When in doubt follow Lisa on Facebook....... you can learn alot from her.
http://www.facebook.com/groups/200415389994722/

Billy - you are too kind!! I have learned a lot over the years though!!
I agree, making personal contact with different organizations such as libraries, schools, mom's groups and community events is a great place to start. Cold calls are hard but you can start there too!!
BTW - vista print is a cheap place to get those fliers and other marketing stuff.

BTW - vista print is a cheap place to get those fliers and other marketing stuff.

I agree with Lisa I got my business cards from them.
http://www.vistaprint.com

I will be going to the park this Monday.  Just need to think about the skits I'll be needing to do.  If nothing happens at the park, I'll leave in a hour.  How about the that.   

Sounds like a plan! Just make sure you are ok with the local government and don't need permission or something to perform in the park.  

Volunteer, do free shows everywhere you can find to do them (fairs, malls, libraries, schools, hospitals...).  Hand out cd's, jump drives, whatever... with video clips of your shows.

People are attracted to things that other people are attracted to. If you go by a restaurant and the parking lot is empty do you want to try it? If you could have a few friends come to be your starter crowd that would attract more interest. 

Thank you, Snail.  I am thinking of places now.  It's great getting all of this advice from great Puppeteers.  :O)   

Well, puppeteers.  I did two.  I went into a parking lot and thought it was going to be great for a puppet show gig.  NOOOO!  WIND was blowing the curtains and the garment rack down.  Second, I went downtown and waited for someone.  Nothing.  Oh well.  I trashed the rack.  It was no use.  I am getting something better.   

If you are going to do outdoor, you could do pvc but a folding wooden screen type stage might be better.  I'm pondering all of this myself as my son and I are going to do shows separate from our church team.  Our church team has a pvc type stage.  If I make one for outdoors/travel it will have to be a bit different.

Yes wind can really be evil!  

When I was first starting out I built a puppet booth much like the old punch and judy puppet stages but it was a PVC frame.  I was using it outdoors at RenFest so I knew that wind would be an issue. I made sure the fabric that I was covering it in was attached both at the top and bottom of the frame. Then I weighted the frame down. I think I used sandbags over the bottom horizontal pipes. Worked for light wind but in a strong wind it still got knocked around quite a bit. Just not much you can do about that.  

4 x 4 wood frames covered in luan that you then hinge together works pretty good for outdoor use and that is mainly what we used when I was with StoneLion Puppet Theater. We had a couple a different set ups actually deepening on the show.  Your first step is to know how to build a frame for a flat. I have some files in my User Album that explain this in a general way.  Like I said we had diffrent set ups. Some where standard theater flats and others where the hollywood flats.  If you are using a 4 X 4 foundation (best for transport in smaller vehicles)  they can be hinged to open kind of like a book but if you want height then you can add another 4 X 4 to the top of one or both for that matter that are hinged.  You can combine these sections with either loose pin hinges or chest latches. Loose pin hinges are great and really the most versatile. You can build your frames and then put them on three sides and then combine them in limitless combinations.

Link to PDF of theater and hollywood flats: http://puppetsandstuff.com/2008gallery/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=2554

Those diagrams are real simple and they are actually a 8 X 4 example. For 4 X 4 you don't need the middle/center horizontal support.