check. If yes then, upon hiring you can request they get one. Of course (if the person was never caught) then a crime will not show on a police check but it acts as some sort of safe guard.

As for hiring I would suggest open casting calls- have a group type interview (about an hour and a half ) and do some improve with then without puppets. Also provide some scripted material to see how good they are reading a script while performing- basically watch for puppet manipulation, how they get along with others, how they treat the puppets, whether they try to upstage others or help others in their performance, if they are good technically overall. Remember if a person you are interviewing annoys you in the first 5 minutes of the interview best bet they aren't for you.

A good rule is to have two other people there help you in the interview process- they can be family/friends who "work" for you. They can look out for the various things I mentioned and once the interview is done, you can all discuss each interviewed person and decide which one to hire. It is better to have those extra pair of eyes- because sometimes they see things you might have missed.

I recommend having some element during the group interview involve performing in front of a video camera (with a monitor). This will not only allow you to see how they are infront of a camera, but will challenge them if they aren't use to it. It'll also allow you to remember who they are LOL so keep the camera on record- use the playback later to rewatch how they are.

After the group interview, have them relax while you do a one on one interview in another room- this allows you time to meet each one personally and ask those hard questions.

I also recommend at the beginning of the interview providing all attendees a brief history of yourself, what you are hiring them for, and the demands the job calls for. Go through what the interview will consist of so they can mentally get ready for it.

After all the interviews are done- thank them all for coming out and then (once they leave) sit down and figure it out.

Remember you don't have to hire anyone just because you interview them.
Take your time.

Also, I would never wait till you hire someone to open up your theater. Work around it somehow.

Put ads in the local newspaper, see if your local TV station will do a small story about you opening up a theatre and looking for people to hire. Just a thought.

 

[crazy chris]

thanks a billion creaturework!

i actually copy and pasted everything you said into a word doc for future reference! some GREAT TIPS!

cc

 

[Melonpool]

Just don't hire anyone that drives a 1970s windowless van.

 

[crazy chris]

Just don't hire anyone that drives a 1970s windowless van.

INDEED!

lol

cc

 

[charlie bird]

i live in a fairly small town... and our puppet theater is in dire need of atleast one more puppeteer....

i am a little nervous about an open casting call... being that its children's entertainment... i dont want any shady characters sneaking their way into my child friendly environment under the guise of a puppet enthusiast ...

ive opened up to the local theatrical community but so far havent had any bites...

the gig would be 3 days a week.... paid show by show... minimum of 6 shows a week... with many more shows on weeks with private parties or field trips

i guess the main problem is finding someone who can maintain an open schedule like that

im at a standstill right now... i refuse to open until ive got the best possible staff....

so i guess my question is... can u guys think of any other avenues of finding folks who are interested in puppetry and would like to learn the trade and make a little side money doing so?

cc

Aww!I would work for you!I'm too young thoughhe he

 

[crazy chris]

Aww!I would work for you!I'm too young thoughhe he

how old are ya charlie?

we will save a spot for ya in a few years...hahaha

cc

 

[Buck-Beaver]

Tom's right about the police check, in fact I'd be surprised if you could get insurance without having everyone who worked there passing a police check.

Myself and another puppeteer had to co-ordinate a batch of puppeteers for a project earlier this year; we developed a process where we did an interview and then later brought people in for a workshop/audition where we taught puppetry techniques.

You could also try contacting the Wonderment Puppet Theater in Martinsburg, they might have some suggestions or know of people in your area interested in puppetry.

I don't think there is a PofA Guild in your immediate area, but another person to contact is Dave Herzog, who is the PofA's Regional Director for WV. If you're not a member of PofA, you should be so you can network with others in your area interested in puppetry.

You could also check in to the Christian puppet scene (churches that have puppet ministries) and organizations that run Kids on the Block puppet programs in your area.

 

[crazy chris]

fantastic tips buck!

i definately plan a visit up to the wonderment theater soon... but its quite far from me... 5-6 hours.... so we dont exactly run in the same circles...hee hee

do you have any contact info for mr herzog? or know where i might find it?

ive spent alot of spare time scowering the PofA website and definately hope to join soon... what a great asset!

thanks again for everyone's wonderful tips on this site! its such an honor to be able to chat with so many talented and knowledgeable people!

cc

 

[Buck-Beaver]

The PofA website has all its directors and their contact information listed (under "Regions" I think).

You should really join both PofA and UNIMA-USA before opening your theatre; they will add you to their national listings of puppet theatres. I think the Jim Henson Foundation also maintains a national list or database for puppet theatres.