Theatre Festivals and Conferences I have Loved

Today was orientation and the beginning of class.  We all introduced ourselves.  There are several visual artists here who will be great resources for the rest of us.  There are also directors, playwrights, seasoned puppeteers, designers, and novices here.
We played an ice breaker to get to know more about each other.  One is from Australia.  Another is from Trinidad.  Yet another has been to 18 different countries.  My roommate is a fibers and textiles major at MICA. One works at the Factory Theatre. It's a mixed bag - That makes for more creative projects in puppetry.
Ann Powell of Puppetmongers showed us the van load of puppets she has built or bought from around the world.  Hand, rod, string, and shadow -- She starts with the story and then develops the kind(s) of puppets that will best convey the narrative.  That was a repeated theme today.  It's something I have to remind myself of as I become enamored of a particular kind of puppet.  ...Still, I so want to create a set of bunraku-style puppets with multiple heads and costumes!

 

 
 
 
 
 
Just seeing such an eclectic collection of puppets is inspiring.  So many ideas start generating.  tomorrow we will begin with the breath.  Ours and the puppet's, I assume.
One thing all my classmates and I have in common: We were all wiped out by the end of today.  Got to gear up for a longer one tomorrow.