Weekly Puppetry News Round-Up

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D'Snowth

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I read that article with Cheryl, and she actual does raise some interesting questions... and believe it or not, I actually get those exact same questions that she mentioned puppeteers are always asked, especially, "Have you ever seen AVENUE Q?" and "Do you do kids' birthday parties?" Why is AVENUE Q the main live puppetry reference the gets dropped around all the time? This is an interesting question. :stick_out_tongue: (And if you ask me, kids' birthday parties are as low on the performing scale as you can get... like working in fast food in the corporate world).

Interestingly, I was just reading in Jim Henson: The Biography that Jim himself didn't like the word, "Muppeteer", hence why he always refered to himself, and the others, as, "Muppet Performers".
 
Buck-Beaver

Buck-Beaver

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I think most puppeteers encounter that. A lot of people just have a limited perception of what puppetry is/can be.

I have to disagree about birthday party shows though. It's in no way the same as working in fast food and that comparison could be very insulting to performers who make their living doing that.

Some of the BEST puppeteers I've seen started out working those kinds of gigs, as well as street theatre. A lot of puppeteers can't hack it in those types of environments (I would be terrible doing birthday parties). The skills you learn doing those kinds of gigs are invaluable. It's a lot like great comics who earn their chops doing thousands of gigs in tiny, awful bars and clubs for small audiences.

I actually know more than one puppeteer specializing in birthday parties and library shows and they own their own house and don't take on extra side jobs to pay the bills. On the other hand, I also know a lot more puppeteers who are broke and/or always working side gigs they hate to pay the bills who look down on someone doing birthday party shows.

Really, who is better off?
 
crazy chris

crazy chris

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Out of respect for this wonderful puppet community ...i will keep my cool and remain humble... but please show a little respect for those puppeteers with the talent and confidence in their craft to entertain both children and adults alike without the crutch of crude obscene humor... You have obviously never done it...or you would have SO MUCH MORE RESPECT FOR IT!!

I will stop there... respect to all!

cc
 
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