costumes round 1

So, the first round of costume sketches is in.

Our costume designer had the brilliant idea to create all of the puppets outfits out of non-fabric choices. We worked on it for a while, how do we create a really cool non-human clothing experience without getting all performance arty on you? One of the first ideas was for Falstaff to have a suit made of budweiser cans....that didn't last, but it shows you where our heads were at. So, now Anne Page's outfit is made of flowers and twigs, the dr's outfit is made up of latex gloves, band aids, and pill bottles, and pistols suit of armor is actually a toy xylophone...so when he gets upset, he can either shoot out of the top of his head (like the puppet is built to) or he can play his chest...who would have thought I would ever type that sentence?

Pics will go up very soon.

we're on a road to nowhere

As the puppets have been being built, we have discovered that we may have hit a snag. They are turning out to be a bit larger when disassembled than we had first thought....which means that shipping them may be cost prohibitive.

The only answer: for JP and I to drive them across the country ourselves...with perhaps the puppets stopping to see national monuments along the way.

Actually, that idea sounds rather fantastic.

today's update

We've decided to create the Mistress Quickly puppet so that the puppetter wears a harness on her head that's attached to the head of the puppet - so that the head can have full movement. I've never worked with anyone with a harness attached to their head....makes me excited and nervous.....

The Puppets Begin To Take Shape

where everyone's heads are at

This is probably boring for the average person, but I wanted to share what a usual production e-mail looks like. This is a recent correspondance between our puppet designer and our costume designer, it shows the level of detail that everyone has to go into months in advance of rehearsal.

Hi,

Thanks for your kind words about our puppets. We are very much looking forward to your costumes.

You probably already know all this but…

Here is some more information about how the puppeteers hold/operate the puppets or have access to the mechanics inside them. This really does not impact design as much as construction. All the puppets except Falstaff are operated externally. However, most of them need ways to get the puppeteers hands through the costumes and into the puppet. Where the access points are will be easy to see once you get the puppets.

Access to head controls:

Caius, Shallow, Evans, Fenton, Quickly, and Pistol need access to their controls through their backs usually just between where their shoulder blades would be if they had shoulder blades.

Slender has a control handle just outside his body high up on the back.

Anne Page, Robin head controls are operated from below. Anne Page’s will be easy with her dress/gown. Her Flower petal drop rig will be up inside her suspended from her shoulders. Robin’s control will come out his rear. (Ouch)

Access to hand controls:

Caius, Shallow, Evans-Their hands are the puppeteers hand. There should be a re-inforced slit at the elbows.

My collaborators insist that boning or nylon ribbing is not necessary to keep the access point open and just makes the access point more noticeable. They just need to be able to get their hands in and out fast. The puppeteers will more than likely be switching hands. Therefore, both elbows should be opened.

Quickly, Fenton, Pistol, and Slender have rods coming out from their elbows. Their hands are puppet hands.

Anne Page and Robin hands are controlled by rods attached into the hands or wings. These are outside their bodies.

The legs and feet, I think we have already given out info. But let us know if you need more.

Rugby is a soft stuffed puppet with direct control. That is, the puppeteer grabs whatever is needed to be animated.

Simple is simple. He probably does not have a costume however since he is supposed to be a block of wood.

Quickly Fairy Queen will be a double. Right now we are not sure if she is operated from below or behind. We are waiting to see what the set designer, Mr. Bradley, will come up with for us to get some height.

Speaking of Quickly, would it be possible for her to have a head cover for the housekeeper version? We would like to just give her little wisps of hair under this cap. We will give the Fairy Quickly long flowing hair, so that she will have an even more fairy like quality.

We are also given Quickly hip movement so that she has a sweeping quality when she walks. She is modeled after a broom.

Sorry for such a long email. I hope this is useful information.

Bye and thanks,

Jon Ludwig

Puppet Construction

Puppet Construction is under way. We're building all the puppets at the Center For Puppetry Arts in Hotlanta.

Our newest thing we're focusing on is how to make the Falstaff puppet as large as we want it to be, while making sure that our actor won't die in the Orinda sun during day performances. Ludwig has done a tremendous amount of body puppets for tv, and Rosy Brown is THE guy for sports mascots, so we have the right people to figure it out, but the Orinda sun is equally as impressive...so it's just a matter of figuring out how to keep our actor alive...and fat.

Line Up!

A puppet line-up of the characters from Merry Wives.

Since this was drawn, two of the characters have been sent back to the drawing board, but it gives you an idea of where it's all going.

Right now, let fatty go first

So, my kids show in Rochester opened...at 9:45 in the morning, to a
packed house of kindergarten kids...who oddly seemed like the audience
I've been waiting for my whole life.

It was a truly inspiring experience, I'd never done children's
theater before, and now I think I'm totally hooked on it. I loooooved
it. It was also great, because the majority of the design team were
my old designers from Dad's Garage, just now getting to do their
designs with bigger budgets behind them. I couldn't have been prouder
of all of them, and they definitely re-inspired and reminded me why I
wanted to get into any of this in the first place.

At a talk back afterwards when asked what they thought the show was
about, one kids responded "the show was about that everyone loved the
show" now that's the kind of review I need to get more often.

Afterwards, the cast and design team went to breakfast, and then Dave
Keeton & I went to the airport to sit in the airport bar, drink
bloody mary's and catch up until our flights to the west coast left.

There's too much to go into that made the trip and the production
such a wonderful experience, but perhaps that in itself was what was
so great about it.