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The Rumpelstiltskin Society |
2010 Scholarship recipient Daniel Dold had this to say about PuppetFest Midwest 2010:
My Best Week Ever!
Or
Food - Puppets - Food - Puppets - Food - Puppets - Puppets - Food - Sleep!
I was a festival virgin, never had done it before, and was afraid and nervous, but WOW now I am hooked .
I was lucky enough to win a scholarship to this wonderful event, having never experiencing any events like I had no idea what to expect, well I am here to tell you, GO, if you ever get the chance.
The first day was I was like kid going off to college (really), when we arrived, the whole campus was a buzz. Meeting many people, food which I was to find out later was always around . Then off to my dorm room and got meet my roomie, Stan a great guy. Who works puppets with his girlfriend. We were quite different in our likes. He was a hand guy and me just a string guy, but we got along great.
The first day was so cool. Dinner and a Show. What a Show Mr. Phillip Huber, always the perfectionist. Great show and I think I love the question and answer segment as much as the show. This where the magician pulls back the drapes and shows how the magic is done. All week along there were many shows of all types of puppetry and of course all the great performances later at Pam’s place, where all the puppeteers let their hair down or just took it off.
I was able to take advanced marionette manipulation class with the one and only Phillip Huber, not only did we get expert knowledge in working the marionette, but we were able to use his marionettes, it was a dream playing with these marvels of mechanical perfection. It was amazing the puppets seemed to come life just held in a hand the slightest movement causing theses figure to do amazing things. I thought I knew how work marionettes, It was like learning to walk all over again and I loved it. I want to say this class is not easy, nor should it be. But I came back with a clearer understanding of gravity and pendulum movement and weight placement. We saw Phillip’s stage and how it all packed into medium suitcases and then when set up gave a large playing and storage area for the puppets. We also got see first hand how his Liza Minnelli was able to start as old lady and then become the one and only Liza.
At end all classes had a show and tell to show what we all had learned this was great too. This gave a chance to see what the other classes were about, and see which classes I want to take the next time I go
There was also a display of many great puppets which was also one of favorite things. I just loved looking at all the wonderful crafted puppets, it also so great to see some else’s take on animals and different story book people, all types puppets, I was just amazed. They were all posed so great too. Each was like little vignette from a show, very cool.
There was The wacky game show game, which I loved . There was sale which was way cool. And finally the raffle so many great and fun items, this is were all my bucks went. And won two of thing I put in for so that was great too.
Lets not forget all the people who work so hard to make this event look effortless, Debbie, Peter, the Crazy Barone’s, the great Drew Allison (who is great puppeteer and super great game show host), Phillip Huber who was in charge of the puppet exhibit at the Dorris Ryder Art Gallery. The great cafeteria staff, who served up meal after meal, I could go on, with names but you are know who you are.
ALL IN ALL: I met a great group of fellow puppeteers., saw wonderful shows , eat way too much food, and bought back wonderful treasures from the raffle. The week went by in what seems two days.
The class I took for me answered so many questions I had been wondering about. The first thing I when I got home was to start restringing some of my marionettes and sitting down and actually writing down the whole routine. I started as Phillip suggested and just playing with my Tina Turner in mirror to see what movements I liked and then put them all in order and BAM a routine to Addicted to Love .
In closing let me say this…..GO IF YOU CAN …you will learn and you will eat and will make many new friends and you will have the time of your life.
Dan Dan The Puppet man
