New Puppet Festival in Indiana

[Buck-Beaver]

A new festival is coming to the Bloomington scene this spring. Bloomin' Puppetfest, Bloomington's first festival of puppetry and related arts, will take place April 30 and May 1, 2004. Bloomin' Puppetfest celebrates the Puppeteers of America's National Day of Puppetry and the diversity of the Bloomington community, from which it takes its name. Several venues around the city will host Bloomin' Puppetfest workshops, events and activities, including Third Street Park, the Allison-Jukebox Community Center, the John Waldron Arts Center and the Bloomington Playwrights Project. Activities planned include puppet shows, performance workshops, storytelling, kid's crafts, circus arts, a cappella music, juggling and more. This years guest of honor is John E. Kennedy, author of Puppetmania! and puppeteer for Henson and Disney. Visit his website at www.puppetkit.com. Performers who have already committed to the festival include the Bloomington Storyteller's Guild, Tonecutters Barbershop Chorus, i Scandali Commedia dell Arte Troupe, Stevens Puppets, Adzooks Puppets, Roberts Marionettes, Fred Cowan Puppets, Bloomington Community Circus and Klingel-Engle Puppets. The festival is supported by the Bloomington Monroe County Convention and Visitors Bureau, Bloomington Parks and Recreation Department, Bloomington Playwrights Project, WTIU and the Monroe County Public Library.

For more information about Bloomin' Puppetfest visit our website at http://www.freewebs.com/bloomin_puppetfest/, or contact Festival Coordinator Terri Klingelhoefer at (812) 325-9326, or via e-mail at tklingel@indiana.edu. For more information contact: Terri Klingelhoefer, Festival Coordinator, (812) 876-3540 Marianne Woodruff, Bloomington Convention and Visitors Bureau, (812) 355-7723 or 800-800-0037 Terri Klingelhoefer Primary Player Klingel-Engle Puppet Palace 220 Eagle's Landing Ellettsville, IN 47429 812-325-9326 812-876-3540

 

[doctort13]

Cool!

I am thinking of attending, since Bloomington is within driving distance from my home in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Anyone else going?

 

[goldenarrow05]

neat

that is awesome, i live an hour away from bloomington and that gives me an excuse to go see some friends that live there.

 

[Janice & Mokey's Man]

Hmmm, I could consider it, but don't know...I think those are work dates fer me...

 

[pupart]

Bloomington Puppet Local going Local

Bloomington has left me out in the dark yet again. I live in Bloomington, IN and am active in the arts, being a sculpter/puppeteer, and work as a production asst. for the local PBS station. It seems that the Blooming' Puppetfest is exclusive and not open to other struggling artists and puppeteers in town. I hope it is not the case and do plan on attending and have been trying, trying, trying to be involved. It would be really groovy if the midwest, especially areas like southern Indiana, Kentucky, and Ohio got some new and/or more puppet venues. It would really open up more art and performance opportunities in these bland and thirsty areas.

 

[Buck-Beaver]

I don't know anything besides what I originally posted about the fest. I went to their web site and - I hate to say this - but it's just awful. Horribly designed. The colours are so bright you can't read half of it!

Anyways, this does seem to be a community event. I'd be surprised if they were deliberately excluding people without good reason. Have you emailed the contact person?

I do know that many of the festivals that are put on by PofA Guilds (looks like this one isn't but I could be wrong) require you to apply well in advance (sometimes over a year ahead) to be considered. Experience is, unfortunately, usually a prerequisite since they want to present the highest quality work possible. Many fests have an open "Puppet Potpourri" venue where anyone can perform. Those are ideal for people just getting started who might not have a full-fledged show ready yet.