Puppet Coach needed!

[Kate Monster]

I am in dire need for a puppet instructor! I have a callback this Thursday for Avenue Q. If anyone is available in NYC this week, who knows this style well, for a few lessons, please contact me immediately. I would really appreciate the help! I can be reached at: 212-882-1902

Thanks so much!
Michelle

 

[Buck-Beaver]

*Puts on his pessimistic hat*

At the risk of sounding extremely discouraging, if you haven't done puppetry before it's virtually impossible to learn the style used in the show by Thursday. It takes months to learn properly and years to master.

All the same, good luck with it. I passed this message along to puppetry discussion group with several people from NYC on it. Maybe one of them can help you.

 

[gfarkwort]

well.........she did get a call back...so they have to have liked her performance a bit right.

 

[Infinity Sirius]

Hmm...I hope she tells us how the audition went.

 

[Buck-Beaver]

Oh absolutely. I didn't mean to sound negative, it's just that the Producers of Avenue Q are apparently doing this mind-boggling thing where they don't hire puppeteers, they hire actors and then teach them puppetry which - aside from not making much sense - must put a lot of stress on actors who haven't done puppetry before.

 

[gfarkwort]

ok yea......you made it sound bad again.....actors shouldnt just be hired and taught...thats just wrong..ick.....sure hope thats not whats happening

 

[Beebers]

Oh absolutely. I didn't mean to sound negative, it's just that the Producers of Avenue Q are apparently doing this mind-boggling thing where they don't hire puppeteers, they hire actors and then teach them puppetry which - aside from not making much sense - must put a lot of stress on actors who haven't done puppetry before.

This is correct, and by all accounts it's pretty stressful. I hope she fares well and posts how it went.

 

[PaulyPuppets]

Here's some "inside" news I got. They now want young, good looking theater actors with great singing voices, with no other commitments other than the continued desire to be full time Broadway working actors. They lucked out with John T. and Stephanie D. , even though they still had busy seasonal schedules with SESAME STREET. I went, and was called back for the original auditions for AVENUE Q (they were actually only casting understudies, because the original cast were all going to revise their roles from the off broadway run). There was a very low turn out at the original B'way auditions and call backs. I was eventually told they would use me at some time in the future. But that was BEFORE they came up with this new way of thinking regarding, cute, actors who never held a puppet, who would be trained as puppeteers. Many of us pro puppeteers there at those original B'way call backs, were older, with tons of other puppetry commitments. Although I have a great singing voice and tons of theater experience, I'm not a cute young man anymore (I wonder if I ever was .) I guess this is fine for the Rick Lyon part(s) (and I'm only basing this on the fact that the breakdown for his roles for the Vegas run, asked for an "older man") But I think that when they hired, Barret Foa, a young and talented good looking Broadway actor, with NO puppeteer experience, and saw that they could train him, they took on this whole idea that it can be done like this all the time. I have no idea if they're finding this approach easier or more diffcult. I guess, we'll see.

PS: I just realized no one has anwered this poor girls request about training. This might sound bold, but I think that's really the way to be if you want something badly enough. But why not go to the stage door of AVENUE Q after one of the performances, and simply proposition one of the puppeteers to train you privately? It's not like you'd be a threat to them, because they already have the gig. I'm sure they'd do it if the price is right. Good luck!​

 

[Buck-Beaver]

That's the situation I was alluding to above. It's perfectly understandable that they want an attractive cast. It's an expensive show on Broadway and the puppeteers work in full view and that's just the nature of the beast. Ditto for the commitment factor.

But I refuse to believe that they have exhausted America's supply of good looking puppeteers with great singing voices who are available to work.

 

[ravagefrackle]

well persoanlly i think it ridiculous, as do some people involved with puppetry in new york, and quite frankly if you see what the out come of this "TRAINING" you know you are not looking at a real puppeteer, there are plenty of good looking and young attractive looking acors in the world sure, but the show is built on the backs of the puppets and the puppeteers. not supposed good looks.

as for her training, well i tutored her on sunday, even lent her a puppet , but i guess she felt i didnt do enough because she didnt ask me to help again, not quite sure what she expected, you cant "CRAM" for a audition using puppets like its a mid term.

any way if you are out there, i need my puppet back