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NCPG: BOARD INTERVIEW QUESTIONS
(As asked by Dino...) What’s your elevator pitch of what you do? Who you are? I keep it simple and just say “I’m a puppeteer.” How long have you been involved with the NCPG? Why are you involved? I have been a member of NCPG since 2020 I think. I joined while in graduate school as I needed a bigger puppetry community and was home sick. I’m involved because I learn so much from staying connected and sharing in the community. I also just really love the folks who join the guild, such great people! What is a highlight moment from being with NCPG? I think my first make-a-thon with NCPG. I was still at UConn and working on one of my puppets for my MFA show. It was so wonderful to be in the NCPG community during that time. I got so much help as I proto-typed my dog puppet. And I remember giving the folks on the call a video tour of the Puppet Lab of UConn that weekend. Peter Court in particular was so grateful for getting to see some of the special stuff there. It helped me feel connected because here was a whole group of people appreciating the amazing history of our puppet ancestors as much as I did. Most influential puppeteer on your life? Gosh! There are so many puppeteers that have influenced my life at this point. Two in particular come to mind: Heidi Rugg and David Lane. Both have been mentors to me and helped me grow on my journey becoming a puppeteer, maker, storyteller, etc. David was the first person who taught me how to build puppets when I went to the New England Puppetry Intensive in 2015. Up until that point, I was figuring out how to build puppets on my own. And more recently Heidi, who I perform with regularly, has been showing me the ropes in all kinds of ways: performing, touring (how to pack a cooler!), and how to take your story-ideas and turn them into real puppet shows! Proudest puppetry moment? My proudest moment so far has been performing my MFA show Replay at UConn in 2022. It was a long haul (partly due to COVID) through difficult terrain to make that vision a reality and tell an epic personal tale through wordless puppetry and dark clowning. Most unusual puppet build? I think the most unusual puppet build I’ve had to date is the one I’m doing right now for Round House Theater’s A Hanukkah Carol. Of the many puppets I’m building for the show, I have to build a Hanukkah Future puppet that is a giant Alexa-knockoff device. Biggest puppetry disaster? My first puppet slam was a disaster. I was still in my early twenties and had just started my journey into puppetry. I think the slam was in February that year, and I had been dumped by a romantic partner the month before the slam (right after Christmas!). Instead of canceling my involvement, I said to myself “Self! You are not going to let this break-up have ANY impact on your life.” (I was in denial.) And that included the choice to do a slam that I was totally underprepared for. I was up until 3am the night before the slam making a bird puppet out of a glove and fabric and soda bottles, etc. At 3 am I thought I had an AMAZING puppet. I did the slam and it was a disaster for so many reasons, and then a week later as I was sitting in a pile of shame over the whole thing, I looked at that bird puppet and realized how terrifying it was. HAHAHA! Now it’s funny to me, but back then it was mortifying. Hardest part about the professional life you’ve chosen? I think it’s really hard to constantly deal with other people relegating puppetry to children’s fare. I think it’s really hard to get respect from our society and culture. I think it’s really hard for us to do puppetry well when it demands so much practice and so many different skillsets and we constantly encounter people who do not know that puppetry is a profession. I think it’s hard to manage my own expectations and other people’s expectations about what puppetry can and can’t do. Goals? Dreams? Vision for your future? I’d like to see us all return to deeper connections to land and each other. I think puppetry can help do that through the stories we choose to tell and how we tell them, from what we make our puppets out of to how we approach our audiences. Words you live by? Advice to other creative spirits? “The work is hard. Do the work.” -Nicholas Rose, ballet dancer Whatever resources you have available to support your work, take them! And then pay it forward as much as possible. What caveat do you have for a puppeteer NOT to do? Don’t keep the dreams in your head from appearing before your eyes. Let those imagined beings and stories see the light of day! Anything else you’d like to share with NCPG membership? Hmmmm…..talk to your puppets and listen to them. Why do you think Dino is THE best puppet character? Obviously it’s that je ne sais quoi shade of green Dino fuzz that makes Dino THE best! And the handsome accent, I think.
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NCPG: BOARD INTERVIEW QUESTIONS
(As asked by Dino….;) What’s your elevator pitch of what you do? Who you are? I’m Sarah Bourne, NCPG Board Member at large. I’m a puppet and costume fabricator. I have a BFA and an MA in Puppet Arts from UConn, and MFA in Interdisciplinary Theatre from Towson University. I’m currently the costume and puppet shop manager at West Virginia University. How long have you been involved with the NCPG? Why are you involved? I first joined the NCPG as a college student after the Toledo Puppeteers of America National Festival in 1997. I met a group of guild members in the lunch line and was assimilated on the spot. I’m involved because the sense of community, the resources, and shared knowledge are invaluable. What is a highlight moment from being with NCPG? John McAnnistan, in general. He always remembered who I am when I came to the Puppet Company box office (and always included carousel tickets!). An infectious smile and a brilliant sense of humor. A generally welcoming human being all-around and much missed. Most influential puppeteer on your life? In college, I was in a show directed by puppeteer Preston Foerder at the Contemporary American Theatre Festival in Shepherdstown, WV before I started attending UConn. Since (and because of) going to UConn and working with Preston, I’ve been able to see so much puppetry from all over the globe, it’s hard to pin-point who’s been the most influential. Proudest puppetry moment? Seeing a picture of my kid at Michelle Finston’s workshop in the Puppetry Journal. Most unusual puppet build? I’m currently making a puppet for WVU Medicine that demonstrates a nasal scope procedure - including what goes on inside the body! Biggest puppetry disaster? My first attempt at building a hand puppet stage fell over and then fell apart during a rehearsal… Hardest part about the professional life you’ve chosen? Creating a work/life balance has been really difficult for me. I also am bad at getting started on projects and conversely letting those projects take over my time. Goals? Dreams? Vision for your future? I like to tell myself I’m living the dream! But seriously, my goals right now are to do what I do and take care of my body at the same time. I’d like to retire while I can still be active and not retire because I can’t do the work anymore. Words you live by? Advice to other creative spirits? I had a supervisor tell me that the worst thing that would happen if I messed up a project would be that I would have to start over. This statement scares the students I work with, but for me, it’s been permission to approach work without fear. I will try anything (once!) and if it doesn’t work or doesn’t serve, it’s time to try something else. Risk! Fail! Risk again! What caveat do you have for a puppeteer NOT to do? Don’t hold back! Throw everything at the wall and see what sticks. Anything else you’d like to share with NCPG membership? I’m so glad you found the NCPG and are part of our community! Why do you think Dino is THE best puppet character? Dino is obviously the best spokes-dinosaur around and an excellent ambassador for the NCPG. I still have 40-some-odd of his (puppet) friends ready to come to his next birthday party! NCPG: BOARD INTERVIEW QUESTIONS
(As asked by Dino….;) What’s your elevator pitch of what you do? Who you are? Jill Kyle-Keith: Owner and Queen of Beale Street Puppets. Jill of all Trades, really! Performing, building, selling on Ebay due to Covid! Pulling a living out of the thin blue sky since 1988! How long have you been involved with the NCPG? Why are you involved? Um, let's see- I first joined in 1980 or 81, after I moved to NYC. I was a member of both the NY guild and NCPG for about 5 years. I'm involved because who understands puppeteers better than other puppeteers? You all are my weird tribe! What is a highlight moment from being with NCPG? Pretty much all the Regional Festivals of the past, most notably at Bryn Mawr. Young, full of vim, vigor and whatever booze people had in their doom rooms, we stayed up til all hours talking puppetry and life's ambitions! Most influential puppeteer on your life? Everyone says Jim Henson. But I have to say, though admiration for the Muppets got me starting to think about doing it for a living, really, it was Judy Brown and Bob Brown who showed me what puppetry could be like as a profession. And a huge, huge part of why I am here is Jim Rowland and Paul Malerba of Apupetsho Productions. I worked for them for 8 years, got to travel, do cruise ships, go on long tours around the country, and I really learned how to run a company from them. And I still miss both of them. Proudest puppetry moment? I performed at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in Scotland six weeks after a C section with my son Scotty (named for Scotland, you betcha.) And we won a Fringe Citation that year- given that there were over 600 participants, well, zowie, kids. Most unusual puppet build? Oh, geeze, there have been so many- I guess the huge dragonfly on wheels for a parade in Baltimore years ago. Oh, and an even bigger 17 foot long dragon that breathed fire for a children's dinner theater in Rehoboth, De- that show lasted one night but it was sooo much fun building! Biggest puppetry disaster? Getting hired as a workshop manager by Barbara Aiello for Kids on the Block, setting up a workshop for them, buying supplies, hiring stitchers and builders, teaching them to build the puppets, and then getting fired as soon as the heavy lifting was done so she could save money. (12 puppeteers were also fired that day so she could switch to using volunteers only). Learned a couple lessons there: never let someone else use your love of what you do against you, don't make yourself disposable, and never work for anyone else ever again. Hardest part about the professional life you’ve chosen? Working for myself. Also tax season, oy vey, amiright? And also? Americans think puppetry is just for kids. That's kinda frustrating. I like doing shows in Europe where it's more respected! Goals? Dreams? Vision for your future? Well, since Covid, shows have dropped considerably, and I'm feeling more like perhaps the Universe is trying to tell me something! so I'll share with you my Impossible Dream: The Tiny Things Museum of Baltimore, Md. I've been working on this idea for a couple of years now- a (very) small museum dedicated to vintage dollhouses, (I'm a collector), puppets, small art and things of beauty. Life from a kid's point of view, really. Goals are kid's workshops, weekly puppet performances (a VERY small stage) and even some evening adult stuff. I own a building already, and fortunately it's commercial, but I'm not sure this particular area of Balty can support it. So, looking for a better space, and a move in a year or two. Words you live by? Advice to other creative spirits? Words to live by: No Such Thing As A Perfect Show; Finished is Beautiful, Just Make a Decision Already; and, of course, Take Your Accident Elsewhere (this is for driving on the Beltway). Advice to other creative spirits: Don't copy the Muppets, for pete's sake!! Do your own jam. And kids? If you can find a partner, do so. Going solo is hard, and the most successful companies start with 2 or more dedicated individuals. What caveat do you have for a puppeteer NOT to do? Do NOT expect to make anything other than the barest essentials for living. If you can make a living at it, you are automatically a success. In my graduating (theater) class at U of Md, I can say honestly that I am the only one working in anything resembling theater for the last 30 years. Puppetry pays lousy, but the benefits are Freedom and (mostly) Happiness. Anything else you’d like to share with NCPG membership? I miss my original NCPG puppetry pals- so many have passed on to The Halls of The Mountain King- so here's a quick shoutout to Judy Brown, Doris Baldwin, Bill Hopkins, John McAnistan, Terry Snyder, Jimmy and Paul, and more. And much love always to us 'young ones'- Susan Wall, Don Becker, Heidi and Sam, Allan, Mayfield, and Christopher, and of course the ever-young Bob Brown! Why do you think Dino is THE best puppet character? Because he's a damn dino! I mean, Jurassic puppetry, man! Predates even the Neanderthals! Plus if you can do puppetry with those tiny arms you gotta be good! What’s your elevator pitch of what you do? Who you are?
I am a mixed media artist, museum administrator, and puppeteer. How long have you been involved with the NCPG? Since before COVID. I don’t remember the exact year I began. Why are you involved? I was told that joining the board would be a “piece of cake,” and that the group would only meet a couple of times a year. Not True! The board is very active with planning events year-round . It is enriching connecting with other working puppeteers. What is a highlight moment from being with NCPG? Helping with planning the National Puppetry Festival in Maryland. I got to see a wide variety of puppetry from across the country and internationally. It was exciting to be immersed in so much creative energy Most influential puppeteer on your life? Gary Jones. He was a bit of a hermit artist when I was introduced to him in Chicago. I interned with him for two summers during college undergrad. After college I performed with his newly formed troupe, Black Street USA, before striking out on my own. Proudest puppetry moment? Current show: The Civil Rights Children’s Crusade. The show challenged me to develop a story about a significant event in American history, focusing on youth. A rod puppet narrates the story while manipulating wooden cut out puppets. He ends the show by engaging the audience in a chant about children in the civil rights movement. Even though I am in full view while performing, the audience loses me and focuses on the puppets. Photo included. Most unusual puppet build? Most of my puppets are human figures, not too unusual. The heads and hands are made of plastic wood; the body is soft sculpture, like a doll. I once made a bird rod puppet, inspired by African art. The materials were plastic wood, raffia, and African kente cloth. Photo included. Biggest puppetry disaster? I once smashed a puppet’s head by forcing a trunk to close. The puppet required surgery. Fortunately this was not before a performance. Photo included. Hardest part about the professional life you’ve chosen? Keeping a balance between performance and studio production. You have to make time for these while dealing with day-to-day life stuff. Goals? Dreams? Vision for your future? To continue being creative and sharing my art. The times spent in studio and in performing are most rewarding for me. Words you live by? Do at least one of these each day: produce, perform, exhibit, travel, sell (PPETS). Advice to other creative spirits? When in doubt, trust your gut, and keep moving. What caveat do you have for a puppeteer NOT to do? Never let someone else put limitations on what you are capable of doing, Anything else you’d like to share with NCPG membership? The membership is a terrific resource for sharing information. Take advantage of the potential connections. Why do you think Dino is THE best puppet character? Dino is so likable and friendly. NCPG: BOARD INTERVIEW QUESTIONS
(As asked by Dino….;) How long have you been involved with the NCPG and why? I’ve been a passive member of NCPG longer than I can remember, probably since the 1990’s. I became active during the Pandemic when meetings went virtual. I think it’s really important to build community around the art we love. It’s a great way to learn, grow and share. What is a highlight moment from being with NCPG? The virtual festivals, workshops and builds that came out of the pandemic were a shining light during a dark period. The way the NCPG board and membership came together to build an international forum was truly inspirational. The guild continues to adapt, finding new ways to engage and serve its membership. Most influential puppeteer on your life? It’s hard to name just one, or even a few puppeteers who influenced me. I’d say the other members of Black Cherry I’ve worked with over long periods have been an inspiration because we fed off each other’s creativity. The challenges and support we would throw at each other made us work harder to create better puppets and performances. Proudest puppetry moment? Every time I perform before a live audience, and they suspend disbelief to enter the world of the puppet is my proudest moment. I lose myself in the act of making that world come alive. I’m still in aw after more than forty years and immensely proud of each show. Hardest part about the professional life you’ve chosen? Running a theater and trying to find time to make my own art. Words you live by? Advice to other creative spirits? Risk, fail, risk again! -O’Neill motto You gotta have a dream. If you don’t have a dream, how you gonna have a dream come true.” -Cole Porter Put the bandaid on before you get cut. -Me. What caveat do you have for a puppeteer NOT to do? Never let the audience know you’re f*!king up or let your f*^k ups get to you on stage. Your audience is with you. Why do you think Dino is THE best puppet character? Not only is he the mascot of the National Capital Puppetry Guild, Dino throws the best parties anywhere!  What’s your elevator description of what you do? Who you are?
How long have you been involved with the NCPG? Why are you involved?
What is a highlight moment from being with NCPG?
Most influential puppeteer on your life?
Proudest puppetry moment?
Most unusual puppet build?
Hardest part about the professional life you’ve chosen?
Goals? Dreams? Vision for your future?
Words you live by? Advice to other creative spirits?
Why do you think Dino is THE best puppet character?
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Monthly Interview!Each month we'll feature a short interview provided by one of our board members. Archives
November 2024
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