Puppetry Festivals

[SesameKermie]

I have the opportunity to attend both the P of A 'Puppet Rampage' festival and a One Way Street festival in my area. I've never been to a puppetry festival of any sort before, and I wondered what you guys thought about them. I also have a little bit of a dilemma. Due to economic and job considerations, I can only attend portions of both festivals. If you've attended one before, what are the "Don't Miss This" things? What would you recommend?

 

[puppetguy]

I highly recommend you attend Puppet Rampage. There's nothing quite like a Puppeteers of America Festival, especially if its your first National fest. They are truly eye-opening. In 1993, I went to my first National PoA fest, which was held in San Francisco and organized by Mike Oznowicz (Frank's dad). Some of the top national and international puppet troupes performed, all with their own styles and perspectives into the art of puppetry. Shadow, rod, hand, marionettes..all were represented. And I got to meet Frank Oz, Caroll Spinney and Jane Henson. But even more important than the perfromances, I think, are the friendships made with professional puppeteers. Most are genuinely happy to talk with anyone interested in getting started as a puppeteer.

I've never attended a One-Way Street festival, so I can't really compare and contrast. However, that said, I think its understood that a One Way Street fest will definitely have a religious slant whereas PoA fests are more in touch with secular puppet theatre. One Way Street also seems to heavily emphasize the Muppet style of puppet. While represented at PoA, that style is only one of a variety of styles you're likely to see.

I could easily turn into a PoA commercial here, but that's only because I know how important the organization and its festivals were in my learing about puppet theatre. So go to Puppet Rampage and tell my friends Drew Allison and Bob Nathanson I said "howdy!"

David
www.allhandsproductions.com

 

[DannyRWW]

You know I've been to the One Way Street festivals before. It is fun and you can learn a lot. They tend to work mostly with moving mouth puppets, shadow puppetry, and ventriloquism. If your into these styles of puppetry there are some wonderful workshops taught by very qualified instructors. Also they have some good workshops if your a director of a puppet team (since the Christian groups they cater to mostly function that way. I run a team but it's at least a good excuse to trick people into paying me to be a puppeteer ). That being said you also have to deal with the fact that most in attendance are teenagers and that can be a bit of a bother. I enjoy them more when I go by myself than when I bring my team.
Of course now that I've gone on about the One Way Street festival if I had the money and the opportunity I would probably choose the P of A festival. I've never been to one but I can guess they are geared much more to puppetry in general than puppet ministry. While I love what I do and enjoy using my puppetry skills as a ministry I always try to instill in my students a love of puppetry in general. I also think the P of A festival will have a lot more variety as far as learning experiences go (as stated by Puppet guy).

 

[dkmontgomery]

One Way Street

I hav ebeen to the One Way Street festivals and really enjoyed them!

 

[spcglider]

I'll be attending the Pof A festival, so if you're coming, lets meet up! I'm a local, so I'm not staying on-campus, but I'll be there every day.

-Gordon