Friday, October 29, 2010

Good show everyone!

"It's amazing how it always comes together.
I was able to watch the audience and I can assure you that they enjoyed every part, and the parents loved  the jokes,  like 'Cools'  introduction - caught one parent off guard, and Bobby's questioning of the # of televisions cajoled laughter from one of the fathers in particular. Even the kids understood about game shows and not wanting to be interrupted, and  the elephant's extension got a  very good chuckle. And the children loved it when Bob's knucklebopper got sneezed off the stage! Well done puppeteers." -Sharon

Tip of the hat to ...

The Ottawa Puppetry Club's annual show was a great success! Our puppeteers turned up the magic and charmed a lively, responsive audience, who laughed and applauded with genuine enjoyment just as we'd hoped. Spirits and energy stayed high throughout the three tales presented, even the puppets behaved admirably and performed on cue. That is, all except for one little jester back stage who jumped off his hook and landed in a heap of tangled strings right in the middle of the show! But as we all know, puppeteers are never frazzled, so jumbled strings were sorted, jester soundlessly rebuked, and the rest went right on cue as the audience sat delighted and unaware. We're such a cool bunch!

Masks, marionettes, hand puppets, mouth puppets, rod puppets and shadow puppets have all been included in various casts of past shows, but this year the marionettes in the tale "To Sneeze Or Not to Sneeze", written by Sylvia, were quite a royal treat for Club members as well as for our audience. And after all, princesses and dragons are like milk and cookies, a perfect combination! And so too were our performers of this skit Donna, Sylvia, and Pauline, along with additonal backstage helpers.

One of the most satisfying results in belonging to the Ottawa Puppetry Club, is to see creative confidence grow to a point where a member begins to build his or her own beautiful puppets. Such was the case in  "How The Elephant Got Its Trunk", a whimsical retelling of Kipling's Elephant's Child. In the Club show, fanciful marottes and mouth puppets complemented the story, a collaborative whirl by Lisa and Carolyn.  And it was Just-so well performed by Lisa, Margot, Carolyn, and Donna.

"The Woodcutter and the Mermaid" is an Aesop's fable that caught my interested, first because I was not familiar with it, and second because I like mermaids. A few years ago, I had created Waverly, a pretty mermaid puppet, for a skit in another OPC show, so here was a nifty chance for me to use her in a new tale (love puns)!  Shadow puppet scenes set to music opened and ended the story, but the in-between parts were told on a table-top stage using large, sponge, mouth puppets. A kind woodcutter, a magical owl that spoke in rhyme, and a cranky thief rounded out the cast of characters. Written and performed by Peggy and Bob, quite the character himself!

As as a small community group, the OPC promotes its annual show as best it can, and then hopes for a good turn out.  This year, our tip of the hat goes to Susan Toccalino from CBC Radio's In Town and Out, heard Saturday mornings on 91.5FM.  CBC's invitation to record a show announcement not only helped with attendance, but also gave an OPC member an opportunity to experience how it's done in radio. Our thanks!

Whether performing in the show, behind the scenes, working lighting or looking after ticket sales, Club members help out and support each other in order to perform these annual shows, so thanks again Sharon and Anne. And as always over these past ten years, the Ottawa Puppetry Club gratefully thanks Peter for kindly volunteering, and patiently being our sound technician, for turning our music selections into smooth, audible pieces, and for teaching us a great deal about sound equipment along with way.

So take a breather everyone, then practice, practice, practice, for the Spring show!!

Canadian puppeteer John Conway (1922-2003)

Did you know:  Canadian puppeteer John Conway (1922-2003) is the innovative and talented artist behind the memorable characters Uncle Chichimus and Hollyhock. These two puppets were icons of the early 1950s and appeared on the very first broadcast of the CBC Sept. 8, 1952. They quickly became the broadcasters unofficial mascots and were among the first Canadian television celebrities to become house hold names.

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Three fun-filled puppet tales

Sunday, October 24, 2010 is fast approaching! Come out and enjoy our new adventure-filled pupet show. Meet your favourite puppets and puppeteers. Showtime: 2:30p.m. St Laurent Complex, 525 Cote St, Ottawa. Tickets: $7 at the door, family rates, free parking. What more could you ask for a family outing! Suitable for ages 3 & up. See you there!

Congrats to Rag an Bone Puppet Theatre. Well earned!

Puppets find a home in Orléans after 32 years - Local - News - Orléans Star## http://t.co/UAcI5Lh via @AddThis

Tuesday, October 19, 2010

"Aesop's fabled Mermaid has an Elephant's trunk that's Sneezing?!"

To solve this mysterious riddle, come to the Ottawa Puppetry Club's new , adventure-filled show. A cast of shadow puppets, rod and mouth puppets, and marionettes sort out the strange goings-on. Sunday, October 24, 2010 at the St. Laurent Complex, 525 Cote St, Ottawa. Showtime: 2:30p.m. Tickets: $7 at the door. Family rates! Fifty minutes of family fun suitable for ages 3 & up.

Henson studios clip on basic manipulation using a monitor

Fun and a great learning tool! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6hBfb1MtZ9s

Monday, October 18, 2010

Check this out on Youtube:
ThePuppetFilm Check out the trailer for Puppet at http://thepuppetfilm.com ! Want to learn more about the movie? E-mail us at thepuppetfilm@gmail.com .

Friday, October 15, 2010

"There are many advantages in puppets. They never argue. They have no crude views about art. They have no private lives". --Oscar Wilde

Wednesday, October 13, 2010

Amusing, creative puppet characters

A new, colourful cast of puppet characters created for our 2010 show are waiting to meet you!  Show date: Sunday, October 24 Show time: 2:30 p.m. Location: St Laurent Complex, 525 Cote St Ottawa. Tickets at the door.

Super quote from Writers Pantheon

Did you know the Japanese master puppeteer, Chikamatsu Monzaemon, sometimes is referred to as the “god of writers”? (writerspantheon@blogspot.com)

Tuesday, October 12, 2010

Come up and say "hello" after the show, and OPC puppeteers will introduce you to your favourite puppet!

Monday, October 11, 2010

Experience the magic world of puppet theatre

 

“The Woodcutter and the Mermaid”

A funny and fluid update of Aesop’s fable on the value of honesty and the price of greed: interpreted through shadow puppets and mouth puppets.

 

“How the Elephant Got Its Trunk”

A baby elephant sets out on an adventure-filled journey across the African grasslands, and gets more than he expected: interpreted through mouth and rod puppets featuring creatures of the plains and jungle.

“To Sneeze or Not to Sneeze”

A royal family experiences strange goings-on at the palace – is it haunted or enchanted? Marionettes bring this mysterious tale to life.

DATE:   Sunday October 24, 2010
TIME:    2:30 pm
PLACE:  Rehearsal Studio, St. Laurent Complex, 525 Côté
PRICE:   $7.00 per person at the door

SHOW LASTS ABOUT 50 MINUTES AND IS SUITABLE FOR AGES 3 AND UP