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  • 1.  looking for puppet shows

    Posted 12-29-2017 14:02
    Hi everyone--Last year I went to a workshop on puppetry.  I loved it so much that I have been working with my stagecraft class to create life sized puppets.  I now want to produce a puppet show as part of our spring show to take to the grade schools in our district.  I have been looking at scripts that have adapted Aesop's Fables to use but wondered if anyone has any other suggestions. Thanks for any thoughts you can give.;)

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    Lisa Neal
    Theater Educator
    Nokomis Regional High School
    Palmyra ME
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  • 2.  RE: looking for puppet shows

    Posted 12-30-2017 23:07
    What if you looked at adapting a children’s book? Maybe a book that is popular with the students you are performing for.

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    Carolyn Little
    High School English Teacher
    Toms River Board of Education
    Beachwood NJ
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    Original Message


  • 3.  RE: looking for puppet shows

    Posted 01-03-2018 00:07
    Hmm, if not children's shows, could you create something original? 

    I've always been astounded by how much the puppet (or masks) can free up the students creativity in terms of generating a multi-faceted or profound or hysterically funny piece. Could you perhaps see what happens when given a theme what the students can come up with? Maybe it doesn't have to be a continuous, full piece but can be a series of loosely connected stories around a given framework? 

    'Making Theatre: The Frazzled Drama Teacher's Guide to Devised Theatre' has 11 different strategies to creating pieces based on numerous stimuli. I wouldn't see that creating such work with puppets would be any hindrance, and might actually be pretty liberating and fun for the students on top of their puppetry, if understandably daunting.

    What an awesome opportunity! I am not a little envious of the exciting choices ahead of you!

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    Phillip Goodchild
    Theatre Arts Instructor

    Etobicoke ON
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    Original Message


  • 4.  RE: looking for puppet shows

    Posted 01-03-2018 15:07
    Most of the really good puppet-based shows I've seen over the past few years have been adaptations of local mythologies. (PigPen, while limited to the use of mostly shadow puppets, does a great job adapting rustic Americana narratives.) I'd recommend having your students ask their parents, their grandparents, their community board, etc. for local folktales. I'm originally from Western New York and, just off the top of my head, can think of at least a half dozen that would make great puppet shows. (Sometimes, if you go into neighborhood gift shops, they'll actually have books of local legends. You can't find them online, but you can definitely find them around town.)

    Not only does this give your students a chance to make brand-new theatrical works together, it also gives them a chance to connect more with the local community and take pride in their hometown.

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    Victoria Chatfield
    Executive Director
    National Theatre for Student Artists
    www.nationalstudenttheatre.org
    vchatfield@nationalstudenttheatre.org
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    Original Message


  • 5.  RE: looking for puppet shows

    Posted 01-04-2018 07:50
    The Center for Puppetry Arts in Atlanta GA may have done terrific suggestions for you.

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    Douglas Rome
    Director of Theatre Arts
    Fairfax County Public Schools
    Burke VA
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    Original Message


  • 6.  RE: looking for puppet shows

    Posted 01-04-2018 10:58

    Hi, all--

    I love the suggestions re. puppet shows floating around in response to the query about puppet scripts.  I agree that folktales and world lore are a great jumping off point for puppetry stories as many, many cultures around the world have been telling tales with puppets long before we existed as a country--let alone existed as a theatre-making one!  This allows form, function and fable to merge--which I find is always so rewarding as an artist AND an educator.  I'd especially suggest African lore as the large puppets referred to in the original query have such an incredible place in African culture.  Take a look here: African Puppets

    As far as "ready made" scripts with/in the style of puppetry referred to as inspiration, take a look at Nan Rump's PUPPETS AND MASKS: STAGECRAFT AND STORYTELLING.  There are some fabulous group scripts at the end (presented as narrated tales) that could possibly be adapted.

    Don't hesitate to reach out directly as/if needed!


    All my best,

      



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    Aretta Baumgartner
    Education Director
    Center for Puppetry Arts
    Atlanta, GA
    www.puppet.org
    arettabaumgartner@puppet.org
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    Original Message


  • 7.  RE: looking for puppet shows

    Posted 01-08-2018 08:15
    Aesop's (Oh So Slightly) Updated Fables by Kim Esop Wylie (Baker's Plays) might work for you. Or at least be a good jumping off point for students to write their own (slightly updated) fables.

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    Dianne Rowe
    Birmingham AL
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    Original Message


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