This past July, puppeteers from around the country gathered at the campus of North Central Missouri
College for the first annual PuppetFest MidWest. The focus of the five-day festival was on twelve-hour
master classes, which were offered to promote, encourage and illustrate by example the traditional skills
that are the building blocks of Good Puppet Theater. The PuppetFest was rounded out with excellent
performances, a beautiful puppet exhibit and lots of time to kick back and chew the fat with friends, both new and old.
Planning to teach a twelve-hour class about shadow puppet construction seemed daunting to me.
But by mid-point I realized I needed even more class time and students from just about all the workshops
seemed to want more time as well. It was a great idea to create a long workshop format, giving participants
a chance to build some wonderful puppets. In addition to my shadow class, other fine puppeteers offered
other workshops. (I have reluctantly agreed to teach again next summer, but I really want to take some
of the other classes offered.) Drew Allison of Grey Seal Puppets led a session aimed at creating foam
sculpted moving mouth puppets. Stephen Carter of the Carter Family Marionettes taught a class in wood
carving (a class I want in on...), Philip Huber modified his class and taught advanced marionette marionette
techniques. Lynne Jennings offered a wonderful class of Bunraku and Tabletop manipulation and Bob
Burns offered a special look into the world of Toy Theater (yet another class I'd like to take).
Paul Mesner was slated to teach a class on Humor and Improvisation for Puppet Theater but due to
low sign ups he instead just walked about the festival saying random funny things.
That is not to say that Paul got off the hook. His performance of Rapunzel was
witty and charming much like Paul himself. And speaking of performances, the festival
was loaded with some of my favorite artists. Grey Seal, The Huber Marionettes, Lynne Jennings,
Pix Smith and the Dallas Puppet Theater, Parasol Puppets, The Carter Family Marionettes, Eulenspiegel Puppets,
Nick Barone Puppets, Bob Burns and Leon Van Weelden all performed in the amazingly beautiful
Grundy County Jewett Norris Library's Hoover Theater. (Check out this theater online: puppetfestival.org)
The Hoover Theater was cozy and well designed technically (I know because once again, I was on the Tech crew)
but even more wonderful was the helpful staff and the enthusiastic public that attended many of the shows.
After the shows we all made our way to the Wild Onion. This off-campus (two blocks walking) restaurant
provided food and libations, a chance to talk with the other participants and even some entertainment
from the celebrity bartenders. (I can't believe we got Phil Huber to man the bar.) And after a
full (but not too full) day of workshops and performances we made our way back to the dorms.
They were the nicest facilities I've ever experienced at a Festival (the rooms were equipped with
microwaves and mini fridges).
The PuppetFest MidWest was a great and enriching experience that I would recommend to anyone. The staff,
performers and teachers were all excellent (and I'm not just saying that because I was a member of all
three...) I'm looking forward to going back to Missouri next summer.
Emma Pontious, Grand Rapids, Michigan
I got a lot of weird looks when I told people that I was going to Trenton, Missouri for vacation this summer. The looks got stranger when I told people it was for a puppet festival and that I'm going to school to become a puppeteer. Usually when I tell people about my career my explanation is followed by "That's nice, but what do you want to be when you grow up?"
The beauty of festivals such as this one is that for a few days you are surrounded by people with similar interests. They get all the same strange looks and all the same questions; "That's nice, but what is your real job?" Festivals are a time to share knowledge and learn from others, to get a creative kick in the pants. For me, PuppetFest MidWest was that and then some.
Frequently, when attending festivals I feel overwhelmed. There is so much to see and do, i often have to pick and choose. PuppetFest MidWest was planned perfectly, I never felt I was missing a thing. The morning would start with an intensive workshop. We each chose one workshop and attended it all week. Instead of having maybe an hour of instruction in the workshop's topic, we had twelve hours to truly study it. I never felt rushed in the workshop, we had plenty of time to build, practice and ask questions. At the end of the week, we all shared what we had learned and it was clear to me that all the workshops were of the highest quality.
In the afternoon and evening there were plenty of performances to attend. I have always disliked having to choose between performances at festivals and luckily that week I didn't have to make a choice. The performances were all scheduled in such a way that it was possible to see every single one, and see them all I did. Each and every performance was of the highest caliber and even as the end-of-festival exhaustion started to set in I was there and attentive for every single show.
The whole week was wonderful; the activities were well planned and worth every minute. For me, however, the best part wasn't something that was written into the daily schedule. It wasn't a class or even a performance. For me the best part of the festival was the accessibility of the artists. Frequently at larger festivals, I'll see a show and really enjoy it. I tell myself I'll have to find the puppeteer and start up a conversation, only to never see the performer again simply because the festival is too large.
PuppetFest MidWest was almost the perfect size. It was large enough that we were able to have quality performers and workshop teachers, yet small enough that I could track down a performer and ask questions. I spoke with most of the performers that week and learned so much from the conversations I had with them. Every person I talked to was willing and eager to share his or her knowledge and experience with me, and once word got out that I was wanting to start doing my own solo puppetry, many people approached me with advice and anecdotes of their own experiences.
I found every person there eager to share knowledge with a young puppeteer. There I was, surrounded by professionals in the field of my choice, all willing to tell me about their start: things to do, things to avoid. The experience was unlike any I have ever had. The knowledge I gained and friendships I made are invaluable. In my opinion, PuppetFest MidWest was a great success and I would highly recommend it to anyone.
Megan Sensenich, Olathe, Kansas
This summer I was lucky enough to be one of three scholarship recipients for the first ever PuppetFest MidWest, and in July I headed off to Trenton, Missouri to enjoy my free week of puppetry. Not only did I enjoy myself, but I also learned much more at the festival than I was expecting. It was the great atmosphere that the festival created that made this learning possible. Everyone who attended, from beginning puppeteers like myself to those who have been performing professionally for years, came to share and learn from each other.
One of my favorite things about this festival was the large amount of workshop time we had. Unlike other festivals I have attended, at the festival everybody chose one workshop and went to that same workshop everyday. I took Jim Napolitano's shadow puppetry workshop and during the week I learned a huge amount. I hot to make my own shadow screen, several types of shadow puppets using different materials, learned a little about the history of shadow puppetry, and even put together a brief performance piece. Another great thing about the extended workshops was that they really allowed time for the instructors to answer questions that arose and to share little helpful tidbits that they have discovered during their careers. I learned as much from these discussions as I did from the planned lessons.
These discussions took place during the whole festival, not just in the workshops, and they are what made the festival most valuable to me. It was a very friendly and open environment with approachable performers that were willing to answer questions and help in any way they could. I knew that when I had a question I could simply go and ask and the person would be glad to talk to me.
I feel that the smaller size of the festival really helped create this atmosphere. It never felt overwhelming and I got a chance to talk to almost everybody there and learn from their wide array of backgrounds and experiences. I also found it encouraging that almost everyone there seemed to be serious about his or her pursuit of puppetry. Whether they were just starting out and didn't really know what they wanted to do yet, or had been performing for years, they were rally working hard and devoting time to this. As a young puppeteer I found it very inspiring to see this dedication from so many people.
I greatly enjoyed my experience at PuppetFest MidWest and left feeling inspired and excited to go out and use what I had learned. I plan to attend again next year so that I can continue to learn from the puppeteers I meet there and be inspired in my own work. I recommend that anyone who is serious about puppetry and would like to do the same, join me.
Joel Brubacher, Kitchener, Ontario, Canada
I found out about PuppetFest MidWest through the Puppetry Home Page on the Internet in February. I had decided that I must do something intensely puppetish this summer, and this seemed to be the thing to go to. The workshops and the size of the festival seemed appealing to me, and I also recognized some of the performers and workshop leaders. I just had to remember where the heck Missouri was... Before I knew it I was applying for a scholarship, buying plane tickets, and flying into KCI Airport.
Trenton is indeed a small town - it felt as though this festival was the main attraction. The location was perfect, with all events happening within walking distance of each other. North Central Missouri College had everything we needed to go absolutely puppet crazy for almost a whole week. Workshop space was great, and the Hoover Theater and Main Street Theater were ideal venues for puppet performance. There was a beautiful art gallery showcasing puppets from all over the place. Some wonderfully crafted work; from simple to intricate, and dramatic to goofy. After each day we had a chance to unwind and chat at the Wild Onion Cafe. How often are places like this entirely full of puppet people?
I had been looking forward to the workshop for a long time, since I'm a big fan of Drew Allison and his polyfoam puppets. Every day we worked on our own puppets with Drew's helpful hints and tricks. "It's foam, for God's sake!" It was great to have an ongoing project to come back to daily, and have a finished product at the end of the week.
Performances! Wow. I have never seen so many puppet performances in one week - or one year for that matter. It was great to see so many different styles and ideas. I learned that some of the simplest ideas can be incredibly effective when done properly. And many ingenious set-ups - I loved seeing behind the scenes after the show. There was always a chance to talk with the performers, ask questions and poke around a bit.
I think that what may have impressed me most about the festival were the people. Since this year was fairly small, there was a chance to talk with everyone at the festival at some point, whether in the cafeteria, at the Wild Onion, or throughout the day. It was really cool to meet some of the people that I've heard about and find that they are wonderful real people that want to share knowledge and just talk about stuff - I'm new but I quickly felt like a part of it all. I'm quite convinced that all puppet people are a rather amazing lot. Maybe because they have an uninhibited sense of play and love to think of things in different ways. (Maybe I just like people who a little bit Wacky...)
I would like to express my HUGE thanks to everyone who helped put this festival together. I have been inspired to try new things - different styles and ideas. Puppetry is a very worthwhile pursuit - many people just don't realize it yet. See you next year!
