Beyond the Moss Curtain
by Puppet People

Beyond the Moss Curtain (30 minute show with Audience Participation)
A cranky Yankee pigeon flies South and meet Mosslyn, the Moss Fairy.  She entices him to stay by entralling him with tales of Savannah and its quirkiness.  This tongue-in-cheek version of the history of Savannah features a bevy of eccentric characters from Oglethorpe, Nathaniel Green, Juliet Low and Paula Deen.  Beyond the Moss Curtain shows off various puppetry styles including 2-Dimensional Flats, Moving Mouth, Rod and Life-Sized caricatures!


About Puppet People
Puppet People was founded in 1973.  Puppet People is a group of Savannah, Georgia-based professional puppeteers, artists and musicians who take the art of puppetry to a new level.  They are, perhaps, best known for their people-sized and giant-sized puppets used in multiple venues including malls, festivals, trade shows and special events.  In addition to creating all of their own puppets, Puppet People perform traditional tales and original scripts with music.  These range from on-man shows to full-scale theatrical productions including anything from educational children's shows to life-size adult cabaret performances.  Puppet People share their experience through workshops, touring, teaching, and, of course, performing.  Puppet People has not only performed within the state of Georgia, but across the United States, Canada and even South America!

Learn more about Puppet People HERE

Custom Puppets presents
MICETRONAUTS

An exciting tale of two mice at the end of their ropes in a dangerous cat and trap filled world.

Frustrated by their failed attempts to snag the cheese, our heroes, Max and Harry, hatch a grand plan to escape the dangers on Earth, to get unlimited amounts of cheese, by going where no mouse has been before ....THE MOON!

Here they meet magical characters, including, The Dish and the Spoon, The Tooth Fairy, The Man in the Moon, and Mr. Sandman; all of which offer fresh and humorous twists to our heroes plans to get the cheese.

Max and Harry, while overcoming these unexpected obstacles, discover that believing in yourself and never giving up are worth their weight in CHEESE!

MICETRONAUTS is an original story written, produced and directed by James Groetsch and was developed in part in an intensive writing workshop held by the late Muppets head writer Jerry Juhl, at the 2005 National Puppet Festival held in St. Paul Minnesota. It was a great and helpful experience to get Jerry's and the other talented writers input and feedback as this story was in early development.

MICETRONAUTS opens children's' minds to creative problem solving, teamwork and persistence and adults will enjoy comical twists to classic fairytale characters and experience a show that gives a fresh, captivating, unexpected, multi-media, puppetry experience.

The show is performed with rod puppets and utilizes projected backgrounds and shadow puppets.

Company Bio:
Custom Puppets is a family owned company located in the Tampa Bay area of Florida. We perform LIVE shows for many varied audiences including; schools, after-care programs, educational fairs, festivals, charitable organizations and libraries. We also build to order, custom, made, hand and rod style puppets.

Artists Involved:
James Groetsch: Creative Director/Lead Puppeteer/Builder
James got bitten by the puppetry bug almost ten years ago and has been performing in live shows, television productions and commercials ever since, as well as building professional, custom made puppets, for fellow puppeteers. Currently James has combined his degree in filmmaking with his talent for puppetry to write, direct and produce MICETRONAUTS; the story of two mischievous mice with big dreams to leave the “mouse” dangers on Earth and go to the moon to get the cheese. Back in 2005 at the Puppeteers of America festival in St. Paul, Minnesota; James’ script for MICETRONAUTS was selected as one of the twelve finalists to participate in an intensive writing workshop given by the late, Muppets head writer, Jerry Juhl! James holds dear the signed copy of MICETRONAUTS that Jerry critiqued in its first stages. “You have a fun project here, James.” said Jerry back in 2005. With Jerry’s and the other workshop writing attendees creative input, Micetronauts was re-written and polished and now we’re thrilled to share this same project, in its completed splendor, with festival goers.

Anne Marie Groetsch: Events Coordinator/Puppeteer
Anne Marie has brought her degree in graphic design to the production and marketing of MICETRONAUTS and is also a puppeteer. She is responsible for coordinating performance dates and locations and maintaining a good working relationship with anyone we have the privilege to perform for. And if that isn’t enough Anne Marie also home schools our three children as well!

Maxwell Groetsch: Puppeteer/Backstage Techie
Maxwell deserves all the credit for making a good show great! He is in charge of each scene change, prop swap, curtain transition and puppet wrangling, as well as puppeteering. Max’s memory for the details of the show amazes us each time we perform. He also captivates the attention of youth audiences when we peel open the set after each show for a behind the scenes look and discussion of puppetry. “Wow! you’re only 8! What a cool job!” they all say.

Learn more about Custom Puppets HERE

The Magic Floating Table
by Shiny Shoes Puppet Factory

Sponsored by The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of China (Taiwan), and

By using the methods of black theater and object theater, the show creates a vocabulary of imagination and creativity though the music and symbolic Chinese images including Chinese lanterns, paper cuttings, umbrellas and chopsticks on a table top. This is an innovative work created by The Shiny Shoes Puppet Factory--a special project of Shiny Shoes Children's theater in Taiwan. The artists involved in this project always challenge audience's imagination and communicate with the audience with the symbolic language of puppetry and music.

This show has been performed in many festivals in Korea, Japan, Hong Kong, Holland and Germany.

About Shiny Shoes Children's Theater
Shiny Shoes Children's Theater is one of the first three professional children's theater companies established in Taiwan in the 1990's and it is the only one that was developed from a preschool ( "The Healthy Growing Nursery School" the first one that adopted drama education in the classroom). The advantage of being so close to children gives the company a resource of endless imagination and creativity which becomes the signature of the company's works.

Shiny Shoes dedicates its work to children, parents, educators and artists as well. In order to keep improving the quality of its work, Shiny Shoes established the "Shiny Shoes Puppet Factory" project in 2000 to allow the artists to experiment with different possibilities of puppetry and to explore provocative ideas and new thoughts.

Credits
Producer: Huei-rong Lai • Creators: Spica Wobbe/ Mei-hua Hsueh/ Pei-yu Shih/ Shaur-jyun Peng • Set Designer: Yu-chu Chan
Lighting Design: Jo-hao Lei • Sound Design: Li-lin Kao •
Performers: Spica Wobbe/ Mei-hua Hsueh/ Pei-yu Shih / Vi-Hsuan Lee

Learn more about Shiny Shoes Children's Theater HERE

Panther and Crane by Heather Henson's IBEX

Experience this mesmerizing expressionistic journey through our Earth's waterways. Soaring puppets, beautiful projections, and fluid movement envelope you into a universe of mythical imagery and dreamlike metaphor. Delve into the world of migrating cranes, pacing panthers and wading alligators, as they dance through the challenges threatening their way of life.

IBEX, a small entertainment company founded by Heather Henson in 2000, is dedicated to promoting the fine art of puppetry in various mediums. Nurturing work for a myriad of venues including film, stage, and exhibit, IBEX began primarily as a vehicle through which Heather Henson could create original, full sensory, live theater performances, saturating each audience with the multi media experience of light, color, sound, and movement. IBEX soon grew to not only include Ms. Henson's nature inspired work, but the work of other puppet artists' as well. Handmade Puppet Dreams, a touring series of puppet film shorts, features a collection of independent artists exploring their puppet craft specifically for the camera. The Orlando Puppet Festival, a week long festival premiering each fall in Orlando, Florida, features puppetry for both adult and family audiences. The festival includes live shows, films and workshops that highlight the art of puppetry. PuppetSlam.com brings disparate puppet cabarets together via the internet, networking live puppet artists with underground puppet venues. In addition to the works of independent artists, IBEX continues to create original works and takes great pride in it's latest endeavor, Panther and Crane, a stunning look into nature and how it survives the challenges posed upon the ecosystem.

IBEX founder, Heather Henson, a theater performing artist, has had her work presented in a multitude of venues across the country. She has created numerous nature based performances of her own and has added her designs in puppetry and projections to other productions in Los Angeles, New York, Minneapolis, Madison, Providence and Orlando. She is also an active board member of the Jim Henson Foundation, The Jim Henson Legacy and The Jim Henson Company. A graduate of The Rhode Island School of Design, where she majored in Illustration and Animation, Heather also attended the Masters Program for Scenic Design and Puppetry at The California Institute of the Arts.

Learn more about IBEX and their other productions on their website HERE

SPECIAL BONUS

Following Panther and Crane will be the Southeast Region Powerpoint Showcase, a special presentation designed to showcase recent activities of the talented puppet artists in our region. See the Special Events page for more information.

Read more about the Street Fair HERE.

DOUBLE FEATURE PART ONE

Hobey Ford's The Rainbow Bridge and Other Tales

Multiple award winner (including the highest honor for American puppeteers, the UNIMA Citation of Excellence) Hobey Ford will be performing The Rainbow Bridge and Other Tales.

This shadow puppetry production brings to life three folktales through Ford's unique presentational style combining stunning puppetry, storytelling and topical educational themes. The stories include The Rainbow Bridge, El Coqui, and The Three Billy Goats Gruff, with a finale of his Peepers Puppet, which turn the bare hand into myriad creatures and his famous beautifully carved foam animal creatures, which he calls the Foamies. His productions touch on themes across the curriculum with an emphasis on his art form.

The Rainbow Bridge is a Native American folktale of the Chumash, a tribe who inhabited the southern coastal regions of California. The tale recalls the origins of the Chumash on Santa Cruz Island. The people received the gift of fire with it the means to develop and flourish until they became overcrowded were forced to migrate to the mainland on a rainbow bridge. The tale also tells of the ones who didn't make it across, but fell into the sea becoming dolphins.

El Coqui is a Puerto Rican folktale about how the little tree frog got his song. The animals of the lush rain forest had become lazy on their island paradise until a race was set which forced the animals to get in shape. Little Coqui worked extra hard, being so little, and his efforts led him to win the race. He was rewarded with his famous song: "coqui coqui coqui..."

The Three Billy Goats revisits this classic Nordic tale with humor and issues of the day. When the long winter has finally come to an end, The Billy Goats Gruff have exhausted the resources of their meadow and must migrate to the upper meadows. To do this they must cross a bridge where a troll stands guard to prevent their passage. They use the ploy of the original tale by sending the smallest first and begging the troll to let them cross as progressively larger goats will soon be along providing an even bigger meal.

From there all goes haywire as little billy goat turns the story on its ear with a surprise ending, for something has gone totally wrong in the environs of the upper pasture and while Big Billy Goat and the Troll are busy fighting it out little Billy Goat sounds the alarm that all is not well and that they should redirect their energies to preserve their world.

Learn more about Hobey Ford HERE
or visit his website or his video website.

DOUBLE FEATURE PART TWO

Using the magic and wonder of Black Light Theatre, Madcap vividly brings to life Winsor McCay'screation of a young boy's adventures. From the Golden Age of newspaper comic strips and in celebration of the 100th anniversary of Little Nemo in Slumberland, Madcap creates the surreal landscape of the Kingdom of Slumberland that Little Nemo can explore only in his sleep. We meet the astonishing characters that made his adventures famous and follow little Nemo in his quest to reach the Princess.  

Puppeteers: Mel Hatch Douglas, Sean P. Mette, Dylan Shelton.  Adaptation and Direction by John Lewandowski.  Sound and Light Design: Chris Douglas

About Madcap Puppets:
Based in Cincinnati, Ohio, Madcap Puppet Theatre is nationally known for its original, high quality children's theatre productions. Venues include: theaters, schools, libraries, festivals, zoos, symphonies, and even theme parks.  In its 26 year history millions of children and their families (around a half million each year!) have been thrilled by a Madcap experience, resulting in an enthusiastic following that now spans three generations.

Learn even more at their website,  http://www.madcappuppets.com

DOUBLE FEATURE PART ONE
Cabaret of Desire
Blair Thomas & Co./Fast Fish Puppet Theater

The ephemeral image of Buster Keaton flickers on the curtains of an imaginary Cabaret and one man chases his liberation into its folds. Based on the play/poem Buster Keaton's Stroll by Federico Garcia Lorca, this production is a comedy of failures chronicling one man's pursuit of love and affection. We see his journey through burlesque acts and melancholy before arriving at a miniature puppet theater adorned with singing tubas and turning bicycles.

Performed by
Blair Thomas, Meredith Miller, Dan Kerr-Hobert & Dax Tran-Caffee

(This production is not appropriate for young audiences)

Blair Thomas (Puppeteer, Director)
Blair Thomas has been working as a theater director in Chicago since 1985. He is founder and artistic director of Fast Fish Puppet Theater and Blair Thomas & Company, a nationally touring puppetry company that in five years has produced more than 8 original works of puppet theater. In addition, Blair has served as curator for Chicago's International Puppetry Festival, as Jim Henson Artist-in-Residence at the University of Maryland, and is the recipient of two UNIMA citations for excellence in puppetry. He is co-founder of Redmoon Theater, where he spent a decade leading a vision to create large-scale spectacle theater. His is on faculty at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, and a graduate of Oberlin College.

Meredith Miller (Performer)
Meredith is a builder, designer, and performer with Blair Thomas & Company. Previously, she has designed and built puppets for companies including The Winter Pageant ,  Unbinding Isaac , and others for Redmoon Theater; Spectacle Fortuna for  Columbia College ; and many others. Meredith has toured nationally with her solo puppetry works and recently performed in Chicago for the Winter Root Puppetry Festival and the Harvest Moon Cabaret and Radiant Darkness: Stories in Shadow Puppetry at Links Hall and the Pac/Edge Performance Festival at the Athenaeum Theater. She can be seen monthly in various local cabarets. She performed as a puppeteer in the national tour of Blair Thomas and Company's Pierrot Lunaire . Meredith is a graduate of the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, where she studied puppet animation, and has served on the faculty at Columbia College Chicago.

Blair Thomas & Company
Founded in 2002, Blair Thomas & Company is a Chicago-based touring company that creates puppet theater in the vision of Blair Thomas, and work devoted to young audiences under the name Fast Fish Puppet Theater. The repertoire combines various styles of puppetry, mask, and live music to create adaptations of lesser known works of literature as well as wholly original productions. Recent performances include A Rabbit's Tale at Orchestra Hall, Incantation Cabaret in Mexico City, and Reflections on the Nature of Water . In Fall 2008, Blair Thomas & Company will inaugurate its first Chicago “season” with Cabaret of Desire and The Ox-Herder's Tale .

Learn more about Blair Thomas and his productions HERE

DOUBLE FEATURE PART TWO
Faust, a short film by
Steven Ritz-Barr and Hoku Uchiyama

Dr. Johannes Faust, a medieval scholar, lives in the throngs of a depressing end-of-life crisis. Follow the forlorn Faust as he longs for a young maiden named Margareta… and is willing to sell his soul to the Devil for great power, including the power to seduce her.

"visually engrossing, wonderfully atmospheric and kept me engrossed from start to finish. The puppets are superbly evocative and expressive, and the sets are gorgeously crafted while maintaining a homemade aesthetic that feels timeless "
- Stephan London, writer / high school English/film teacher

"Puppets are beautiful and the way of filming as well very good. I got the impression of the old story in the old decors. Many beautiful objects."
-Dr. Henryk Jurkowski, Senior professor of theatre/Puppet Arts, Warsaw Poland and Writer of many books on Puppetry.

"I saw one such [Faust] show in Milano, and it didn't hold a candle to this one. The characters were interesting and the story well worked. I feel I'm doing a disservice by not finding some constructive criticism but, for me, it just works."
- Larry Stevens, CEO senior-software developer/Philosopher


THE ARTISTS
PRODUCER /PUPPETEER, Steven Ritz-Barr , learned Puppetry Arts from Jean-Loup Temporal in Paris in 1980, while studying at L'Ecole Jacques LeCoq (movement/mime/theatre school). Jim Henson introduced him to film/video puppet work in 1985 in the Puppet Institute in Charleville, France. Later, in Paris, he worked as puppeteer for Alain Duverne ( French Spitting Image ) and Jean-Pierre Jeanet (before City of Lost Children and Amilie ). In 1989, in the USA, he puppeteered on Batman Returns, Men in Black, Alien Resurrection, Team America, and Muppets Tonight, to name a few. He has also performed 2 original puppet shows for young audiences primarily in So. California since 1996—over 900 times. He is presently focusing on his own puppet-film series—Classics in Miniature.

DIRECTOR/CINEMATOGRAPHER Hoku Uchiyama's first feature film, Bliss, got him accepted into the Art Center School of Design in Pasadena, where he earned an undergraduate degree in film. While attending Art Center, he directed eight short films, two documentaries and two commercials. ROSE, Hoku's 30 min. film presently touring film festivals, has already won eight awards worldwide. In 2003, he received 2 nd place at the Cannes Young Directors Awards for Prelude #2, a Drunk Driving PSA. This 90 sec. puppet- film began the collaboration between Steven Ritz-Barr and Hoku, and is part of Heather Henson's Handmade Film series.

PUPPET MAKER Eugene Seregin has been in the Los Angeles area for 10 years, after fleeing from his native Moscow, Russia. He worked on Team America and on several television productions as Puppeteer. He has performed his live marionette shows to audiences throughout Europe and many times in the USA. In Moscow, he worked for Obrasov's Moscow State Puppet theatre for 20 years.

COMPOSER John Greaves is a multi-talented musical artist, known to some as the virtuoso bass player in some of the more interesting "progressive" groups of the 1970s - Henry Cow, National Health - and to others as a singer/songwriter, and crafter of sophisticated, witty and beautiful songs. This distinction may mislead one into thinking that there have been two (or more) very distinct phases in his career, yet John Greaves has always stood at the crossroads of several musical traditions, which he has fused into a highly distinctive body of work.

A terrible drought has overtaken the land, and all the world has turned brown and lifeless. The Dragon King is ruler over all things water, and the people are beginning to wonder why he has not brought the life-giving rains in such a very long time.

An underwater fantasy based on Chinese folklore, Tanglewood Marionettes' latest production tells the tale of an intrepid Grandmother who journeys to the bottom of the sea to seek the Dragon King, and the answers to why he has forsaken the land above.

About Tanglewood Marionettes:
Founded in 1993 by Anne Ware and Peter Schaefer, Tanglewood Marionettes is a nationally touring marionette theater based in New England. Our repertoire consists primarily of classic tales performed by skilled puppeteers who have spent many years perfecting their art. We specialize in school assembly programs and have toured throughout the United States. Locally, we have performed at:

• The Children’s Museum in Boston,
• The Puppet Showplace Theater in Brookline,
• The Boston Athenaeum,
• The Yale Art Gallery,
• First Night, Boston,
• The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum,
• and at schools, libraries, theaters and festivals throughout New England and beyond.

In the interest of integrating our repertoire into school curricula, we have developed in-depth study guides and resource materials for our productions. Since our founding, Tanglewood Marionettes has performed for many thousands of students and teachers, to very positive reviews.

In 1997 and again in 2001, Tanglewood Marionettes was a featured performer at the Puppeteers of America National Festivals held in Toledo, Ohio, and Tampa, Florida. In addition, Tanglewood Marionettes has been invited to perform annually at the Center for Puppetry Arts in Atlanta, Georgia.  The Center for Puppetry Arts in Atlanta is considered by many to be one of the nation’s foremost puppetry centers. We are also the recipients of a 1999 Citation for Excellence in the Art of Puppetry, awarded each year by UNIMA-USA (The American Center of the Union International de la Marionette).

Learn more about Tanglewood Marionettes and their other productions on their website HERE