Billy Goats Gruff

[Nikole H.]

I'm starting a new puppet show for my son's K-1 class (bunch of 4 year olds...FUN!)  I am now doing all of my puppet shows in miniature on a tiny foldable stage.  I think I have shown some pictures on my public puppet facebook page.  I'll add more of course.  I took a break while my son was out on winter break and have family visiting until next week.  But starting next week, I am diving in for a performance in early February.

I have decided that for this production, I would like to venture into more rod and bunraku style of puppetry but also with a twist of the Sicilian marionettes.  If anyone can contribute any of their favorite sites from online regarding any of the three styles of puppetry, it would be greatly appreciated.

Since I am the only one doing the puppeteering and would like to have all characters out in view at all times, I am developing a way to have the puppets stand up by themselves while I am not using them.  I have seen this done in a past performance and was blown away.  I am hoping to be able to accomplish my own style and share it with all of you.  I will document my process carefully.  That is why I was talking about the Sicilian style b/c the performance that I saw, they had a stick running through the whole puppet that acted like a stand almost....VERY INTERESTING.

Again, my puppetry is now in miniature form so I can get away with using pretty much any material that I want.  Now I just have to choose which is the hardest part....lol.  I'll probably end up using my favorite....styrofoam shapes covered in different color/textures of paper....YUM!

I'll continue my quest in this thread so until then.....thanks for sharing your links with me and wish me luck.

xoxo,
Nikole

[Nikole H.]

When I started out with the decision to do puppetry in miniature b/c of my love of miniatures and toy theaters, I came across a theater troupe from England that incorporated my vision and solidified my decision to continue my venture.  Here is the link to this AWESOME production, Small Worlds, by Mimika Theatre.

http://web.mac.com/mimikatheatre/Site/Small_Worlds.html

Everything they presented was like candy for the eyes of a puppeteer and puppet builder.  The one piece that stole my heart was the story of the fox.  Everything that this theater created in the forms of their scenery and their puppets was like nothing I had ever experienced before and I hope I am lucky again to catch one of their performances.  They even did the entire performance under a tent that they built themselves that was breathtaking.  I didn't want to leave.  The performance was over a year ago and still I think about it daily as if I had just seen it.  The ideas of what they did is what I would like to reflect in the show that I am doing now with Billy Goats Gruff.  I hope I can just accomplish a smidgen of what they captured to feel successful.

Enjoy
xoxo
Nikole

[Shawn Sorrell]

Wow that front image on the Small Worlds web site is incredible!  Can't wait to explore the site more.  Looks very cool!

[Nikole H.]

I thought you would get the most out of this site.  I thought it was right up your alley. :D 
xoxo

[Nikole H.]

Well I finally finished my Billy Goats Gruff theater design.  Well, I should say PARTLY finished.  I still want to add some finishing touches such as a backdrop and some rolling hills.  Oh and of course I still have to work on the puppets but the hard part is behind me.  You can view the pictures that I took on my public facebook fan page.

I first found this little vintage looking old trunk in Chinatown but it is new and cheap.  I used styrofoam as the filler and base and carved out the grassy hills.  I covered this all with scenic felt and trimmed it with fabric felt and paper flowers I cut out.  The water feature moves so that it reveals a picture of a troll being washed away at the end of the story.  I really fell in love with the design of Mimika Theater and tried to emulate that in my creation as well.  Here is the link to the pictures that I posted:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=205824&id=204181585029&ref=mf

xoxo,
Nikole

[Shawn Sorrell]

I love it!  How very clever.

[Jon]

Love the stage, Nikole.  Kinders will get such a kick out of seeing something this small and intricate.

I also loved the small worlds theatre you shared.  What size of audience did they perform for.  And how did they make it work with puppets so small.  I can imagine it for something intimate but am having difficulity understanding performance to a larger audience.

[LJ]

AWESOME!!  What a fun way to use props! Keep us posted on the progress!

[Nikole H.]

Jon, if you visit their website under the section of load in, they talk about having like a maximum of 30 people.  The cool thing with this is that they used a tent to make the space intimate like you stated.  It was so cleverly done.  I plan on performing this for my son's class of 20 children.  I sit on the floor with the children during their circle time and I have a small table a little bit larger than a breakfast in bed type of a tray that I rest my trunk on.  I'll take some pictures of that as well to show.  My theater is so much smaller than the Mimika theater.  That show was simply spectacular.  I really liked the tent idea.  Being inside was "magical" and got the audience to concentrate on the show more than if it was not inside the tent.

Glad you all like what I have done so far.  A friend of mine called it a carpet bag trunk.  That's a cute way of putting it.  It does look very Mary Poppins-esque...lol.

I'll keep updating this as I go on and if I am not too shy, I will post a video of the completed show.  I sing in this show so I don't know if I want this recorded...lol.

[Shawn Sorrell]

Ohhhh Ohhhh!  Carpet Bag!  Now wouldn't that be another cool idea?  You walk in with a big old fashioned carpet bag and your whole show is inside it. You open it up and start by pulling out the elements used for the setting.  Then you pull the puppets out one at time to tell the story.

What about a pick-nick basket?  You could pull out a small check table cloth as the performance area.  "The ants go marching one by one hurrah, hurrah!". 

[Chris Arveson]

How very cute that is! Yes, we want video

[Nikole H.]

Oh Shawn, you know the way to a puppeteer's heart.  What wonderful ideas you have (said in the voice of red riding hood) :D

[Nikole H.]

I finished my show and performed it just in time of catching a stomach flu.  I'm still recovering from the flu but relieved that I have another show completed and ready to go when school starts up again for the kiddos.  I did a lot of traveling and still have more traveling coming up so this took longer than expected to get finished.  I'm quite happy with the results.  Now, I just have to film it when I'm feeling better.  I added the finished pictures to my album on my public facebook profile if anyone is interested in seeing them.  Here again is the link:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=205824&id=204181585029&ref=mf

xoxo,
N

[MPGRACE]

Sooooooooooo cute.  I love the puppet!

Julie

[LJ]

Absolutely adorable! THANKS for sharing!!