G'day from New Zealand Posted by C16thFoxe on Mar 11, 2013
I'm C16th Foxe and I have been an amateur puppeteer for several years now (is this beginning to sound suspiciously like I'm a member of Puppeteers Anonymous? 
).
I perform exclusively (once/twice a year) for a medieval recreation group I belong to (the SCA or Society for Creative Anachronism ... think RenFaire, only much more serious) so my interest is in all forms of pre-C17th puppetry. To date I have produced several glove puppet plays: two kyogen (Japanese comic farces used as interludes between Noh plays) "Busu" - The Delicious Poison" and "Kusabira" - Mushrooms; "George & the Dragon"; "Sir Gwain & the Green Knight" and excerpts from "Beowulf".
Unfortunately, I was unable to schedule my annual performance this January (when the NZ SCA has a week long medieval event in Canterbury). This was (indirectly) due to the 2011 Christchurch earthquake ... work had become unavailable so the wife and I packed up house and moved, first to Auckland for 9 months, then down to Greymouth on the South Island's West Coast. Sometime during all this, an extended family of field mice found my stored puppets/props/backdrops/curtaining in the downstairs garage. Mice, it would appear, are particularly fond of gessoed paper mache and, whatever they cannot dine out upon, they promptly befoul.
So, I'm at a puppeteering crossroads ... either I build a new glove puppet repertoire or I strike out in a new direction (shadow puppetry).
I look forward to participating on the forum.
Regards,
Dorian
). I perform exclusively (once/twice a year) for a medieval recreation group I belong to (the SCA or Society for Creative Anachronism ... think RenFaire, only much more serious) so my interest is in all forms of pre-C17th puppetry. To date I have produced several glove puppet plays: two kyogen (Japanese comic farces used as interludes between Noh plays) "Busu" - The Delicious Poison" and "Kusabira" - Mushrooms; "George & the Dragon"; "Sir Gwain & the Green Knight" and excerpts from "Beowulf".
Unfortunately, I was unable to schedule my annual performance this January (when the NZ SCA has a week long medieval event in Canterbury). This was (indirectly) due to the 2011 Christchurch earthquake ... work had become unavailable so the wife and I packed up house and moved, first to Auckland for 9 months, then down to Greymouth on the South Island's West Coast. Sometime during all this, an extended family of field mice found my stored puppets/props/backdrops/curtaining in the downstairs garage. Mice, it would appear, are particularly fond of gessoed paper mache and, whatever they cannot dine out upon, they promptly befoul.
So, I'm at a puppeteering crossroads ... either I build a new glove puppet repertoire or I strike out in a new direction (shadow puppetry).
I look forward to participating on the forum.
Regards,
Dorian
Re: G'day from New Zealand Posted by C16thFoxe on Mar 11, 2013
Many thanks for the welcome.
Sadly, no. Now that you mention it, whilst SCAdians are encouraged to document our period research, many of us don't document the finished product.
With the exception of a Royal Command Performance of "Busu", all performances have been done out of doors and late in the evening.
"Busu" was a silly knock-about piece of theater where two servants are ordered by their master to protect a barrel of sugar whilst he goes on a journey up to the Capital. He calls it poison so they will not get into it. During his absence, the inevitable happens and they are called to account upon his return. Of course, the servants outwit their master with their explanation and when he realizes this ... exit stage left, pursued by angry master.
"Kusabira" is the tale of a farmer, a pompous mountain priest and an exponentially growing field of giant mushrooms (the English translation is available on the web).
"George & the Dragon" and "Sir Gwain" are standard puppet fare; the most challenging performance had to be "Beowulf". I used a skald (chanter/narrator) to deliver segments of the epic poem and performed along with the puppets.
As I do not use a stage curtain one thing that always raises a laugh is the use of my "stage hands" to carry on/off props et cetera. These are two different brightly colored knit gloves (elbow length); when a scene is finished, the puppet(s) exit and the two "stage hands" silently enter. They usually make a real song-and-dance of where props need to be placed onstage and one even has a small "witches" broom and sweeps the stage clean. Think of a cross between the minions in "Despicable Me" and Thing from the "Adams Family".
As for mice ... like the Turkish/Greek (take your pick) shadow puppet, Karagiozis, mice may start to make an appearance in my performances as well (of course it will be a very 'in" joke
).
Regards,
Dorian
By chance are there any videos in whole or in part of some of your productions? They sound fascinating to me.
Sadly, no. Now that you mention it, whilst SCAdians are encouraged to document our period research, many of us don't document the finished product.
With the exception of a Royal Command Performance of "Busu", all performances have been done out of doors and late in the evening."Busu" was a silly knock-about piece of theater where two servants are ordered by their master to protect a barrel of sugar whilst he goes on a journey up to the Capital. He calls it poison so they will not get into it. During his absence, the inevitable happens and they are called to account upon his return. Of course, the servants outwit their master with their explanation and when he realizes this ... exit stage left, pursued by angry master.
"Kusabira" is the tale of a farmer, a pompous mountain priest and an exponentially growing field of giant mushrooms (the English translation is available on the web).
"George & the Dragon" and "Sir Gwain" are standard puppet fare; the most challenging performance had to be "Beowulf". I used a skald (chanter/narrator) to deliver segments of the epic poem and performed along with the puppets.
As I do not use a stage curtain one thing that always raises a laugh is the use of my "stage hands" to carry on/off props et cetera. These are two different brightly colored knit gloves (elbow length); when a scene is finished, the puppet(s) exit and the two "stage hands" silently enter. They usually make a real song-and-dance of where props need to be placed onstage and one even has a small "witches" broom and sweeps the stage clean. Think of a cross between the minions in "Despicable Me" and Thing from the "Adams Family".
As for mice ... like the Turkish/Greek (take your pick) shadow puppet, Karagiozis, mice may start to make an appearance in my performances as well (of course it will be a very 'in" joke
).Regards,
Dorian
Re: G'day from New Zealand Posted by C16thFoxe on Mar 12, 2013
@ArthurS: Greetings from Lochac (Australasia), My Lord. Do you also perform SCA puppetry?
@Shawn Sorrell: Many thanks for the warm welcome. No, I have not been conversing with any odd little lizard puppets ... at least lately (last time may have been wayyy back in the late 1960s when I discovered Vaughn Bode's Cheech Wizard and Lizard, but I ain't gonna go down that road on a public forum
). But yes, I see pagestep007 has also replied, so I will strike up a conversation now.
Having had some weeks to consider my options, I am more than likely to end up doing both
. I have seen a portable booth I can work with and the addition of a shadow screen is no real trouble (especially if it is a 3-wing foldout one) that can be clamped to the playboard. I have David Currell's "Shadow Puppets and Shadow Play" on order (which is supposed to arrive sometime later this month) and agree that they are an exquisite medium, especially for drama. Looks as if I have a very busy year ahead. 
@pagestep007: Kewl, another Kiwi.
Live in Greymouth (well, Cobden, actually) and yes, if you're down this way, let me know and we can arrange to meet.
Regards,
Dorian
@Shawn Sorrell: Many thanks for the warm welcome. No, I have not been conversing with any odd little lizard puppets ... at least lately (last time may have been wayyy back in the late 1960s when I discovered Vaughn Bode's Cheech Wizard and Lizard, but I ain't gonna go down that road on a public forum
). But yes, I see pagestep007 has also replied, so I will strike up a conversation now.Having had some weeks to consider my options, I am more than likely to end up doing both
. I have seen a portable booth I can work with and the addition of a shadow screen is no real trouble (especially if it is a 3-wing foldout one) that can be clamped to the playboard. I have David Currell's "Shadow Puppets and Shadow Play" on order (which is supposed to arrive sometime later this month) and agree that they are an exquisite medium, especially for drama. Looks as if I have a very busy year ahead. @pagestep007: Kewl, another Kiwi.
Live in Greymouth (well, Cobden, actually) and yes, if you're down this way, let me know and we can arrange to meet.Regards,
Dorian
Re: G'day from New Zealand Posted by C16thFoxe on Mar 12, 2013
Already have two lazy lay-abouts! Must be feeding them too much. 
Do you puppeteer outside or within closed space
Been thinking about the same question, meself. Our calendar of events has shrunk somewhat since 2011 (affordable venues that are still standing are as scarce as hen's teeth), so ... it's mostly likely a week of glove puppet outdoors during January/February and one/two indoor shadow theater performance(s) sometime during the rest of the year. I have, however, seen evidence of outdoor, sunlight Chinese shadow puppet theater, for example, here, so it is doable.
Regards,
Dorian
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