Hello friends! Long time, no speak and for that I sincerely apologize. Time was not on my side and the last newsletter did not make it out. Which sort of makes this a �double� issue covering April�s NDOP at the Zimmerli Art Museum in New Brunswick (Hats off to Penny Rapicano!) and our recent potpourri held at the Baird Community Center in South Orange.
Thanks to Steven Hollow for pulling our first potpourri off without a hitch. I was very pleased with the turn out not only from our members but from the community as well. Performances included an elegant retelling of �The Golom� by the Galapagos Puppet Theatre with the talents of Madeline Beresford and Steven Hollow. Lois Corwin performed her �Double ducky� show to the delight of many a young audience member. Next was our very own resident puppet master Mickey Talon (Talon Puppet Theatre) performing a delightful tale of a wayward rabbit who gets locked in a cage in the woods and escapes with the help of a clever skunk. And last, but not least, was yours truly (Chinaberry Puppets) performing some works in progress for shadow puppets. I want each of the performers to know I was very proud to share in this event with all of you and look forward to the next successful potpourri.
At the Regional Festival in Bryn Mawr we were rewarded for our hard efforts in rebuilding the Garden State Puppetry Guild by receiving a charter from the Puppeteers of America. What a thrill! Without all of your membership and support it would have never happened. Put down the newsletter now and part yourselves on the back.
Some changes will take place with the guild this coming year. The general meetings will alternate between workshops and performances. On January 12, 2003 there will be a workshop from the Talon Puppet Theatre �Making simple heads and hands for hand puppets�. I hope you will join us. We will save the business for board meetings. Anyone interested in becoming a board member please join us at the next general meeting and let your voice be heard!
Thanks again for a great first year everyone and I look forward to an even more productive second year serving as your president. Puppet on!
TO STORRS CONNECTICUT
May 18, 2003
Sit back, relax, visit with friends, and watch some great puppetry videos while being driven in a luxury coach to Storrs Conn. Visit the University of Connecticut Puppetry Arts Program and The Ballard Institute and Museum of Puppetry. What a wonderful day for anyone who enjoys puppetry!
The cost of transportation for the trip depends on how many people attend, but will be no more than $33.33 and as little as $21.27 per person. This trip is open to GSPG members, family and friends, and we will be inviting members from the Philly., New York, and Long Island guilds to join in on the fun. We need at least 30 people to sign up in order to book the coach and have space for up to 47. Reserve a space NOW by contacting Penny Rapicano at (973) 586-8412 or email [email protected].
Just to get in the mood, check out the website for the Ballard Institute at: www.sp.uconn.edu/~wwwsfa/bimp. See you on the bus in May!
5TH ANNUAL NATIONAL DAY OF PUPPETRY SUNDAY, APRIL 26, 2003
Now is the time to start thinking and planning for the next NDOP event! Last year the guild had a spectacular showcase of New Jersey talent at the Zimmerli Museum in New Brunswick. Many guild members worked together to make the day interesting and fun for everyone.
Now it is your turn to help make the 2003 National Day of Puppetry even more successful! Do you want to help promote puppetry arts in New Jersey? Do you have some outrageous new ideas? Would you like to be a part of the planning committee? Would you like to work with other talented guild members on a special presentation, show, or workshop? Are you aching to be involved, but not quite sure how? If you answered �YES� to any of these questions, please contact Penny Rapicano at (973) 586-8412 or email: [email protected].
by Bob Nathanson
I have been a member of the UNIMA-USA Board of Trustees for the past three years, and it has been a wonderful, enriching experience. A part of my duties has been to act as the liaison between UNIMA-USA and the P of A guild newsletter editors. I am going off the board this summer, but I will be joining the Nominations committee.
I hope that you will consider one day soon running for the UNIMA board, or at the very least being on one of our committees. I want to stress that you do not have to be a professional puppeteer, or even any type of performer to sit on the UNIMA board. In fact, what we desperately need are non-performing people, particularly those who have skills in marketing and grant writing. You can be the spouse of a puppeteer, a friend of a puppeteer or just a friend of puppetry.
UNIMA has an excellent publication, Puppetry International. We need people with an expertise in marketing in order to be sure that this fine publication gets into the hands of people who are interested in puppetry, particularly on an international scale.
We need your help. We need good, skilled people who are willing to make at least a 3-year commitment to UNIMA-USA. Believe me, it is a lot easier than it may sound. You will be joining a global community while having lots of fun and meeting interesting people who share your love of puppetry. Please give it some serious consideration.
You can find out more about the UNIMA board of trustees by going to the website at www.unima-usa.org or writing to them in care of the Center for Puppetry Arts,1404 Spring Street, Atlanta, GA 30309. The e-mail address is [email protected]. Or - if you are interested in running for the board you can contact me directly at [email protected]. Thank you.
Plans Second Season
Off to a rocky start the Puppet theater at the Baird in South Orange is growing and getting better.
In October Liz Evans and Renaissance Artists Puppets opened a new show �Tales from the Bayou� and in November Heidi Rugg of Barefoot Puppets presented �Dreamtime�. The final show of the season will be our own Matt Leonard and �the reluctant Dragon�.
Performers interested in being considered for one of the monthly slots should contact Steven Hollow. Shows may be of any length for families or adults. This is a perfect place to open a new show or to present one from your repertoire.
This is a small space, about 70 seats, with light and some sound equipment. If you have any questions please contact: Steven Hollow
[email protected] or call
973-762-3632 between 9am and 7pm only.
Materials can be sent to : Steven Hollow, 159 Academy Street, South Orange, NJ, 07079
Youth and adult scholarships are available for the 2003 Puppeteers of America, Inc., National Festival to be held in Tahlequah, Oklahoma June 29 through July 5, 2003. Deadline for completed applications is February 1, 2003.
For information and/or application, please contact: Aretta Baumgartner, P of A Scholarship Committee, 5097 Sumter Avenue, Cincinnati, OH 45238-3824.
513-471-2579 [email protected]
September 8, 2002 meeting
The GSPG received its charter from the P of A at the Regional Festival.
Suggestion from Terri to skip one of the summer meetings and we will still be meeting our charter requirements for the number of meetings required per year.
Bonnie Berkowitz arranged for performance space a the College of NJ for Nov 10.
Next Years meeting schedule was proposed as follows:
General meetings; January 12, March 9, May 18, September 14, November 9, 2003
Mickey Talon agreed to run a workshop.
We discussed planning another potpourri for next year.
Jack Herman offered to run some theatre games. Jim Napolitano and Peter Bruchner have been contacted about being potential performers for next year. Matthew Leonard expressed interest in performing �The Emperor�s New Clothes�. New members Nicole Cody and Pat Mcfadden introduced themselves. Preston Foerder offered to run the t-shirt campaign. (just kidding Preston!)
Board meetings will be implemented to plan meeting topics and performances as well as newsletter�s and other business. Tentative dates for board meetings: February 6, April 10 and August 28, 2003. Postcards will be mailed our 2 weeks prior to each meeting to serve as reminders. Newsletter submission deadlines: February 1, April 1, August 1, and October 1, 2003. Newsletters will be mailed out on the 15th of each month.
By Renaissance Artist Puppet Company
review by Theresa Sakelarides
On the evening of October 19th I had the pleasure of dining with the Renaissance artists Liz, Kat and Ryan at the home of our newsletter editor, Steven Hollow. It was the night before the show�s debut at the Baird Community Center in South Orange, NJ. Steven�s family generously opened their doors to the company. What a fun evening we had, I even got a sneak peek at some of the scenery and shadows!
On Saturday night, October 26th John and I packed up the kids and headed down to the Lion Theatre at St. Mark�s Episcopal Church in Philadelphia to see The Renaissance Artist Puppet Company�s performance of �Tales from the Bayou�. Featuring two vignettes from Louisiana Bayou folklore. The first was Taley Poe performed with shadow puppets. Kat Pelviak wrote and narrated this spooky tale of a swamp creature who gruesomely gets back the tale he lost. Very funny voice work. Next we were treated to Mama�s Down Home Cookin�. I nearly fell off my seat laughing as we witnessed poor barefoot Mama and her oblivious husband solve the problem of feeding their 25 children. I won�t tell you how they did because this show is a must see. (I will say that my oldest son was a bit nervous until I reassured him we had enough food to go around.) After the performance the troupe generously allowed the audience members to walk backstage and explore the space and puppets. Up close and personal the puppets were so well made from surprisingly simple materials. I was so inspired.
I�m looking forward to having many more opportunities with the Garden State Puppetry Guild and visiting artists. To see �Tales from the Bayou�, and I highly recommend that you do, visit their webpage www.renaissanceartist.com for public performance dates.
Include �Newsletter� in the subject line.
Please send payment to:
Matthew Leonard
Stratford Apts. (27-5)
Route 9N
Old Bridge, NJ 08857
2003 National Festival
June 29th -July 5, 2003
Tahlequah, OK