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NOz Puppetry Email Newsletter

In this Issue:

Whatʼs On - NovemberNews of Puppeteers and Projects - BIG! Some giant projects - Kay Yasugi, Dave Jones, Deiter BarryTarrengower Puppetfest UpdatePuppet Palace 2012On the Road, Deck, Rails and Tarmac with CIE Philippe Genty by Simon T. RannArlyn Arward for Puppet Theatre DesignJust Desserts - Kassius KamelPat Brymer in Sydney

Nø 21, November, 2011

Front Cover: You never know what some people have in the backshed! Fabulous dragon puppet by Dieter Barry.

More about Dieterʼs work below.

SLAM NOIR

Whatʼs On - November

SLAM NOIR

The inaugural Australian puppet slam - Slam Noir - is co-produced by Black Hole Theatre and Lana Schwarcz. Supported by UNIMA Australia and hosted by St Ali's Cafe, the puppet slam will feature short adult performances by puppeteers from Australia and overseas. The lineup includes: Stéphane

Georis, Megan Cameron, Amanda Maddock, Lynne Kent, Hamish Fletcher, Jeff Achtem, Rod Primrose, Lana Schwarcz, Mike Bevitt, Jacob Williams, Penelope Bartlau, Leah Scholes, and Dan

Goronszy. With shadow, hand, object and rod puppetry, lit only by handheld torches, the performances will unfold

across the table tops, window frames and ceilings of the funky St Ali's Cafe in South Melbourne. They'll be funny, provocative, beautiful and satirical.

There will be live music from Derek Rowe and his band, food and drink from the cafe, and tickets are a mere $10 at the door!

WHEN: Sat., Nov. 12, 7:30pm

VENUE: St. Ali's Cafe, 12-18 Yarra Pl, South Melbourne (between Coventry and York Streets). 7:30. Bring a torch and light up your night!

In supporting this project, UNIMA concurs with the producers' aims: 1)to reveal to the public the diversity and depth of the adult puppetry art form, and 2) to offer the artists a supportive opportunity to experiment with new ideas. Two more slams are planned for outer Melbourne

and regional Victoria in 2012, and the producers will pursue potential slams interstate.

The producers propose that these events be presented in nontraditional spaces (such as cafes and pubs) where the environment allows for more experimentation, and sets up a

responsive, dynamic relationship with the audience. The performers may improvise, present a fragment of a developing work or try a form they've never used before. Each slam will be

defined by different parameters - ie the works will be in response to a certain body of music, an event, or utilize particular imagery. The artists will be encouraged to move out of their

comfort zones.

The producers have joined the Puppet Slam Network in the US, opening up networking and support opportunities for Australian artists.

PUPPETRY, LOCAL + GLOBALWWW.UNIMA.ORG.AU

PO Box 151South MelbourneVictoria 3205

UNIMA AUSTRALIA A CENTRE FOR L'UNION INTERNATIONALE DE LA

MARIONETTE

STÉPHANE GEORIS RETURNS!

Last seen at the UNIMA International Puppetry Festival in Perth 2008, the acclaimed Belgian puppeteer Stéphane Georis returns in November for

performances in Sydney, Melbourne, and Perth - presented respectively by ImaginArta, Black Hole Theatre, Spare Parts Puppet Theatre and the

Fremantle Festival. UNIMA, Australia is proud to support his tour to the eastern states. His shows will vary from place to place - checkout the

presenters' websites for details - and see below:

MELBOURNESat. Nov. 12 @ 7:30 he will

participate in Black Hole's adult Slam Noir (puppet slam) with Snow White

and a toothbrush....St Ali's Cafe, 12-18 Yarra Pl, South Melbourne. Tix

$10 at the door.

Sun. Nov. 13 @ 2pm, Puppet in the Drawers, La Mama, 205 Faraday St, Carlton. Bookings: (03)9347 6142.

http://www.lamama.com.au

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Annandale Creative Arts Centre, 81 Johnston St'(0

Tuesday November 8 @ 7pmSt Judes Hall, 34 Bendooley St, BOWRAL

1%/,Adults $20, Adult conc. $15, Kids (under 16) $10

2%%3-(4/*5")%&&"(0"0*Tel: 0438 218 217 or Email: spuppet@ozemail.com.au

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Proudly presents a unique performance from: Chemin de Terre, Belgium

A Puppet in the Drawers is a hilarious performance with 1 man + 1 chest of drawers + 40 objects.

Performed in 25 countries, this is a show not to be missed.

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NSW

PerthAdam Le Polichineur de Laboratoire

(aka Professor of the Laboratory)Here’s a special heads-up for one of the wildest and

funniest shows coming to celebrate Spare Parts Puppet Theatre’s 30th Anniversary during the Fremantle Festival

from November 16 to 20.All ze way from Belgium, Chemins de Terre adult puppet

comedy company will take puppetry to a new level of laughter in which object theatre and delirious explosive experiments explore a crazy vision of our world and our

future.

Turning the phrase “don’t play with your food” on its head, the show uses over 40 objects including fruit, vegetables, eggs, a pizza and the odd left leg prosthesis in a madcap

comic performance by brilliant puppeteer, Stephane Georis who plays Adam a Professor of Sciences who will

conclusively explain various scientific theories such as Darwin’s Law of Gravity, Galileo’s Evolution of Species and

Sir Isaac Newton’s lesser known views on l’amour!

Warning: cauliflowers may be stabbed / carrots dismembered / stuff may explodez!

Spare Parts Theatre opposite the Freo Train Station. Wednesday to Sunday November 16 to 20 at 7.00pm– as well as two matinees at 2.00pm on the weekend

Duration: 55 minutes – then hit the café strip!Tix: $25/20 – on sale to you now

Book 24/7 online sppt.asn.au or phone 9335 5044 during office hours

The Arts Centre presents Perth Theatre Company and Weeping Spoon Productions'The Adventures of Alvin Sputnik:Deep Sea Explorer

A tiny tale set in the deepest dark blue sea of a solitary explorer with a heart as big as a whale.When19 - 20 Nov 2011 11.00 a.m. and 1.,30 p.m. VenuePlayhouse Rehearsal Room, Victorian Arts CentrePrice Range$16 - $18 Book Now______________________________

News of Puppeteers and their Projects

Gary Friedman is in London. He writes:

‘London is abuzz with puppetry this week. I arrived rather jet lagged, after a 24 hour flight, yesterday in a cold, wintery, but welcoming London, right in the middle of the Suspense Puppet Festival and a myriad

of great performances. Staying with friends in North London is not too far from the Little Angel Theatre, where the centre of the action is taking place. In fact, I'm participating in a 'Puppetry in Politics' symposium at the Little Angel today, which is examining how puppetry has been used to change our world, past, present and maybe

even future trends.There's even find a write up in 'The Stage' covering Suspense Festival and events here! Keep posted for

some of my personal experiences and reviews from London. If you want to find out even more about what's happening in the UK puppetry scene, you can find the

British publication, Animations Online here! ‘

I GB A number of puppet makers have been

experimenting with large works recently.

Snuff Puppets have been woking with the Bellerrt Mooroop Collage students to develop the Bunjil Creation Story . This will be performed at the Big Opening of the Big West Festival.

Barking Spider have also been making giant lantern puppets with Footscray North Primary for the same event and

last week Barking Spider performed with giant butterflies at the Albury Botanic Gardens.

Read more about the large puppet projects of Kay Yasugi, Dave Jones and Dieter Barry below

Kay Yasugi (Pupperoos Sydney) recently ran a 2 day giant puppet making workshop at ShopfrontTheatre for Young People in Carlton, Sydney. Puppeteer Kay Yasugi workedwith the Junior Ensemble group of 8-15 year olds to devise and create a giant sea monster puppet for their end of year production (directed byHoward Matthew & Luke Kerridge). The workshop involved experimenting with various materials (including umbrellas, fans and cardboard rolls) to brainstorm ideas of what their sea monster could be - including how it moves, what it looks/sounds/smells like and how it thinks. A twistto this process was drawing the character of the monster from within the participants’ own selves (the monster representing the side of themselves that people don’t see, e.g. loneliness, anger, fear).

Needless to say, building the monster was a lot of fun. The children used cane, masking tape, paper and glue to create 2 beastly heads, 2 long necks, 2 tentacle-like arms and 2 ferocious claws. After thevarious parts were joined together, some of the group had a go at operating the puppet. For many it was their first time working with puppets (let alone giant ones!). Pupperoos will be returning toShopfront to help finish off the puppet and work with some of the ensemble in operating it.

Shopfront is a not-for-profit organisation and registered charity foryoung people aged 8 - 25. It is a cultural network and production co-operative where all young people, regardless of their background orability, can create themselves. For more information about this organisation, please visit http://shopfront.org.au/

Dave Jones, artist and puppet maker, was commissioned to create a giant puppet for the Natimuk Frinj Festival (Nati Frinj) This festival is held annually in the small rural town of Natimuk

in western Victoria. The massive puppet was designed to be suspended from the silos. Local primary school children helped create an animation which was projected on to the front of the 12 metre

puppet. The animation focused on the drought, bushfire, locust-plague and floods that have affected the town over the years. Dave recorded the remarkable process of building the puppet

in his blogs :http://theartofdave.blogspot.com

http://natifrinj.blogspot.com

Erecting the puppet called ʻPhoebe Sparklesʼ (named by children at the

Natimuk Primary school

The performance of Highly Strung at the festival

_________________________________________________________________

Deiter Barry of Deiter Barry Creations. The Saber crowned dragon or “Abrasax” was made by Deiter Barry Creations to hover above the bar at Revolt bar and Arts space in Kensington.With a wingspan of three meters and measuring nearly two meters in length he peers down on wary patrons as they shakily enjoy their wines.

Abrasax was made starting with a PVC skeleton. The body shape was made using sheet foam and the detail was hand stitched. Finer details such as teeth and claws were made from super sculpy and the body was finished with a latex and cotton layer to ensure the finished painted coat would have lustre, as you would expect a dragon’s skin to. Finally, the wings were made with a mixture of PVC piping, sculpy claws and clear plastic sheeting which were coated in a latex and shellac finish.

So if you find yourself in Kensington, stop in at Revolt (12 Elisabeth Street) and say hello to Abrasax. Also the guys there make a mean latte.

deiterbarrycreations.com

1. Frame with head and tail2. Body shape3. Arms, legs, claws4. Threading detail 5. Latex base

6. ABRASAX, the dragon

DEITER BARRY

HOW TO MAKE YOUR DRAGON

Tarrengower PuppetFestMarch 10, 11, 12, 2012

Maldon, Victoria

The festival is now four months away, with the programme finalised and only a few days before the website is published with information about the Fest.

The website will be officially launched on Monday14th November.

This festival promises to offer a rich and varied experience of the Puppetry Arts. The programme includes ten different shows plus an adult cabaret, a family cabaret, roaming performances at the markets and on the Maldon/Castlemaine steam train, the UNIMA Slam Noir, two wonderful workshops and a powerpoint presentation by Richard Bradshaw. All this in two and a half days.

Providing for a broad age group, there is something for everybody to enjoy - from puppetry for under 5ʼs, families and general audiences to adult puppetry with 15+ adult concept themes. Audience sizes vary, with performances for 1 person, 50, 100 and 200+. The range of venues encompasses the main community centre halls, a disused mine tunnel, a huge climate-controlled steel shed at a vintage museum, outdoor areas and the steam train.

There will be five new productions including 3 debuts by Sydney Puppet Theatre, Men of Steel and Rachael Guy. Other performers/companies include Lemony S, Richard Bradshaw, About Face Productions, Jenny Ellis, Dennis Murphy, Dream Puppets, Lana Schwartz and Anna Paola; there are workshops and performances by Gary Friedman, and the Puppet Slammers. (More about this in forthcoming news). Some cabaret acts and roaming acts are yet to be announced.

Low cost accommodation (back-packer style) and camping opportunities will be available for the festival. (Details and booking arrangements for this will be availableshortly.)

All those currently involved in organising this wonderful event feel that we have now arrived at the point of HAVING A NEW PUPPET FESTIVAL IN AUSTRALIA, and itʼs going to be a momentous occasion.

New Website address is: www.tarrengowerpuppetfest.org.au - available Monday, 14/11

Richard HartArtistic DirectorMob. 0408 898 337

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FOR YOUR DIARY

ON THE ROAD, DECK,RAILS AND TARMAC

WITHCIE PHILIPPE GENTY

By Simon T. Rann

Thursday 29/9/11, 10.30am: on the TGV to Paris, somewhere between Vannes and Rennes

I think Leunig’s Mr Curly would feel very much at home in this part of the world (Brittany); we never seem to travel on a straight portion of track (which becomes VERY apparent when you try to carry two cups of hot tea from the restaurant carriage, through several other carriages, back to your seat), and the TGV, capable of barrelling at an astonishing 300km/h, seems to be rattling no faster than a Melbourne tram; apparently there’s an antiquated law in Brittany that prevents the government from building freeways here, but I wouldn’t be surprised to find that the law in fact states that they can’t build anything, from houses to train lines and roads, with straight lines. It is in fact a blessing, as well as a curse.

Two more shows behind us, performed in Vannes. These were our first shows in Brittany, and there is only one other scheduled (for Lorient, March 2012), which is unusual because Philippe and Mary live here, in Quimperlé, and there are usually more performances in the region. The theatre in Vannes was big, modern and very comfortable, but the acoustics were strangely flat, or ‘matte’ as our sound technician says. The fact that the theatre was only half full both nights made the ‘matte-ness’ seem ‘matte-r’, but it didn’t matter, the shows were good anyway and we had terrific feedback. We seem finally to have found our rhythm again after the summer break.

Friday 7/10/11, 7.30pm: on the train from Trondheim to Oslo, Norway

The 30th of September we played Nogent sur Marne, in the banlieue of Paris (south-east of the centre). When I recognised the exterior of the theatre (it’s a particularly ugly 60’s or 70’s glass and concrete construction that shares a wall with a railway bridge), I realised that I’d played there before. The show went very well and the audience were unexpectedly responsive: I say ‘unexpectedly’ because anywhere in Paris, the centre or the banlieue, the public are usually warm, appreciative (some, like my girlfriend, might dispute this), but also intelligent and critical; it takes a lot to get them fired up, in either direction, because they are an educated audience that sees a lot theatre, but once they are fired up they like to let you know. I’ve seen a full house in the grand Théâtre de la Ville standing, booing and shouting abuse - intelligent abuse, but abuse nonetheless - almost rioting during one particular show, and apparently it’s not unusual. It wouldn’t happen in Australia. In fact I can’t think of anywhere else in the world where something like this would not be unusual, as it isn’t in France.

Last night we played in Verdal, which is a very small town about an hour and a half west of Trondheim (Norway’s

second biggest town) by train. Verdal has a relatively new and alternative (for Norway) theatre school that is part of a larger university college called HINT. When Jacques Lecoq died in 1999, one of his long-standing and highly respected professors, Sandra Mladenovitch, took the unexpected decision to leave the famous L'École Internationale de Théâtre Jacques Lecoq -whose previous students include the likes of Mummenschanz, Julie Taymor, Steven Berkoff, and our own Geoffery Rush - to accept an offer to work at the fledgling HINT theatre school, started by a former student of hers, in Verdal. Philippe Genty had a long and professionally stimulating relationship with Lecoq and took several of his former students into the company. The HINT theatre school has a policy of inviting teachers with specific skills and directors with a specific vision to teach workshops to the students or create a project with them. In 2008 the school approached Philippe and Mary to teach. Philippe is not interested in working with students, preferring to work with professionals, so the company organised for myself and two others to teach a workshop in France for five weeks to the second year students in place of Philippe and Mary. The workshop culminated in a performance that was staged firstly in Nevers, and then in Paris, Oslo and Verdal. The workshop and performance were a fantastic success, and ever since the school has maintained a relationship with the company and has organised several other workshops and performances with us. In fact Philippe was in Verdal (doing some preliminary work with students with whom he will be remounting one of his old shows, Forget Me Not, next year) when he had his stroke, and he and Mary were there with us until this morning. The school has also started a festival of visual theatre, the Internasjonal Festival for Visuell Scenekunst. I think the intention is that their festival will eventually become part of the Effervescence festival (Philippe and the MCNN’s visual theatre festival in Nevers) circuit. We were in Verdal, although in fact we played a few kilometres away in Indereuil, for the festival. It was probably the most enthusiastic audience I have ever played for in my life; from the very beginning they were laughing and responding to almost every little thing we did. Norwegians are a very warm and very responsive audience in general, but the addition of all the students and teachers from HINT seemed to magnify this by a factor of ten.

Poster for the Internasjonal Festival for Visual Scenekunst, Verdal, with image from Voyageurs Immobiles

We were invited to have a discussion with the students the following (this) morning, during which one of the cast used the metaphor of downhill skiing for performing on stage (I’m expanding on what he said, because I think it’s a good metaphor): you do all the necessary preparations before launching yourself from the top of the mountain and effectively you don’t (can’t) stop until you reach the bottom; sometimes you feel in total control, taking the turns with skill and grace, controlling the rhythm and tempo, even allowing yourself to lairise a little; other times the descent is mechanical and boring, because you know the mountain like the back of your hand, and you can safely pass the time thinking about what your going to eat for dinner; and still other times you feel totally out of control, and everything whizzes by so quickly that you can barely stay on your feet, and you don’t understand it because you’ve skied the same mountain 200 times before, but somehow you always manage to arrive at the bottom, even if it is sliding on your bum with only one ski still on and a black eye. Performing for an audience as enthusiastic as they were in Verdal was like the latter for me; I seemed to reach the bottom before I’d even drawn my first breath. I never would have thought it possible to have an audience that was too good.

Now I’m on the train to Oslo. This train trip, from Trondheim to Oslo, which I’ve had the good fortune to have made before, is one of the most beautiful I know. My girlfriend, Angelique, and I have decided to stay in this part of the world for a few days instead of returning to Paris and then going to Helsinki from there, because that would mean losing a lot of time in airports, airplanes, trains and buses. We’re staying a couple days in Oslo, from where we’ll fly directly to Helsinki.

Thursday 13/10/11, 11.00am: Sokos Hotel, Tapiola Garden, Espoo, Finland.

Espoo is the second largest city in Finland, although Helsinki (the largest) has only half a million people. Espoo actually makes up part of the Helsinki Metropolitan Area, along with a few other municipalities. It’s on the shores of the Gulf of Finland, so there’s plenty of water around. What I’ve seen of Espoo, and to be fair, I’ve seen very little, reminds me of Canberra: lots of big, ugly, concrete and glass, 50’s - 80’s architecture with plenty of nature in between.

S o f a r w e ’ v e done two shows here, and there are three to go. The theatre is very small (perhaps 200 seats), but it feels warm and intimate. After the premier we were invited to share drinks and something to eat with the director of the theatre, the French Ambassador, the local minister of culture, and a host of other invited guests, and we were officially

welcomed. The director of the theatre explained that he had seen Lands End, Boliloc and Vanishing Point (Cie Genty’s last few shows) and had wanted to bring them all here, but that his theatre was too small. Finally, with Voyageurs Immobiles, he found a Genty show that could be squeezed in, so he was very happy. The premier was a little rough for us, but I don’t think the audience noticed (I don’t think they ever notice), and they were very appreciative. In fact the French Ambassador explained to me that he had never seen an audience in Finland so demonstrative, and how this was a huge compliment to the show. Of course he loved the show too. The second show, which was a much better show, made clear what the Ambassador had explained: the audience were practically non existent, even though the front row were only a couple of metres from us and we could see them as plain as day. The applause at the end though was very long and warm.

Sunday 16/10/11, 12.30pm: on a boat from Helsinki to Tallinn.

The last three shows in Espoo were very good, and the theatre was full and the audiences more alive than during the second show. These shows were particularly good for me. Every now and then, when I least expect it, something shifts for me, and I seem to find another level of energy, awareness, relaxation... This happened for me in Espoo.

Now I’m on a boat to Tallinn. It’s a two-and-a-half-hour boat trip to Tallinn, so I’m taking advantage of the time by writing this and learning my text for the Netherlands. Voyageurs Immobiles is unusual for a Philippe Genty show in that we, the performers, carry the story (the word “journey” is perhaps more accurate) more than usual. Usually the lighting, music, décor, props, materials and puppets carry as much of the “journey”, or have equal importance on stage, as we do. It’s also unusual in that we speak and sing quite a lot: we speak in French, English, Spanish, Italian and Haitian Creole, and we sing in English, Arabic, Vietnamese, Spanish, Persian and American Indian (which Indian language exactly I don’t know). On top of this we speak portions of our text in the language of the country we’re in. It’s quite difficult. Here’s one of my lines in Finnish: “Pahoittelen, liian myöhäistä”. Obviously, the only way we can learn to say things like this is phonetically. It’s quite surreal to say mouthfuls of strange syllables on stage, hear the audience reaction and suddenly understand that the nonsense that came out of your mouth is in fact comprehensible to the eight hundred or so people who are listening to you. To date we’ve also had to learn our pieces of text in German, Spanish, Catalan, Polish, Czech, Norwegian, Italian, Russian, Portuguese and Finnish. Finnish was the most difficult for me so far, but for others Polish and Czech were the most difficult. Next it’s Dutch: that same line is now, “Jammer, te laat”. Speaking of Dutch, after our brief holiday in Tallinn the dreaded tour of the Netherlands and Belgium will begin.

Monday 24/10/11, 11.45am: Golden Tulip Inn, Zoetermeer, The Netherlands

Three down (Rotterdam, Drachten, Apeldoorn), seventeen to go. We were supposed to do twenty-two shows in The Netherlands, but two have been cancelled. Nobody complained, on the contrary, we were all slightly relieved. Unfortunately, Amsterdam is one of the two shows

The Theatre Espoo, Finland

cancelled, however Amsterdam was to be our last show, so now we get to go home a day earlier, and we’ll have three days at home (instead of two) before a two week season in Lyon.

There has been quite a build up to this tour: we’ve all been terrified at the prospect of performing so many shows in so many theatres in so few days. Only a few times so far have we had to bump in, set up, perform, break down and bump out in the same day. Here that’s what we’ll do every time except once (in Eindhoven we’ll have the luxury of playing twice), and most of the time we’ll do it on successive days. For the technicians it means going to the theatre in the morning, setting up all day, doing the performance in the evening, breaking down the set, bumping out, eating dinner on the mini-bus while travelling to the next town (which could be as much as three hours away), sleeping briefly in a hotel, going to the theatre in the morning, setting up all day… and so on; they will sleep only a few hours a night for as many as five successive nights. The cast, on the other hand, are based in Zoetermeer, which means we have to drive to the theatre (which again could be as many as three hours away), warm-up (normally we set up immediately and warm up just before the show, but we’ve had to change our routine so that the technicians can have as much time as possible on stage to set up), do our set up, do a vocal warm-up, perform, pack up our stuff, and drive back to the hotel in Zoetermeer. It’s tough, or it’s going to be because until now we’ve only had one long drive (two and half hours). It’s not the going to the theatres that’s hard; in France we regularly do 3, 4, up to six hours of travel the day of a performance (which incidentally is not allowed in Australia, or wasn’t when I last toured there), it’s the long drive after the show that’s tough, because it means arriving back at the hotel around 2am, tired, stiff and hungry, and then cooking and eating - if we’re not too exhausted. In France we can at least relax after the show and bump out because we stay in the towns we play. The next block of five successive shows will test us.

Wednesday 26/10/11, 3.05pm: on the mini bus to Turnhout (in the north of Belgium), The Netherlands

Bad news: one of the cast has strained or torn his medial collateral ligament (MCL) and has gone back to France to have an MRI. It happened during the performance in Apeldoorn. He finished the show, although in some considerable pain, but the day after he couldn’t walk. Fortunately we had the day off. I went with him to see a physio and her diagnosis was that it was his MLC, but to be sure he should have an MRI. In The Netherlands there’s a three-month waiting list for an MRI, so he’s returned to France where he can have one sooner. He will be out for anywhere between two and ten weeks. Fortunately it’s the same guy who was out with a different problem before the summer holidays, so we needed simply to talk through what we did the last time we performed without him and we could perform last night in Delft. It’s a bugger (if I could write something stronger I would); the show is much more difficult - especially for the guys - without him, and at the beginning of an already difficult tour it’s not what we need. We have no choice but to go on. It’s highly unlikely that he’ll be back during this tour, and in all probability

he won’t do Lyon either. There’s even a question mark about whether he will come back at all, because on top of these health setbacks we’ve all noticed that his heart no longer seems to be in the show. If he doesn’t come back we’ll be faced with a whole new set of problems, but it’s too soon to start worrying about that. It’s a sunny afternoon and the Netherlands is flying past my mini-bus window. Soon we’ll be crossing into Belgium. Things might seem difficult, but I can always console myself with the thought that what I am living was once my dream.

Sunday 30/10/11, 12.15pm: Golden Tulip Inn, Zoetermeer, The Netherlands

Two days off – phew! We’ve spent a lot of time on the road; Delft was not so far, but the others (Turnhout and Aalst in Belgium, and two shows in Eindhoven) were more than two hours drive. Apart from our departed, injured friend the rest of us seem to be holding it together. We all have niggling pains: a swollen knee here, a bit of tendinitis there, a bad nights sleep and headache over there… it’s not very often that you’re 100% for any performance (it comes with the territory), but we are all very tired. We were tired also when we did five weeks in Théâtre du Rond-Point in Paris last year, but we still had the energy to complain about the relative lack of hospitality, but two nights ago, during the setting up, when there’s usually a lot of banter going back and forth, we were so tired that nobody spoke. It was eerie. I can’t say I’ve ever experienced that before. Last night the banter returned, but that was because we knew we had two days off ahead of us.

The theatres have all been big, modern, clean, and with lots of space back-stage, which makes our work much easier, and the technical crews have been very efficient. Audience numbers are down a little, but apparently they like popular entertainment, like musicals, in this part of the world, and Philippe Genty is relatively arty and unknown; in times of financial crisis people go the theatre less often and so want to see a sure thing. Last night was a full house though.

The big news is that our injured cast member has decided to leave us. The manner in which he has done it has upset everybody: he left for France to have an MRI, without so much as agood-bye to most of the cast and all the technical crew, and then just sent an email telling us he was quitting the show. He was injured before the summer holidays and went four months (including the holidays) without performing, so we rehearsed him back into the show, and now, not even a month later, at the beginning of perhaps our toughest tour, he’s quit; the feeling is that

The TheatreNogent sur Marne

he’s been inconsiderate and selfish, and that after everything we’ve been through together he owes us more. We’ve had to decide if we continue without him, or if we replace him. It’s really a decision for the cast, as we bear the burden of the extra work. We don’t know yet what Philippe and Mary want, because we don’t know yet if they know (it’s his responsibility to inform them), but usually they let us decide. We’ve discussed it, and in general we agree that it would be better to replace him, but only of it’s with somebody who knows the drill, i.e. someone who’s already worked for the company, because we don’t have much free time to rehearse and it’s hard enough learning a new show

without also learning the ins and outs of working for the company. If we cannot find somebody soon we will continue as seven. We want to rehearse again with Philippe and Mary in any case, to simplify what we’re now doing, as most of the decisions we made the first time our colleague was away incapacitated were made very quickly and under duress, so that we could at least perform, but they are not perhaps the best decisions.

I haven’t yet written anything about Zoetermeer; something to look forward to (not!). Au revoir!

Simon T. Rann, 2011

ARLYN AWARD SOCIETY! ! ! ! ! Luman Coad, Administrator! ! ! ! e-mail: coadpuppet@eastlink.ca

2012 Arlyn Award for Outstanding Design in Puppet Theatre Deadline

February 15, 2012 is the closing date to receive entries for consideration in the next Arlyn Awardfor Outstanding Design in Puppet Theatre. Eligible productions must be premiered in 2010 or

2011. Any puppeteer, anywhere in the world is eligible to enter.

The Arlyn Award is a world-wide search for outstanding design in puppet theatre. In 2010, theArlyn Award was presented to Sima Mizra-Hosseini of Tehran, Iran for her production of

“Arash.” As well, three Certificates of Recognition in Design were awarded to Onny Huisink ofEdam, Netherlands for “Riket met de Kuif”, Karina Bleau and Anne Brulotte-Légaré of

Montreal, PQ, Canada for “Häiku du Dernier Souffle?” and Michael Haverty, of Atlanta, GA,USA for “The Phantom Limb.” Puppet designers from Russia, England, and Canada have

received previous Arlyn Award which consists of a trophy and a cash prize. As well, Certificatesof Recognition in Design have been presented to designers from France, Canada, Finland, the

United States.

Any puppeteer, anywhere in the world is eligible to enter a production which premiered in 2010or 2011. To enter, please submit a brief paragraph of the designer’s goal for the production, up toten illustrations of designs and production photographs, and a five-minute (maximum) video in

Flash format showing the production’s design in action. Send entries toarlynaward2012@eastlink.ca or mail to Arlyn Award, General Delivery, Garden Bay, BC V0N

1S1, Canada. Full information on entry requirements can be found at http://arlynaward.org

Every two years the Society’s Board of Directors selects a three member international jury. Atleast one juror must be an established puppeteer and at least one juror must be an established

designer in ordinary theatre. Each jury sets their own criteria and their decision is final - it cannotbe altered by the Board of Directors.

For information on the Arlyn Award and photos of past recipients, please visithttp://arlynaward.org

" JUST DESSERTS

Out and About in Melbourne with Kassius Kamel

As you know I have been lying low for some months in order to evade those who would have me and my family served up as Christmas dinner alongside the turkey. But I did feel I was losing touch with the masses and with all that has been happening in the world. So I decided to get off my knees and join a crowd or two where I could mingle with the multitudes and remain undetected.

Oh, and what a ʻcrowdedʼ couple of weeks itʼs been in Melbourne and Iʼve had quite a jolly time.

First I caught a tram into the CBD, which is quite befitting for someone with royal connections, I believe, (although I must say, it was not a comfortable journey - a lot of rattling and scarcely room to spit).

When I alighted, I was swept along Swanston Street by a tide of city workers and I cupped my ear and jabbered to myself about schedules and meetings as everyone else seemed to be doing.

An lo and behold! - if I didnʼt find myself in a camp-out at the city square - lots of colourful tents and people singing and swaying and waving banners and there was face painting and yellow cake too.

I enquired of one young fellow wearing a death mask if this occupation signified a protest against camel cullers. He responded, “Yes, that too, whatever takes your fancy!” and so I joined in and sang a few songs and chanted ʻWe are the 99%ʼ and ʻEat the richʼ and slept the night in a tent. All good fun, until the batten-bearing police surged in and things got a bit feral for my liking.

So I moved on. Someone suggested that if I enjoyed ʻcommunal camp-outsʼ I might like to try the crowd at Tullamarine airport, although it was unlikely that anyone would be singing there.

A little later I joined a crowd of people waving flags and smiling at an elderly lady in a pink outfit with matching hat. I tried to curtsey as I thought sheʼd appreciate such deference, but somehow my hooves got caught up in some of my knees and I suffered quite a nasty fall. In hindsight I think it would have been better if Iʼd just attempted a neat little bow.

So I hobbled home to rest up - which was just as well because Melbourne Cup Fever was upon us and Iʼm so allergic to horses.

May you all get your just desserts - K

_____________________________________

Pat Brymer is a leading puppeteer and puppet craftsman based in Los Angeles who has been creating puppets since 1973. He is well-known for building the puppets and props for the late great puppeteer, Shari Lewis. He started his puppet making career at Hanna Barbera and has produced puppets for Disney. Film credits include The Muppet

Movie, Short Circuit, My Stepmother is an Alien, Indiana Jones and the the Last Crusade, So I Married an Axe Murderer, and Team America,

World Police.

During October Pat spent some time in Sydney, and Rob Bremner (Sydney puppeteer) organised a get-together and presentation which

was attended by many of Sydneyʼs puppeteers and puppetry enthusiasts.

An Evening with Pat Brymer in Sydney

Photo by Kay Yasugi left to right: Allan, Pat - holding the monkey hand

puppet, Marilyn, David, Sue, Peter, Andrew, Rob, Kay, Allan, Trudie).

Top: Sketch of Pat Brymer by Kay Yasugi. Right: Pat Brymer with puppet, Benji. Pat made Benji and sother puppets for a

childrenʼs show that is being filmed now in Sydney. Kay Yasugi is working on the film, which is called ʻThe Amazing Houseʼ.

Snuff Party #3 - part of the Big West Festival.Puppet experiments, live music, bar and raw humans included. Footscray Drill Hall 395 Barkly Street Sunday 27 November 8PM till lateGeneral Admission $5

Dance amongst giant Human Body Parts. Experience the world from the inside an enormous ear. Be charmed by the flirtatious batting of our giant eye. Or thumb wrestle with the world’s biggest hand.

About O.P.E.N (Oz Puppetry Email Newsletter)O.P.E.N. is a free and voluntarily produced newsletter and is open to all. You can contact us on dreampuppets@netspace.net.au Past issues of O.P.E.N. can also be accessed on our website:

www.dreampuppets.comPlease send reports of any known or suspected puppet activity by the 25th of each month.

(Profiles of puppet characters or drawings/cartoons also welcome). Please keep photo resolutions low. Preferably send written material in .doc form so that it can be edited or rearranged on the

page.Publication will be during the first week of each month.

If you have urgent news: deadlines or notice of performances previously not advertised, you can send it to us for inclusion in Op-date at any time.

LINKS to more information about Australian puppetry:

www.PUPPETRYNEWS.com # # # # # # http://africanpuppet.blogspot.comwww.unima.org.au # # # # # # http://twitter.com/OzPuppetrywww.dreampuppets.com www.puppetpalace.com.auwww.schoolofpuppetry.com.au# # # Julia Davis and Richard Hart, November, 2011

Dream Puppets has a new puppeteer : (Idan Friedman)Photo by Gary Friedman.