Puppetfest Midwest

[Buck-Beaver]

Hi all! I wanted to pass along some info about a really neat Puppet Festival that is going in to it's second year this year - Puppetfest Midwest. Among those doing workshops are Drew Allison (co-author of the Foam Book) and Luman Coad an amazing and highly respected Canadian puppeteer

Here's the details:

PuppetFest MidWest (held this year from July 13-18, 2004 in Trenton, Missouri) is an independent annual puppetry festival that is presented,
organized and financially supported by puppeteers as a gift to other puppeteers in the hope that it will inspire, strengthen and renew our commitment to Puppet Theatre. Intensive workshops this year include:

"POLYFOAM PUPPETS THE FOAM BOOK WAY"
Drew Allison, Grey Seal Puppets
Design, create and learn to manipulate your own polyfoam hand and rod puppet.

"THE PLOT THICKENS"
Luman Coad, Coad Canada Puppets
Learn the basics of dramatic structure as you write and revise your own script.

"WHAT HAVE YOU GOT TO SAY?"
Kurt and Kathy Hunter, Hunter Marionettes
Develop your message into performance through scriptwriting and hands-on
puppetry experience.

"TABLETOP BUNRAKU"
Lynne Jennings
Make a simple tabletop puppet and create a series of short performance
pieces.

"SHADOW PUPPETRY"
Jim Napolitano, Nappy's Puppets
Construct your own shadow screen, shadow puppets and short vignettes.

For more information contact:

PuppetFest MidWest Directors, Peter Allen & Debbie Lutzky Allen
PO Box 14
Jamesport, MO 64648
Phone (660) 684-6825
www.puppetfestival.org

 

[Fozzie Bear]

That sounds cool. I wish I had more puppeteer friends here in Memphis to get some kind of puppetry festival going on here in town. This city is SO lacking in some cultural arts.