Ok, so, I'm flying high above the American Southwest at the moment, and I was busy saving Hyrule from goblins (thanks Nintendo Switch) BUT when the battery was low, I needed something else to do, and that's when I realized... I NEED to stop procrastinating.
ENTRY 2: Ok that's hilarious. I started writing the above as my flight to LA was finishing. It's three weeks later now and I'm back in the airport. Oh it was NUTS. Training with the talented artists at the Jim Henson Company was truly a dream. But I'm not gonna talk about it yet! No! I really, really want this blog to represent a rough timeline of my career, and I always get too busy doing my career to update the blog. There's been some very exciting developments lately (did I mention the Jim Henson Company?), and before I get to them, I want to finish covering the projects of the last few years, at least in a perfunctory fashion. Luckily for me, the plane I thought I was getting on doesn't exist, and I'm trapped in the airport with nothing to do. Did I say "luckily?" I'm sticking with it. So first, old stuff, and THEN new stuff. No dessert till I finish my dinner!
ENTRY 2: Ok that's hilarious. I started writing the above as my flight to LA was finishing. It's three weeks later now and I'm back in the airport. Oh it was NUTS. Training with the talented artists at the Jim Henson Company was truly a dream. But I'm not gonna talk about it yet! No! I really, really want this blog to represent a rough timeline of my career, and I always get too busy doing my career to update the blog. There's been some very exciting developments lately (did I mention the Jim Henson Company?), and before I get to them, I want to finish covering the projects of the last few years, at least in a perfunctory fashion. Luckily for me, the plane I thought I was getting on doesn't exist, and I'm trapped in the airport with nothing to do. Did I say "luckily?" I'm sticking with it. So first, old stuff, and THEN new stuff. No dessert till I finish my dinner!
The Amazing Story Machine
Ok, so this puppet show of ours has gotten a little love in past posts, but now I'm finally going to lay it all out for posterity.
We received a Family Grant from the Jim Henson Foundation to create The Amazing Story Machine (click that link for more show info.) As if that wasn't exciting enough, we were also invited to do a week-long workshop culminating in a showing as part of PATCH (Puppetry at the Carriage House), which meant getting to spend a week creating at the Jim Henson Carriage House on the Upper East Side.
We then went on to a month-long run at The Tank, in Midtown Manhattan. THEN we went to the wonderful Puppet Showplace Theatre in Brookline, MA. THEN we performed at Symphony Space back in Manhattan. THEN we did something crazy like 10 shows in 4 days over the New Year's holiday back at Puppet Showplace. THEN we ended up back at The Carriage House for an APAP showcase. So the Machine got around! Now it sits, waiting, in my parents' garage. It did recently come out of its slumber for the shadow puppets we did for A Midsummer Night's Dream. But I get ahead of myself. More on Dream at the end of this post.
We received a Family Grant from the Jim Henson Foundation to create The Amazing Story Machine (click that link for more show info.) As if that wasn't exciting enough, we were also invited to do a week-long workshop culminating in a showing as part of PATCH (Puppetry at the Carriage House), which meant getting to spend a week creating at the Jim Henson Carriage House on the Upper East Side.
We then went on to a month-long run at The Tank, in Midtown Manhattan. THEN we went to the wonderful Puppet Showplace Theatre in Brookline, MA. THEN we performed at Symphony Space back in Manhattan. THEN we did something crazy like 10 shows in 4 days over the New Year's holiday back at Puppet Showplace. THEN we ended up back at The Carriage House for an APAP showcase. So the Machine got around! Now it sits, waiting, in my parents' garage. It did recently come out of its slumber for the shadow puppets we did for A Midsummer Night's Dream. But I get ahead of myself. More on Dream at the end of this post.
Turn of the Screw
Directed by my mentor Kim Bent at Lost Nation Theater, and performed with my dear friend Laura Erle. We both narrated. She played the protagonist. I played everything else. It was intense. I loved it. Acting!
Bohemia!
My fifth production at Muhlenberg Summer Music Theatre. I originally became acquainted with Noah Dach (circus wunderkind) while I was still completing Doppelskope's Grilogy (Gruff!, Grimm!, and Growl!) during our first three SMT summers. We finally collaborated on Wild! which you can read about in an earlier post - it was a bucket list project for me in that it was my first full circus production. I clowned, I did aerial, I juggled, I danced! Noah was a great director and choreographer
Then, when Noah was completing his own trilogy two years later, he asked me to come back as his co-director. Noah was performing in his own show for the first time, so he needed an outside eye. I was flattered to be chosen. Noah set all the choreo and then handed his baby over to me. It was my first time directing a project that I hadn't written. I don't have access to photos from it here in this airport, and it's my blog, so here's a photo of good ol' Upside Down Scheer:
Then, when Noah was completing his own trilogy two years later, he asked me to come back as his co-director. Noah was performing in his own show for the first time, so he needed an outside eye. I was flattered to be chosen. Noah set all the choreo and then handed his baby over to me. It was my first time directing a project that I hadn't written. I don't have access to photos from it here in this airport, and it's my blog, so here's a photo of good ol' Upside Down Scheer:
The Creatures of Yes
Ok, Creatures has gotten some plugs in past/recent posts too, but damn I love this project! Jacob Graham is a genius, I love working with him, and I'm certain your day will get better if you stop what you're doing and go watch some Creatures videos. I'll drop the most recent one below. Also we're releasing our biggest project yet next year! Creatures was one of the creative anchors and sane-makers for me this pandemic, and I'm super grateful Jacob was willing to pod up with me and make art happen when the world had stopped.
A Midsummer Night's Dream
Yes! I did it! The back logging is complete! Huzza!!! *pats self on back*
So, somehow, I made a 51 minute film adaptation of Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream. The film crew and puppeteer cast was just my beloved partner Kate, and aforementioned/beloved Creatures of Yes creator Jacob Graham. It was produced by my old dear friend Eric Love through Northern Stage with funding from the Helen Gurley Brown Foundation. Kate and I made something like 36 or 38 puppets for it. You'd think I would remember the exact number, but we weren't sleeping a lot at the time, and I'm in an airport right now and I'm not re-counting. Watch it!
So, somehow, I made a 51 minute film adaptation of Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream. The film crew and puppeteer cast was just my beloved partner Kate, and aforementioned/beloved Creatures of Yes creator Jacob Graham. It was produced by my old dear friend Eric Love through Northern Stage with funding from the Helen Gurley Brown Foundation. Kate and I made something like 36 or 38 puppets for it. You'd think I would remember the exact number, but we weren't sleeping a lot at the time, and I'm in an airport right now and I'm not re-counting. Watch it!
More to come....!
Now that i'm finished with back-logging my old projects, I'm ready to talk about the new stuff next time!
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