Peter and the Wolf report (warning, LONG post) Posted by Chris Arveson on Jan 21, 2010
Let me begin my tale with relating my mistakes. The biggest came before I left home. Having spent a week and a half traveling on family stuff, and packing right around Christmas which is a very busy time for a pastor, I apparently was not thinking very clearly. Prior to this trip, my puppet stage had a front curtain, and the backdrop. This year I added the upper curtain. While packing my stage, I seemed to forget the need for a third crossbar between the uprights. Since each crossbar is made up of three pieces, I miscounted and included seven pieces. Don’t ask me where that number came from. Two crossbars would have meant six pieces, three crossbars would have meant nine pieces. I had seven.
I decided to try to make up for the missing two pieces on the front curtain. A piece of cord was threaded through the sleeve on the front curtain, and two kind helpers held it as tightly as possible.
My team consists of folks recruited, more or less, on the spot when we arrive in Russia. Usually most of them have never done any puppetry. We arrived at our orphanage home around 11:30 a.m. after untold hours of traveling. We had breakfast, had a tour of our orphanage, were given a show and games with the kids where we were. We didn’t have any free time really until about 8:00 p.m. Since our first show was to be the next day, we had to practice. We were all so beat. That was when I discovered my missing crossbar piece. We had to wake the Grandfather puppeteer three times during the practice, so we only got to run through it one time before our first performance. I also learned that the Transportation Security Administration was terrified of 18-inch plastic toy shotguns. They had broken each of them in half, to ensure that I couldn’t hijack an airplane while they were in the baggage hold. (Sigh!) But, being from West Virginia, I pulled out my roll of duct tape, and put them back together.
Anyway, the first picture is from the very beginning of the show, where I use the duck as an opening narrator to describe how each character is represented by instruments in the orchestra. The tree, on the right of the stage is printed on canvas, then the canvas is glued to half-inch poly-foam to give it some body. It is held to the upper curtain with binder clips. The two fellows on either side of the stage are the ones who kept the front curtain in place. Both of them said it was very interesting to watch the show from that position, and see all of what was going on behind the curtain.
The next picture has Peter, the duck and the bird on stage. Peter is not simply failing to look at the audience, he is actively watching the bird flying around, right above his head. This location was a challenge, because the room we were in had a very low ceiling. We weren’t able to raise the backdrop and front curtain to their full heights, which restricted a full view of Titere’s gorgeous backdrop. Future presentations did not have the same limitation.
Picture three is Peter and the duck. The cat is about to appear (picture four).
Looking at a large version of picture four, you can see a little bit of the bird as it flies in and out of the picture, avoiding the hungry cat.
Picture five shows the wolf, making an apparently quick entrance. ( I guess that’s why he is blurred).
Picture six has Peter sitting safely in the tree, plotting how he might capture the wolf. At some point around now, the wolf has had lunch, with the duck as his unfortunate victim. I had been plotting fancy ways to show the duck’s demise, when Stiqman made a genius suggestion. I stuffed about a dozen white feathers into a piece of pvc pipe. The wolf chases the duck across the stage and behind the tree, out of sight. When the narrator declares that the wolf swallowed the duck, a good puff of air blew the feathers out of the pipe, into the air from behind the tree, where they gently floated to the ground. This was a traumatic moment for the audience. You could hear the kids’ reactions of sorrow. I think that’s part of what makes this a great story. There is darkness as well as light in the story, and the contrast helps.
Picture seven shows the rope which Peter uses to catch the wolf’s tail. The loop was lowered behind the curtain, where it was then tightened around the wolf’s tail, so that you could see the tied-up tail when he tried to escape. You can also see the bird puppeteer’s hand in this picture. I am told that the children were close enough and low enough to the stage that their sight-line did not allow them to see the hand. One way or another, I think it still came off ok. Future performances in rooms with higher ceilings had the front curtain at least eight inches higher, so that such errors did not happen.
The last two pictures include the hunters who come along and help Peter subdue the wolf. Although blurry, you can see a bit of the shotgun held by the hunter behind the wolf in the last picture. This is one of the repaired props, broken in the name of national security.
Once the show was over, and the bows taken, we took the puppets out to greet the kids, and gave everyone in the audiences a postcard that shows the cast assembled on-stage as a memento from the show.
Following our second performance at an orphanage called Eagle’s Nest, the director told me that they had a number of celebrities (I’m assuming Russian celebrities) that have come through and visited their school, but they never had a performance like ours. I took that to be a compliment, and felt very honored by her remarks.
I just love doing this stuff. I particularly love doing live puppetry, where once you start, there's no going back. I have a booking for Peter and the Wolf in March, in English, but since Peter has stayed in Siberia, I have to get to work and make a replacement.
The other “triumph” was that I made a new piece of luggage for transporting the stage pieces. Other than the evils wreaked upon the stage by Customs agents (two pieces destroyed) on the way home, the bag performed to all hopes and expectations. Shortly I’ll take a picture or two of it, to show it off.
Cold as it was at times (-40°) It was a great trip. I’m looking forward to next year already. I just have to dream up a new show!
I owe a lot of thanks to a lot of people. This was really an international production. Not only the folks from West Virginia, but Daryl in British Columbia gave some excellent suggestions, the backdrop originated in Norway, Peter was slightly adapted from Nice Braga's pattern from Brazil, and although I don't remember what comment Na made about something in the last eight months, but something from her spurred my thinking, as well as her use of music by Incomptech http://incompetech.com/m/c/royalty-free/ which provided me with opening and closing theme music. Thank you one and all!
I decided to try to make up for the missing two pieces on the front curtain. A piece of cord was threaded through the sleeve on the front curtain, and two kind helpers held it as tightly as possible.
My team consists of folks recruited, more or less, on the spot when we arrive in Russia. Usually most of them have never done any puppetry. We arrived at our orphanage home around 11:30 a.m. after untold hours of traveling. We had breakfast, had a tour of our orphanage, were given a show and games with the kids where we were. We didn’t have any free time really until about 8:00 p.m. Since our first show was to be the next day, we had to practice. We were all so beat. That was when I discovered my missing crossbar piece. We had to wake the Grandfather puppeteer three times during the practice, so we only got to run through it one time before our first performance. I also learned that the Transportation Security Administration was terrified of 18-inch plastic toy shotguns. They had broken each of them in half, to ensure that I couldn’t hijack an airplane while they were in the baggage hold. (Sigh!) But, being from West Virginia, I pulled out my roll of duct tape, and put them back together.
Anyway, the first picture is from the very beginning of the show, where I use the duck as an opening narrator to describe how each character is represented by instruments in the orchestra. The tree, on the right of the stage is printed on canvas, then the canvas is glued to half-inch poly-foam to give it some body. It is held to the upper curtain with binder clips. The two fellows on either side of the stage are the ones who kept the front curtain in place. Both of them said it was very interesting to watch the show from that position, and see all of what was going on behind the curtain. The next picture has Peter, the duck and the bird on stage. Peter is not simply failing to look at the audience, he is actively watching the bird flying around, right above his head. This location was a challenge, because the room we were in had a very low ceiling. We weren’t able to raise the backdrop and front curtain to their full heights, which restricted a full view of Titere’s gorgeous backdrop. Future presentations did not have the same limitation. Picture three is Peter and the duck. The cat is about to appear (picture four). Looking at a large version of picture four, you can see a little bit of the bird as it flies in and out of the picture, avoiding the hungry cat. Picture five shows the wolf, making an apparently quick entrance. ( I guess that’s why he is blurred). Picture six has Peter sitting safely in the tree, plotting how he might capture the wolf. At some point around now, the wolf has had lunch, with the duck as his unfortunate victim. I had been plotting fancy ways to show the duck’s demise, when Stiqman made a genius suggestion. I stuffed about a dozen white feathers into a piece of pvc pipe. The wolf chases the duck across the stage and behind the tree, out of sight. When the narrator declares that the wolf swallowed the duck, a good puff of air blew the feathers out of the pipe, into the air from behind the tree, where they gently floated to the ground. This was a traumatic moment for the audience. You could hear the kids’ reactions of sorrow. I think that’s part of what makes this a great story. There is darkness as well as light in the story, and the contrast helps. Picture seven shows the rope which Peter uses to catch the wolf’s tail. The loop was lowered behind the curtain, where it was then tightened around the wolf’s tail, so that you could see the tied-up tail when he tried to escape. You can also see the bird puppeteer’s hand in this picture. I am told that the children were close enough and low enough to the stage that their sight-line did not allow them to see the hand. One way or another, I think it still came off ok. Future performances in rooms with higher ceilings had the front curtain at least eight inches higher, so that such errors did not happen. The last two pictures include the hunters who come along and help Peter subdue the wolf. Although blurry, you can see a bit of the shotgun held by the hunter behind the wolf in the last picture. This is one of the repaired props, broken in the name of national security. Once the show was over, and the bows taken, we took the puppets out to greet the kids, and gave everyone in the audiences a postcard that shows the cast assembled on-stage as a memento from the show.Following our second performance at an orphanage called Eagle’s Nest, the director told me that they had a number of celebrities (I’m assuming Russian celebrities) that have come through and visited their school, but they never had a performance like ours. I took that to be a compliment, and felt very honored by her remarks.
I just love doing this stuff. I particularly love doing live puppetry, where once you start, there's no going back. I have a booking for Peter and the Wolf in March, in English, but since Peter has stayed in Siberia, I have to get to work and make a replacement.
The other “triumph” was that I made a new piece of luggage for transporting the stage pieces. Other than the evils wreaked upon the stage by Customs agents (two pieces destroyed) on the way home, the bag performed to all hopes and expectations. Shortly I’ll take a picture or two of it, to show it off.
Cold as it was at times (-40°) It was a great trip. I’m looking forward to next year already. I just have to dream up a new show!
I owe a lot of thanks to a lot of people. This was really an international production. Not only the folks from West Virginia, but Daryl in British Columbia gave some excellent suggestions, the backdrop originated in Norway, Peter was slightly adapted from Nice Braga's pattern from Brazil, and although I don't remember what comment Na made about something in the last eight months, but something from her spurred my thinking, as well as her use of music by Incomptech http://incompetech.com/m/c/royalty-free/ which provided me with opening and closing theme music. Thank you one and all!
Re: Peter and the Wolf report (warning, LONG post) Posted by titere on Jan 22, 2010
Thanks for the photos! Sorry for the thecnical "uups", that is part os the performing arts. 
Is Peter living in Moscow now? Guess he just feels home (after all, is a russian character). )) WHat happened with the title? Difficult to hang up? I know about places with low roofs, not easy for performing. If you have more photos of the other places you permormed there, post them, please! Sorry about the toy-guns, is not easy to travel this days. I have also used duct tape for almost everything, since I was a child! hha-ha Can not live without that one.
Is Peter living in Moscow now? Guess he just feels home (after all, is a russian character). )) WHat happened with the title? Difficult to hang up? I know about places with low roofs, not easy for performing. If you have more photos of the other places you permormed there, post them, please! Sorry about the toy-guns, is not easy to travel this days. I have also used duct tape for almost everything, since I was a child! hha-ha Can not live without that one.Re: Peter and the Wolf report (warning, LONG post) Posted by Chris Arveson on Jan 22, 2010
Hi Titere! No, Peter is not in Moscow, he has exiled himself to a small village in Siberia! (At least I had a round-trip ticket ) I guess he just wanted to stay around the pine and birch forests where he could continue to hunt wolves.
I just didn't get the title up, with absolutely no excuse whatever, other than the mad rush of trying to get everything set up. I have to thank you again for your work. That tree worked perfectly for all the things I couldn't easily figure out how to do. It provided an excellent location for characters to enter and exit, especially when the duck met its unfortunate end. It was perfect for Peter to be when it was time to get away from the wolf, and provided room to stand behind when puppeteers needed to shift around. Besides, it looked really cool. I liked having the three dimensional effect of the backdrop, and the tree in front, it added so much to the whole production.
I'm still trying to get more pictures. There are two problems with being a puppeteer in this kind of setting. 1. I can't see the audience, to see their reactions. Fortunately there were plenty of folks there to reassure me that the play was received very well. 2. I can't take pictures! Therefore I have to rely on others to send me their pictures. I know that folks took them, I could see the flashes, but getting them to send them to me is a real challenge.
I know that the entire show was videoed at another performance, but it will take me a while longer to get that in my hands. I'm hoping that I can get it around the beginning of February.
When I discovered the missing stage pieces, all I could do for several minutes was stand there and stare at the pieces I did have. I knew, somewhere in my brain, that there was a way to work around it, but I was so fatigued from the travel that it took a while for me to figure out just what I could do.
) I guess he just wanted to stay around the pine and birch forests where he could continue to hunt wolves.I just didn't get the title up, with absolutely no excuse whatever, other than the mad rush of trying to get everything set up. I have to thank you again for your work. That tree worked perfectly for all the things I couldn't easily figure out how to do. It provided an excellent location for characters to enter and exit, especially when the duck met its unfortunate end. It was perfect for Peter to be when it was time to get away from the wolf, and provided room to stand behind when puppeteers needed to shift around. Besides, it looked really cool. I liked having the three dimensional effect of the backdrop, and the tree in front, it added so much to the whole production.
I'm still trying to get more pictures. There are two problems with being a puppeteer in this kind of setting. 1. I can't see the audience, to see their reactions. Fortunately there were plenty of folks there to reassure me that the play was received very well. 2. I can't take pictures! Therefore I have to rely on others to send me their pictures. I know that folks took them, I could see the flashes, but getting them to send them to me is a real challenge.
I know that the entire show was videoed at another performance, but it will take me a while longer to get that in my hands. I'm hoping that I can get it around the beginning of February.
When I discovered the missing stage pieces, all I could do for several minutes was stand there and stare at the pieces I did have. I knew, somewhere in my brain, that there was a way to work around it, but I was so fatigued from the travel that it took a while for me to figure out just what I could do.
Re: Peter and the Wolf report (warning, LONG post) Posted by titere on Jan 22, 2010
I just look at all photos again, and enjoy them all. You need a professional photographer with you!
I will be waiting for further pictures, as you get them. And for sure, the video!))
It has been very special for me to be part of this project.
Show us the new "Peter" when is ready!
I will be waiting for further pictures, as you get them. And for sure, the video!
))It has been very special for me to be part of this project.
Show us the new "Peter" when is ready!
Re: Peter and the Wolf report (warning, LONG post) Posted by Chris Arveson on Feb 15, 2010
One more picture.
Last year, the show I did in Moscow was called Buratino. It is a Russian version of Pinocchio. While poking about in a side room in Peter's new home in the museum, I saw this marionette sitting on a table, all by himself. It's Buratino! I just had to take a picture of him!
Last year, the show I did in Moscow was called Buratino. It is a Russian version of Pinocchio. While poking about in a side room in Peter's new home in the museum, I saw this marionette sitting on a table, all by himself. It's Buratino! I just had to take a picture of him!
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