Puppetry News for the Southeast United States
Puppet Palooza is an afternoon of puppetry fundraiser event for the Atlanta Puppetry Guild. Proceeds will go to the guild’s scholarship fund, to help puppeteers further their craft, and to the Clarkston Community Center.
This year’s Puppet Palooza will be held at the Clarkston Community Center (3701 College Ave, Clarkston, GA 30021).
Full details can be found on the guild’s Puppet Palooza page.
Greetings from the Puppeteers of America Southeast Regional Director!
While I wasn’t able to attend the Puppet Paradise regional festival this year, I hear that those who did had a good time and got to experience a wide variety of shows and workshops. I’d like to extend my thanks to Keith Shubert and his crew for pulling it all together.
While the festival may be over, it’s not time to rest on our laurels – the year 2020 will be here before we know it. There’s a lot to be done before then at the regional level, and the regional leadership can’t do it all by ourselves. I really want your feedback on how you perceive the southeast region, what you would like it to do for you, and especially how you would like to see festivals evolve as we continue to move forward in the 21st century.
I’ve created an anonymous survey around these topics that should hopefully only take you about ten to fifteen minutes to complete. It includes some free-form fields, so you will have a chance to offer candid opinions if you wish. I encourage everyone to take the time to give me your feedback, as your responses will be taken into consideration as plans for the next two years (and beyond) are developed. The survey is available online at the following URL from Monday, July 9th through Sunday July 29th:
The survey is now closed – thanks to everyone who participated!
Thank you,
Kevin Pittman
Puppeteers of America Southeast Regional Director
Puppeteers of America | southeast@puppeteers.org
Puppet Paradise will be held June 28 – July 1 at the Warren Wilson College in Asheville, North Carolina, hopefully with supplemental events all week long!
Register for Puppet Paradise
World Day of Puppetry is next Wednesday, March 21st, and the perfect way to usher in the spring season.
How can you help to celebrate puppetry? Go to a puppet show at your nearest theater. Buy puppets for your children and teach them how to perform with them. Or even make a puppet of your own and share it with your friends, family, and neighbors.
Here are some of the events being held throughout the southeast to celebrate World Day of Puppetry:
World of Puppetry Celebration presented by the Puppet Guild of South Florida and ArtServe
Celebration at the Center for Puppetry Arts on Saturday, March 24th – Activities from Noon to 4 PM, with “Dr. Seuss’s The Cat in the Hat” playing on the main stage at 11 AM and 1 PM (tickets required for the main stage shows and the Center’s museum).
Charleston Day of Puppetry presented by the Charleston Guild of Pupppeteers – Details Forthcoming
From Keith Shubert:
MAJOR ANNOUNCEMENT!
I am regional puppetry festival director for 2018 and the main festival will be at the Warren Wilson College in Asheville, North Carolina, June 28 – July 1, hopefully with supplemental events all week long!
CALL FOR ARTISTS!
Artists interested in submitting for feature performances, workshops, and slam pieces please submit via this link: <Submissions Closed>
Please Spread the Word to any parties you think would be interested in presenting or attending! I want this to be big and I want to see you ALL there, so help me make that happen!
Watch https://puppeteers.org/southeast/paradise for updates as they become available.
In Fort Lauderdale, a wonderful, fantastic, exciting puppet exhibit, Les Marionnettes du Monde: Puppets of the World, opened on Saturday February 3, 2018. The Bienes Museum of the Modern Book has partnered with the Pellone/Barrett Puppet Collection and the Puppet Guild of South Florida to present a unique look at puppets from all over the world.
Location: Bienes Museum of the Modern Book, Broward County Main Library, 6th Floor – 100 S Andrews Ave, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301
The Pellone/Barrett Puppet Collection represents nearly 20 years of collecting resulting in a representative sampling of puppets from around the world. The exhibit includes Bamana puppets from Mali, marionettes from Sri Lanka and other Asian puppets, Mexican Sierra Puebla Puppets, Punch and Judy characters.
Applications are now being accepted through March 2nd for the O’Neil 2018 Puppetry Conference. Pre-conference intensives are June 9-17, and the conference itself is June 9-17, at the Eugene O’Neil Theater Center in Waterford, Connecticut. This is a high intensity conference for serious artists looking to take their craft to the next level.
There are several Puppeteers of America Regional Festivals this year, and it’s never too early to start thinking about what you want to attend. The current list with dates, locations, and links is provided below. While none are terribly close to the southeast, the Great Plains and Puppet Homecoming festivals aren’t too far off (Sorry, no indication yet as to whether or not there will be a Southeast Regional this year.)
The master list with more details can be found on the Puppeteers of America website.
In conjunction with the Santa Barbara International PuppetPalooza Festival
March 1-4 : Santa Barbara, California
WP Puppet Theatre’s biennial Conference on Applied Puppetry
June 1-3 : Calgary, Alberta, Canada
September 13-16 : West Liberty, Iowa
In conjunction with Puppets in the Green Mountains Festival
September 20-23 : Brattleboro, Vermont
Sunday February 25th and Wednesday February 28th
Includes a brand new introduction with Lisa Henson reflecting on the making of the film and the legacy of her father, Jim.
Check the Fathom Events website for theaters and show times (typically 2 PM and 7 PM each day)
World of Puppetry Celebration presented by the Puppet Guild of South Florida and ArtServe
Celebration at the Center for Puppetry Arts – Details Forthcoming
Charleston Day of Puppetry presented by the Charleston Guild of Pupppeteers – Details Forthcoming