Puppet show, from Concept to Curtain

Saturday, September 02, 2006

"The Reluctant Dragon Now Playing in BROOKLYN, AT PUPPETWORKS"

My updates have been sorley lacking ,
but the show is NOW OPEN, i will continue the story of its creation now that i am done craeting it,

anyway here is some basic info about the show,

"The Reluctant Dragon Now Playing in BROOKLYN, AT PUPPETWORKS

Now Playing in BROOKLYN, AT PUPPETWORKS
(for ages 3 and up)
Every Saturday & Sunday at 12:30 & 2:30 p.m.
reservations are always a good idea, (718) 965 3391

NEW PRODUCTION adapted for Marionettes by Michael Leach

September 2 - December 17, 2006 THE RECLUCTANT DRAGON

Marionettes by Nicolas Coppola, James Wojtal
Story adapted ,James Wojtal And Michael Leech
Scenery by Ron Dayton
PUPPETWORKS NEW PRODUCTION OF THE RELUCTANT DRAGON, ADAPTED FOR MARIONETTES FROM KENNETH GRAHAME'S 1898 ENGLISH TALE, TELLS THE STORY OF A BRAVE LITTLE GIRL WHO BEFRIENDS A SCARY LOOKING, BUT SHY AND POETIC BEAST. TOGETHER THEY FOIL A PLOT TO STEAL THE TOWNS SHEEP, AND IN SO DOING, OVERCOME PEOPLES PREJUDGMENT OF THEM BASED ON APPEARANCE ALONE. THE PRODUCTION IS ACCOMPANIED BY MUSIC OF THE 1930S, WITH AN ORIGINAL SONG IN 30S STYLE.

Performance Times for the General Public* Every Saturday & Sunday at 12:30 & 2:30 p.m.
Admission for a CHILD is $7.00;
an ADULT $8.00
GROUPS of 20 or more, still $4.50 per person
NO CREDIT CARDS ACCEPTED

Click here: Puppetworks, Inc. "

Saturday, July 22, 2006

THE STORY CONTINUES...........

welcome back, , and welcome to all you first time visitors as well,

Before I continue, let me thank Sean Johnson for posting about this blog on his own, if you haven't visited it yet you should check out my links section for PUPPETS 101 , his work is great , and he has tons of info on his site about puppet building and designing

Thanks again Sean!!

Update,
Thanks to Andrew at Puppetvision, check out his site in my links section.

And yet another site to say thank you to

The guys over at projectpuppet.com,

Thanks guys,check them out in the links section

any way back to your regularly scheduled Blog.

"So , how did I come to work for Puppetworks?" you may ask,(or maybe you haven't but here's the answer anyway.)

Well were to start , I guess I should say that I was sort of lost in how to get started in puppetry.(not that I'm still not lost), I had finished with school, and was sort of stuck on what to do next. I was holding down a pretty steady gig at a deli, and building my own stuff at night.But the coming home smelling of roast beef and french fries was getting really old really fast.

My sister was at school in NYC studying acting and she mentioned that she picks up a paper called Backstage that had listings for numerous performing jobs.So,on one fine day I decide to pick one up, while sitting at my favorite coffee shop i stumbled upon an add that was to finally get me moving in the right direction.It was for a paid internship at "THE SWEDISH COTTAGE MARIONETTE THEATRE" in central park NYC.

After faking my way thru the audition(i had never worked a real marionette in my life , I was pretty much "Muppet-centric" until that point),I found out that I got the job. I think for the first time I felt like I was on my way.Keep in mind it was a internship, but i was doing much more than just loading trucks, i was puppteering, and learning about stringing up marionettes, and making controls.And as luck should have it ,I was working with a real Pro,Nick Coppola.

As the summer went along we became good friends, and as my Internship was coming to an end He offered me a Job at his own theatre in Brooklyn, Puppetworks,Inc. I have to say that with out Nicks faith in me, and his encouragement I probably would not be here today writing about a New show for the Theatre.In a lot of ways he is responsible for me continuing on in puppetry.

But it was those early days at Puppetworks were the first seeds were planted in my head about doing "The Reluctant Dragon".My first shows at Puppetworks were Traditional glove hand puppet shows(like Punch and Judy),It seemed to me at the time that "The Reluctant Dragon" would make a great hand puppet show .I even did a few sketches of how I thought it might look,but the great things about Ideas is that they can change and grow, as you will see as this Blog moves further along.

drawing to come soon, im to tired to scann anything at 4 in the morning.

Thursday, July 20, 2006

The Puppetworks Inc.

Before I get to much into the show, and what we are doing , I think I should tell you a little bit about the theatre, and how I came to work their, and some of the people behind the scenes.All our shows are a collaborative effort, the writers,puppeteers,puppet designers and builders all work together to bring the shows to life.
Puppetworks ,a brief History,

First of all Puppetworks Inc. has been in existence in one form or another for over 60 years. Originally part of a touring puppet theatre called the"Suzari Marionettes". Their performance in an around the greater New York area would play a important part in the companies history,and future.Many of the shows we still perform today use a few of the puppets that were being performed to audiences of children and adults when the company started(granted most have been refurbished or re purposed many times over the years)

It was one such performance back in 1954 that inspired our Artistic Director Nicolas Coppola. Nick began his puppteering career when he was 19, having been inspired years earlier by puppetry and marionettes performed by the Suzari company.He worked with the company for many years (with a slight leave for military service).And at the age 27 he was promoted to artistic director and the company changes its name to the "Nicolo Marionettes".still touring , they were now doing up to 5 different productions at once in different areas across much of the USA.In 1980,the not for profit "Puppetworks Inc." replaced "Nicolo Marionettes", and the company stopped touring and took up residence in a Theater.

For more information about PUPPETWORKS,Inc., check out the link section and visit the homepage for the Theatre.

Puppetworks at the corner of 6th Ave. and 4th St. in Parkslope,Brooklyn.