Puppet Slam Network

Jessica Simon Gets Nasty, Brutish & Short (well... sort of)

2012-02-16T12:48:00.000-08:00

Jessica's work has been seen at the Austin Puppet Incident, Toy Theatre After Dark Festival inMinneapolis, the National Slam inAtlanta, Puppet Playlist in NYC, andNasty, Brutish & Short Puppet Cabaret(NB&S) in Chicago. She co-curates NB&S and serves on theArtistic Direction Committee for PuppetFestival (r)Evolution.

2012, photo: Marielle Solan (at PuppetPlaylist)

Marsian: What was your entry into the world ofPuppet Slams?

JessicaSimon: I'm pretty new to slams - I'veonly been involved for about a year. My friends Dan and Lizi performed mypiece The Talleys at the first NB&S in March of last year. I wasexcited to revisit my participant piece from the O'Neill Puppetry Conference.

M:What cities have you performed in Puppet Slams in?
JS: I’ve performed at slams in Chicago, New York, Atlanta, Minneapolis,and Austin. I got a bruise on my head from a flying piece of chocolate atthe National Slam in Atlanta...

M:What lead you to become a Slam curator? What would you say is distinctive aboutNasty Brutish and Short?
JS: I sort of inherited my spot withNasty, Brutish & Short. Seth Bockley and Julia Miller curated thefirst one and before the second one in the fall Julia asked if I'd like to helpout because Seth had a lot of other projects on his plate. One thing thatI've been particularly interested in trying to make happen at each one ishaving an out of town guest artist. We've hosted artists fromMinneapolis, Indianapolis, and I'm super excited that we have not one, butthree visiting artists from Kansas City and Brooklyn for our upcoming showMarch 5^th! I'm grateful to the Puppet Slam Network for helping usmake that happen.

M:Where would you say you are in a Puppet Slam Circuit?
JS: I know there are a couple thathappen in Minneapolis, but I don't think that constitutes a circuit...

M: Yes! There’s actually two in Minneapolis: Forthe Love of Puppets and Full Moon Puppet Cabaret. I have also recently learnedthat St. Paul started hosting one as well.
JS: Super!

Why do you think Puppet Slams are important? What gap are they filling that isnot filled by other forms of puppetry? Who cares?
JS: I think slams are a great way to introduce audiences to many differentstyles of puppetry and get them to realize that it's not just kid stuff. Also, it helps audiences develop their palate. If there is a short piecethat sucks, maybe they'll learn that the piece itself was bad, not that allpuppetry is bad. Does that makes sense?

M: Puppets don’t suck… People do!

JS: Also, I think Beau said this before, it is a goodkick in the pants for artists. Having a deadline forces you to work onthat idea you've been kicking around in your head.

M: Do you have any upcoming slams youplan on performing at or organizing?
JS: Our next cabaret is March 5th!

M: Well stay tuned to our calendar to find out moredetails (sign up here)! . . .Jessica, what actually motivates you to create a puppet slampiece?
JS: I have a little notebook where I jot down ideas and that's where a lotof those ideas die.... having that slam deadline is an excuse try some of themout.

M:So sad when ideas die… Now who would yousay on the circuit is killer?
JS: I'm inspired by (and a bitjealous of) Connor Hopkins and Carolin Reck down in Austin [hosts of Austin Puppet Incident]. Not onlyare they creating awesome long-form work, but they've created a great littlepuppetry community that works together creating short pieces for theirslams. From what I understand they host regular open shop nights andanyone who wants to can come in try something out. I'd love to have aregular workshop time for people to collaborate. There is somewhat of acommunity here in Chicago, and it's growing [with Puppet Meltdown], but I'd love to mix it up even more and have adedicated time and place for people to come together.

M:What pieces do you have in circulation to perform in puppet slams? And wherecan people reach you if they want to ask you to perform?

JS: The Talleysis a 2 person tabletop piece that follows the changes in the lives of a coupleand Mustachioed Pistachio is about anut that has his mustache stolen. I can be reached at jess.simon@gmail.com.

M:Where do you want to see the Puppet Slam Network in the Future?
JS: Like I said before, I'm gratefulto the Slam Network for providing opportunities for artists travel, myselfincluded. I'd love to see that continue and expand.

M:What advice do you have for up-and-coming slam performers?
JS: Try and see a lot of stuff, talkto people after shows, ask veterans to do something with you.

Open Call - Beady Little Eyes #Portland

2012-02-15T23:34:00.000-08:00

via Katie McClenahan of Beady Little Eyes Puppet Slam #Portland #OR - deadline April 1st

Performance: April 20th

Hi Puppeteers of all shapes and sizes!

Submissions are now open for the next Portland Slam-a-ganza!

WHERE: Funhouse Lounge - 2432 SE 11th (just north of Division)

WHEN: Friday, April 20 @ 8pm AND MAYBE, Saturday April 21st @ 10pm (if interest is strong enough for two nights in a row, great..otherwise, just the Friday night)

THEME: Heroes & Villians

FOR LIVE ACT SUBMISSIONS: Please email your proposed puppet showin a short 2-3 sentence synopsis. It can be a show you've already done ora new piece that you have yet to work on. (Example: I want to perform apiece about a lobster who saves his best friend, Clammy, from a dark, watery death. Hero!) If we are not already familiar with your work,please send pictures of your past work or a website/youtube link. Your pastwork does not have to be puppets; it can be paintings or collage or sculpture,something to show what you can do.  All shows must be 2 - 8 minutes in lengthand must relate to the theme: Heroes and Villians. Tell me which night you can/want to perform! Or both!

 FOR FILM SUBMISSIONS: Please send a youtube/vimeo link to katie@beadylittleeyes.com. You may also maila DVD.

  Send all submissions to: Katie@beadylittleeyes.com and PLEASE specify which night you are available or if you are interested in both nights! You do NOT have to have two different shows to perform on both nights.

 Please submit your shows by April 1st to be considered.

If you travel from outside of Portland, let's talk about a travel stipend!

Thank you and have a heroic day

SOIREE in Great Small Works studio 2.19.2012

2012-02-15T06:37:00.001-08:00

Next in our series for the sharing of developing work. Come share a story or a drink. It's entirely free!

Sunday, February 19, 2012 at 7:30 PM

20 Jay Street, Room 214, DUMBO, Brooklyn, NY

Committed presenters are:

ERIN BELL, musician/performer/philosopher

Do Right Belly Fire, Do Right Monkey Brain

An exploration of desire and love -- based on texts by Deleuze and Guattari, P. Chodron, and various neuroscientists and psychoanalysts, including Golden Retriever love affairs, babies, and a cockroach opera.

ALEX GOODMAN AND DYLAN GALLOWS, filmmakers

Extracts from the film Paradise Ends Here, and ode to totemistic creatures who trek to the beach and two friends that tramp with them. As they trek the desolate winter landscape their cameras capture images of the shadows of last summer and the sounds of the spirit of the cyclone ripping through tarps. Coney Island, before we even met you held me captive.

JOHN FARRELL, actor

Scenes from a developing one-man show about the life and work of Walt Whitman.

(tent.) JANA ZELLER, SPYBIRD THEATER, puppeteer

Madame Schnuckenack

This puppet piece in progress is the story of an elegant woman--a rod puppet--who waits by the sea side for the return of her sailor son. She is haunted by shadows of his life. She has to put up with two obnoxious hand puppets who inhabit the same pier where she camps out. The excerpt is a scene out of the life of the two hand puppets, Kasper and Schatzie.

Valeska Populoh serves Baltimore flavor with Puppet Slamwich!

2012-02-14T22:36:00.000-08:00

PSNdishes it up with German-born curator, Valeska Populoh, who serves up Baltimoreflavor with Puppet Slamwich! WhenValeska isn’t curating Slamwich or teaching in the Fiber Department at the MICA, she is busy as a culturalorganizer and performing artist, herself. In 2011, Valeska co-curated Transmodern Festival. She has also collaboratedwith Black Cherry Puppet Theater, Nanaprojects, Bread and Puppet Theater and GreatSmall Works.

Marsian:How did you enter the world of Puppet Slams?

VP: I have performed at a couple of slams andpuppet cabarets, beginning as a human puppet host back in 2006. I haveperformed at Black Cherry slams in Baltimore and at the Puppet Pandemic when it came to the Puppet Co. in Glen Echo. I ammore so involved in the curation of the Slamwich! at Black Cherry PuppetTheater now, trying to build the puppet community (performers and audience)here.

M:Where did you get the idea to host Puppet Slamwich?

Marsian talked me into it.

M: Flattery will get you everywhere withme, but seriously..

VP: No - Seriously. We have a great littlepuppet theater in Baltimore. There were some folks organizing cabarets andevents featuring puppetry for a while in Baltimore - including MaestroSensational, a kind of puppet variety show that was a big hit. After some of the artists left town, the showswere no longer happening and people really seemed to miss these puppetperformance events, since there was really nothing quite like it inBaltimore. I was making performances myself that were related topuppetry and had friends in the art community that were equally interested inpuppetry.

M: You had mentioned that you traveled alot and saw the puppet scenes in other cities…

VP: ..like New York, but I had a much smallercommunity to draw on in Baltimore, so organizing regular shows was tough. Over the years, I had built relationships with puppeteers along theEast Coast through my involvement with Black Cherry, The Puppet Company,Nanaprojects, Great Small Works and Bread and Puppet. Occasionally, a couple ofout-of-towners would come through Baltimore - like RPM Puppet Conspiracy from VT and Austin, and we started to buildshows around these touring performers.

M: It seemed like when we met at the O’NeillPuppetry Conference in 2010, you werestarting to go in a new direction with puppetry..

VP: We spoke about the scene in Baltimore. Youencouraged us to apply [for a Slam Grant] - which we did. And so, by committingto a certain number of dates each year, we really needed to get on the ballwith recruiting performers. The first few were tough, since our pool was small.But with time, more and more people who may not even have worked in 'puppetry'before started making work for the slams, inspired by the work they saw. Moreand more people have gotten wind of the slams, and have approached us aboutperforming here, which is GREAT!

M: What other Puppet Slam Artists are you inspired by?

VP: RPMPuppet Conspiracy from VT and TX is great. Their shows are usually a littlebit longer than the average slam performance. They just have a great sense oftiming. Their shows tackle serious topics but are always a riot.

KathyFahey is a lovelyperformer, too. So different. She creates very short pieces - crankies withpaper cut shadows that she unscrolls as she sings.

PorchPuppets (C. Ryan Patterson,Rachel Valsing and Mary Pulcinella) just started here in Baltimore. They areartists and were regulars at our slams and were really inspired by the workthey saw and started to make shows. Their most recent overhead projector shadowshow was based on the children's story Millions of Cats. The puppetswere gorgeous, and the story sweet and funny.

M:What pieces do you have in circulation to perform in puppet slams?
VP: I have a piece called Professor Bluegill and His Harbor School of Fish. I performdressed in a giant fish head and suit, as Professor Bluegill, and read acautionary tale to my pupils about the perils of the Chesapeake Bay. The pieceis mobile, since the School of Fish is mounted on the back of a bike.

M:Where can people contact you to perform?

VP: causecompany@gmail.com orvaleskapopuloh@yahoo.com

M:Where do you see the future of Puppet Slams?

VP: More slams in more cities so that it iseasier for people to tour from one site to another. We still need to get betterat coordinating our dates with other slam sites, though! This can be tough,since many slams are organized by a volunteer crew of folks with other jobs. The Puppet Slam Network reallyhelps us get a bigger picture of what is happening along the East Coast in thecoming few months!

What advice do you have for Puppet Slam Artists who are just starting out?
Go watch a lot of performers. See what makes people laugh and respond. Seewhat works and what doesn't. Don't be discouraged if your first performancesflop or have flaws. Keep performing and making more work and seeing more workand talking to other performers in order to learn and grow!

Geeking out on Puppet Slams with Beau Brown

2012-02-14T18:39:00.000-08:00

In our latest Lives of theSlam Artists series, PSN interviews Beau Brown, curator of Atlanta’s Puckin’ Fuppet Show, The Puppet Slam atDragonCon and the National Puppet Slam.

Beau has been involved inPuppet Slams for the past decade. The Puckin’Fuppet Show is one of PSN's more prolific slams, clocking in at eight slams per year. Recently, Beau curated thevery first National Puppet Slam, showcasing some of the best Slam pieces fromthe PSN, at the National Puppetry Festival. The next NationalSlam will be August 3^rd – 5^th , 2012 at the Center for Puppetry Arts.

photo courtesy of Beau Brown

Marsian: So, when did youstart performing at Puppet Slams?

BeauBrown: My first puppet slam piece was when I fresh out of college and had justmoved back to atlanta from Dallasin 2002. It was at the Puppet Slam at Dad’sGarage Theatre. It was called Beefand it was about a small army of steaks liberating some other steaks from acow.

M: Sounds like a serious political piece... And what are some other Puppet Slams you have performed at?

BB:We do some many slams here in Atlanta. Ihave no idea how many I have done now. I have performed in Slams in Atlanta,Asheville, New York City, and New Jersey. I have had some of my videos andfilms screen in other cities. I suppose New York City is the furthest I havephysically gone. I think the most rewarding was the first National Slam at thePuppet Festival last year. I have received such great feedback from both otherpuppeteers being inspired to start their own slams back in their cities becauseof it, and from the older generation of puppeteers who had never reallyunderstood what Puppet Slams were about, thinking it was just a bunch ofcussing puppets with no real artistic merit. I think they got a betterunderstanding of the short form puppetry format and that Slams aren’t just“Potpourris.”Just being able to bring together some of the most talentedpuppeteers out there and get them all on stage together was a real honor.

M: Where did you get the indea to host Puppet Slams?

BB:Lucky Yates at Dad’s Garage Theatre in Atlanta started one of the oldest slamsin the country [after Great Small Work's Spaghetti Dinners - running since 1985]. That and another show at that theatre called Late Night Creepy Horror, which was moreof a variety show that was heavy on puppets. I had never had any real formal puppetry training and sort of cut mychops at his shows for many years. It was a really supportive fun environmentthat focused more on comedy rather than “high puppet art.” That slam was four timesa year and it really gave me a deadline and a reason to write shows.

Itwas at the slam that I created the piece that would later become my web series The Sci-Fi Janitors. About three yearsago, Caroline Masclet started The Puckin’Fuppet Show, which was a competitive slam with cash prizes. After a few shows she moved to France andasked if anyone wanted to take over and keep the show going. I volunteered. At first I didn’t host the show. I just organized it and had local actors,puppeteers, and stand up comics host it. It was after hosting at the National Festival,where I had such a good time that I started hosting my own slam. The Slam at Dad’s Garage was a sort of best ofAtlanta’s puppeteers getting together to put on a show. The Puckin’ Fuppet Show is much more like aloose open mic amateur hour type event where new people are encouraged to giveit a shot. Like I say at the show, “Atlanta has a lot of really incrediblepuppet art, this isn’t it” I usually have no idea what the show is evengoing to look like until about an hour before it starts and everybody who isgoing to perform has shown up. Which is really stressful and nerve wracking butI just try and remind myself that it always works out.

M: When do Puppet Slams go wrong?

BB:I have been at some slams that have done a great job of pushing the envelopeonly to have been criticized for it. The idea of censoring a puppet slam goesagainst every bone in my body. No one ever got sued for doing a puppet show.That is a really unhealthy and unsupportive artistic environment and not whatthe Slam Network grant is for at all. I am very fortunate to be my own bosswith my Slam and I don’t have to answer to anyone else with it. Some otherslams are tied up in the politics of their local puppet community and don’thave the kind of freedom.

M: Tell us about afabulous failure and what you've learned from it.

BB:Never try and simulate the sound of someone’s pelvis cracking by breaking celeryinto a microphone. It won’t work.

M: The more you know! Now why arePuppet Slams important to you? What gap do they fill that is not filled byother forms of puppetry?

BB: I feel like Slams fill a several important roles. It is great way toget your feet wet in the art form [of puppetry]. Other than doing full-length kid shows ordoing videos online, there isn’t really another way to get started. It is a way to try things out in front ofaudience and see what sticks. For me itwas crucial to have a deadline. I would love to be the kind of artist who isinspired to build puppets and write shows because it just came to me, but I’mnot. I have to sit down, usually withsomeone else and say, “Okay we need ashow.” The structure of the slamsgives me the kick in the pants and I need to write something. Since puppetry is the synthesis of all artforms (visual art, voice, and movement), it opens so many doors to so manydifferent kinds of artists. Puppetryallows us to tell any story we can imagine… ANY. The possibilities are trulyendless. The only other art form that I think allows that is animation. I would love to have the patience to doanimation, but I don’t. So puppetryallows me to tell those stories. However most of those stories aren’t an hourlong. So how else can I get them frontof a live audience? Puppet Slam.

M: Do you have any upcoming slams you plan on performing at or organizing?

BB: The 2012 National Puppet Slam is coming upAugust 3^rd, 4^th, and 5^th at the Center for Puppetry Arts. All of the slams in the network will be nominating their best pieces. The Puckin’Fuppet Show will continue to chug along with its eight or so slams peryear. I plan on performing in the new Spork in HandPuppet Slam in Columbia, SC, and I am goingto try and make to the Wham Bam Puppet Slam in Asheville NC. Then there is the Puppetry Track at DragonCon, which is a beast unto itself. It will be like a mini puppet festivalinside a 50,000-person convention. I am really excited about that.

M: Where do you find the impetus to do a Puppet Slam piece?

BB: A deadline, a song, apun, a visual gag, half-awake/half-asleep thoughts, wanting to experiment witha new style.

M: Which Puppet Slam artists inspireyou?

Ireally love Madison J. Cripps - wehave a bromance. His process is so completely different than mine. He makes apuppet first and then writes the show around the character and I start with thestory first and make the puppets from that. I think I would really like to try start froma character place first. I would alsolike to try my hand at marionettes, which I have never done. I really love Honey Goodenough’s work. I would love to get some tears out of theaudience sometime. Dr. Gregg vanLanningham is an incredibly witty dialogue writer. I would love to write withhim sometime.

M: What pieces do you have incirculation to perform in puppet slams?

BB:The Moon is about the real transmissionsfrom NASA’s first touch down on the moon. In Doris and the Orifices, Doris and her a cappella band cover Don’tStop Believin. In A Man and his GayHorse, a cowboy helps his faithful horse understand himself and they bothlearn about friendship.

M: I’ve seen that! It’s very Broke-back-I’m-not-sure-what…Anywho, what are you looking forward to?

BB:As a performer I really like traveling and performing at other slams and wouldlike to do more of that. As a producer I really look forward to discovering newtalent out there and giving artists opportunities to perform and getrecognition.

M: Where would you like tosee the Puppet Slam Network in the near future?
BB: I would really love to see the tour show idea come together,but I can see why it is hard to get together. I defiantly want to continue withthe National Puppet Slam. I think itis really awesome and important for the best of the Puppet Slam Network toget recognized and to put all of those people together in the same room.

M: What advice do you have for puppet slamperformers just starting out?
BB: DO IT! Start a slam! Crash anopen mic night with your puppets! Make videos! Keep throwing stuff at the walltill it sticks! Something will and it will be awesome!

Beau has a degree inTheatrical Design and works at the Center for Puppetry Arts. He has a taste forBuffalo wings, He-man, and comics. His dislikes include: throw pillows,listening to people chewing, and people using his birthday as an excuse to eatcake.

As a puppet filmmaker,Beau created the web series, The Sci-Fi Janitors and also collaborateswith The New Puppet Order, which produces puppet shorts seen at several film festivals. Beau’s Puppet Slam at theDragonCon convention in Atlanta was such a success that the convention askedhim to program the Puppetry Track, a full range of puppetry events including aslam at the 2012 convention. Stay tuned for details!

Lives of the Slam Artists: An Interview with Valerie Meiss

2012-02-13T20:42:00.000-08:00

In our latest profile of Puppet SlamArtists, PSN chats it up with Valerie Meiss, curator of the Wham Bam! PuppetSlam in Asheville. When not hosting Puppet Slams, Valerie tours the countrywith a band of musicians and puppet shows. Valerie playsaccordion and novelty instruments such as the saw, ukulele, or toy piano. Shelives and works in her studio known as “The Vaudeville House” in downtownAsheville.

2011, Photo: Zen Southerland

Marsian: What was your very first Puppet Slamexperience?

Valerie Meiss: I've been performing in puppet slams for a littleover two years. My first slam experience was one I was not puppeteering in, myband was asked to perform our strange puppet musical stage show, The Hellblinki and Cripps Puppet Spectacular(with Madison J. Cripps of Cripps' Puppets), for the South Eastern PuppetryFestival in Wilmington, NC. It was my first exposure to the Puppeteers ofAmerica, The Puppet Slam Network, UNIMA, and nearly every professionalpuppeteer I know. There, Madison and I took full advantage of our complementarypuppet festival badges and became immersed in the festival. The rest of my band,I do believe, went to the beach. At the regional festival, we met Beau Brown,who became not only a fast friend, but also our biggest supporter and colleaguein putting on puppet slams - which we would be doing in the near future.

M: In all the slams you have performedat, what was the freakiest show you have seen?

VM: I've performed or beeninvolved with five or so puppet slams, mostly in the Asheville area, andAtlanta. The freakiest show I've ever seen would probably have been KeithShubert's “Chair” piece. It was inthe 2011 Wham, Bam! Puppet Slam, itwas 4 seconds long, and consisted of: Returning from Intermission. A scream.Lights up. Keith, still screaming is naked, strapped to chair, and a puppet,that is where his unmentionables ought to be, is waving around a collapsiblelock blade knife. Lights out. It was sensational, and caused some controversy,but the audience loved it! And it served its purpose beautifully.

M: What was the worst puppet slam you’vebeen to?

VM: I have been lucky tohave not been in any disastrous puppet slams. Though the worst slam I've been atwas probably a couple years ago, it was a fine slam with many wonderful pieces,but it was too long, and the audience seemed to have been misinformed that itwas an adult show with adult content. We discovered later that many of them hadcome to see a specific piece and didn't understand the nature of the show as awhole. This was a fantastic learning opportunity and now I feel when promotinga slam, nearly half of my publicity is putting out a disclaimer.

M: What is the Wham Bam! Puppet Slamlike?

VM: I am one of the coordinators,along with Madison J. Cripps and Keith Shubert (Toy Box Theatre). Wham, Bam! isnot so much unique as it is ours. It's in Asheville, a thriving arts communitythat needed it, and has embraced us. We are trying out various formats for theslam as well, we've done fancy multiple show runs with it, but on National Dayof Puppetry, we'll be trying to do a one-off quick and dirty, low tech show, tosee if we can involve more people in Asheville who are not professionalpuppeteers, per say.

M: Are you part of a slam circuit ofnearby cities to perform at?

VM: The closest city that has a regular slam isAtlanta's Puckin' Fuppet Show, and we're about to be a part of the first puppetslam in Columbia, SC, Spork in HandPuppet Slam. I feel more and more a part of the Puppet Slam network sincethe first National Puppet Slam atlast year's Puppet Festival in Atlanta, also the Slam Symposium workshop letslam coordinators, participants, and potential colleagues meet and share ideas,strategies, and just network and make new friends.

M: What was it like hosting your firstPuppet Slam?

VM: The first slam I was a major driving force in waslast year's Wham, Bam! Puppet Slam. It was thrilling, challenging, fun,teetering on the edge of chaos, but just coming round to be a spectacular show.I loved it, I learned from it, and I am ready to do it over and over again.

M: Tell us about a fabulous failure andwhat you've learned from it.

VM: Oh wow... maybe my reluctance to say means thatthe wound is still fresh? . . Lets just say, technical requirements andMurphy's Law make wretched bedfellows. I have learned to cope with technicaldisasters in fun and friendly ways, to curb egos in a non-defamatory manner,and to (most importantly) take control of a situation (which is easier saidthan done), but I have certainly learned its importance.

Oh, also, don't ever everuse a smoke machine!

M: Why are Puppet Slams important? What gap do they fill? Whocares?

VM: Well I care, forone. I like to laugh at jokes that are on a more adult level of humor, whetherit's bawdy, or sophisticated, it's still not for kids. Also I can't write a 45-minutepuppet show to save my life, yet. But I can make vignette scenes that are beautiful,touching, funny, creepy, whatever. Short form puppetry happens to be myfavorite sort.

M: Are you hosting any upcoming slams?

VM: On April 28^th,The Wham Bam! Puppet Slam presents TheNational Day of Puppetry: Quick & Dirty Puppet Slam! It's a lengthytitle, but there was so much information to get out.

M: What inspires you to create a puppetslam piece?
VM: beauty, chaos, unfinishedstories in my head, songs, friends of mine, relationships, odd facts I recallfrom history class... anything and everything!

M: What other Puppet Slam artists are you areinspired by?

VM: Lyon Hill did a piece for us last year called Supine. It was very technical, butworked fluidly and an audience member even said, that it was “worth the price of admission.. The rest wasicing on the cake”, I am all right with being icing on that cake. It waslike live animation, paper puppets painted in watercolor, filmed andsimultaneously projected onto a screen, it was stunningly beautiful. I workwith watercolor and paper puppets, but not like this, it was inspiring and I amtrying to think of ways to learn from it.

M: What pieces do you have incirculation to perform in puppet slams?
VM: Thirty Centimetres, is about a controversial preserved penis in aRussian museum. It is rumored to belong to Gregori Rasputin. It was an odd bitof trivia that I've known about since grade school, so I made a puppet show outof it. Finding a small pink party favor novelty penis at a thrift store didn'thurt either.

Doom & Gloom is about the end of the world, it's a self-containedsuitcase show, where Madison J. Cripps and I try to sell “Doom and Gloom”insurance. It was inspired by a song we made up walking down the street aboutzombies and other doomy gloomy things.

I'm Just a Fish (and nobody loves me) is a cute bit about afish (a head puppet) that is looking for love. It is the most pathetic song Icould write about fish and play on the ukulele. It was supposed to just be ashort distraction piece (so puppet shows could set up or tear down behind me)but it has developed a life of its own.

M: Where would you like to see the Puppet SlamNetwork in the future?

VM: I would love to seea puppet slam tour, it would be a feat to find time when enough people wereavailable to do it, but a week or so touring up a coast or the Midwest, orsomewhere, putting on puppet shows and maybe workshopping in cities to helpthem start puppet slams would be a really lovely endeavor.

I also like the idea of encouraging slams to get video projectors and screensand have a system where slams can show other slam's work, either as filler, ifit's needed, or to show some brilliant show that just happened in Seattle tothe fine folks of Asheville, because how else will they get to see it?

M: What advice do you have for up andcoming slam artists who are just starting out?

VM: Do it! Do it now!And promote it, and promote it as an adult show, so you don't have to deal withupset people. (It shouldn't be a big deal, but sometimes it is.) And have funwith it! And send me an email if youhave questions, I feel like I'm able to help out sometimes! And I've asked abunch of questions myself, so I know whom to recommend.

M: One last question, what’s the story with yourphoto?!?

VM: Its a stillfrom street performing with Thomas Butler as a can of Beef Ravioli, and MadisonJ. Cripps in his Walking Theatre Project - a day in the life.

Lives of the Slam Artists: An Interview with Carole D'Agostino

2012-02-11T21:58:00.000-08:00

CaroleD’Agostino is a seasoned Puppet Slam Artist, who has performed at over 50puppet slams in 20 venues since 1999 and has worked in various forms ofpuppetry since 1986. Join PSN as we talk to her about hoarding, puppets and her life on the small stage...

photo byBill Wadman

Marsian: How long have you been performing at Puppet Slams? What was your veryfirst slam experience? Were you under duress? What kind of piece did youperform?

Carole: I have been performing in slamssince 1997. My first slam experience was in Boston at an event called Pan9hosted by Evan O'Television. It wasa cabaret type night and I was called up as a volunteer from the audience to doan object theater improv scene with a woman named Kristen. I suppose some mightcall it “duress” but I thought it looked like fun! I was fresh out of college.

Someone inthe audience that night thought I was funny and asked if I had other stuff. Idid- I had a marionette. They asked if I'd do an event at MIT called MITERs, anopen mic type event. I ended up hosting that for 2 years doing Object TheaterTime and whatever new experiments I had been developing.

Puppet Showplace Slam in Boston and Blood From A Turnip (BfaT) inProvidence, RI were also starting to present slams. I did those - Pan9, BfaT,MITERs and Showplace as often as they'd have me.

M: How many Puppet Slams have youperformed at?

C: As of 2012,I have been in over 56 puppet slams in at least 20 venues.

M:Damn! Thats a lot! So what was the most exotic puppet slam you have performedat?

C: The greatestdistance I've traveled for a slam is 600 miles. I used to go from Boston to NYfor shows all the time. Now I live in NJ and going to Atlanta or Chicago is notout of the question. Portland, OR is far, but I've sent them videos instead.I'd love to be there in person.

M: Tell us about some memorableexperiences at puppet slams or cabarets? What is the funniest, freakiest,edgiest, or weirdest show you have seen?

C: I will say it's not fair to judge“freaks” at these events. The whole point is freaky, I suppose. I am usuallythe most “conservative” type at these things. Marsian- YOU are probably theweirdest performer I've worked with. Let's be honest. But that's why we loveyou.

M:This is about you, not me!

C: But I have performed in spaces whereI had to climb down ladders to get to the dressing room, hide in dank basements,wait literally OUTSIDE to be off stage, I've had to clean banana and wood chipsoff my velvet covered table from the previous act before I could perform. Ihave stood on my own tables as a platform because people need to seemarionettes off the floor and there was no platform. Risky? Sure.

But youknow- the show must go on and I survived all of it. The audience doesn't carewhat you have to do to make the show happen - they just want to see puppets.

M:What was the worst puppet slam you performed at?

C: My own personal worst was 12 yearsago at a venue in NYC that is now closed. I had a shadow puppet piece that useda clip lamp as the light source - I usually clipped it to a table. The venuehad CUBES (not tables), so I clipped it to my pants. It popped off mid-sketchand I fumbled to make it through. I had a savior who helped me and we finished.Interestingly- mine was not the worst thing to be seen that night.

M:I noticed you have developed short puppet slam pieces into full-length shows..

C: Actually,yes! My newest show The Hoarding Show has 3 acts, each one appropriate lengths forPuppet Slams. I did this so I could travel and promote the show as well asdevelop it incrementally. It worked out well. I have 4 shows out of it- 3sections and the whole. It's better as an evening but I don't want to miss anopportunity. Flexibility is key.

M:Tell us about a fabulous failure and what you've learned from it!

C: I succeed and fail at each event. Inow always travel with my own tables, tape, extension cords, light bulbreplacements, shadow screen replacements, scissors, sharpies, wipes, etc etcetc, because at each and every venue there has been something wrong or missingand I don't want my performance to suffer because the venue or I am illprepared. Professionalism can only come by learning from failures.

photo: Bruce from Puppet Co Playhouse

M:Why do you think Puppet Slams are important? What gap are they filling that isnot filled by other forms of puppetry? Who cares?

C: Who cares isan excellent question. I'll tell you- Puppet Slams are the new Vaudeville. Ithink young people who can be labeled “hipsters” love the new puppet world. Ithink older folks who always loved theater can enjoy a slam. I think yes- theslam IS important but what needs to be emphasized is that yes- there is ascrappy nature to the show but there MUST be some attempt on the part of theperformers to grow, rehearse, develop, refine. It can't always be scrappy- orthe audience will turn away.

M: What inspires you to create a puppet slam piece?

C: Different things. One of the mostcommon questions I get is “What style doyou work in?” This depends on the story I need to tell. I have a peacockmarionette that was inspired by a trip to a sculpture garden. My shadow showabout science was developed at the Puppet Playlist, so music inspired that one.My old show about Icarus was inspired by my father's death. It's all lifebased, like anything. I won't just throw a piece together for nothing though.All of my shows are storyboarded, well rehearsed and have something valuable tooffer the audience.

M:Who you are inspired by on the Puppet Slam circuit?

C: I admirepeople who come prepared, rehearsed and behave professionally. I like showsthat tell some story and are not just pretty floating objects treated asprecious babies. Every slam has one person who I can learn from by positive ornegative example.

My work isinspired by people not in the slam circuit, actually: Paul Zaloom, PhillipHuber, Rick Lyon - these guys know how to research, prepare and put on aquality show.

M: What pieces do you have in circulation to perform in puppet slams?

C: She Blinded Me WithScience is a table-topshadow piece to the song of the same title that is both funny and creepy. FlirtyBirdie is a fun and sassy cabaret-style piecefeaturing a peacock marionette. ShapeShifter is an unusual Bairdstyle table-top abstract puppet, also inspired by Buckminster Fuller. ObjectTheater Time! Is an improv act, where I get random objects from theaudience and whip up comedy! My latestpiece, The Hoarding Show isa 3-part comedy with table top, shadows and object theater- all abouthoarding! You'll laugh, cry and then gohome and clean!

My shows arefor general audiences- they can work for most ages though I suggest teens andup because they are not geared specifically for kids. All pieces are lessthan 10 minutes. The Hoarding Show has three 10-minute acts.

M:What are you looking forward to?

C: The next Puppeteers of AmericaNational Festival in August 2013 should be amazing.

M:Where would you like to see the Puppet Slam Network in the future?

C: That's a hard question because thepuppet community is evolving so fast. I'd like the PSN to be a source forbookings, idea sharing, tours, and financing. I guess that's what it is now.So- great job! I do think Slams should be a better source of income. If the PSNcould provide funding to individuals as well as hosts, then the costof travel and performances would be more effectively off-set.

M:What advice do you have for slam performers who are just starting out?

C: Go seeshows, take notes. Make your own shows and rehearse the heck out of them. Whenyou travel, bring your own tape and extension cords. You have something tolearn from everyone- and it's a good idea to be aware. Also, save all yourreceipts- these events are tax write-offs. This is your career!

M: Anything else we should know?

C: I teachworkshops on scale model making and can also custom gear a puppet workshop foryour needs. Yes, I travel. No, I won't do it for free. You won't bedisappointed. I value my work and will give you my very best every time.

Carole has performed on television in shows like SeeMore'sPlayhouse and has fabricated puppets and costumes for Broadway shows like AvenueQ and Shrek! The Musical. Recently, Carole was a puppeteer in JohnTartaglia's ImaginOcean Off Broadway. Carole can be seen on the web in TheWeekly Daily News, a puppet news parody show, on TheDaily.com. Her work hasbeen seen on Comedy Central, Nickelodeon, PBS, IFC, Noggin and MTV2.

Open Calls for Puppet Slam Acts - February 2012

2012-02-11T14:37:00.000-08:00

PUPPET MELTDOWN #Chicago
Submission Due: March 1st, 2012
(Performance: April 14th, 2012)

Greetings and salutations, puppeteers and puppet fans alike! Puppet Meltdown has been officially selected to host a puppet slam at C2E2 (that's the Chicago Comic and Entertainment Expo, for the uninitiated)!

So here's the deal: C2E2 is April 13th through 15th at McCormick Place in Chicago, and the slam itself will be held at 3:30 on Saturday, April 14th. So now we move on to the next step: CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS!

Anyone interested in performing at this amazing event contact us through the Sea Beast Puppetry website, www.seabeastpuppetry.com and we'll get you an application form ASAP. March 1st is the deadline for submissions, so get your puppets ready to rock, cause we're taking the comic and entertainment world by storm!!!

NATIONAL PUPPET SLAM #Atlanta
Submission Due: April 8th, 2012
(Performances: August 3rd-5th, 2012)

ATTN Slam Curators: The 2012 National Puppet Slam is accepting nominations!

The mission of the National Puppet Slam is to recognize excellence in the art of short form puppet theatre. The featured pieces were nominated by their respective slams and then curated by The Puppet Slam Network and the Center for Puppetry Arts. As the largest non-profit organization in the country dedicated to puppetry, the Center for Puppetry Arts is invested in supporting and showcasing the next generation of puppeteers. These performances showcase the beauty, ingenuity, and hilarity of Puppet Slams from all across the country.

The online Nomination Form can be found here: www.puppet.org/perform/nationalpuppetslam.shtml

STRUNG OUT PUPPET CABARET #Cincinnati
Submission Due April 15th, 2012
(Performances: June 2nd & 3rd, 2012)

Mad Slams announces “Strung Out Puppet Cabaret,” a puppet slam debuting on June 2nd and 3rd at the Cincinnati Fringe Festival. We are looking for short form puppetry acts for adults that feature a great diversity of puppet forms: rod puppets, humanettes, shadows, toy theatre, marionettes, animated objects, puppets combined with performing arts, films etc. Interested? Please, upload a video of your piece and send a weblink to inniculescu@gmail.com

Requirements for performance:
1. no longer than 7 minutes
2. set up for your act must be completed in less than a minute

We will provide:
1. assistance with travel expenses
2. lodging for up to four nights
3. artist passes for the Cincinnati Fringe Festival
4. CD audio/projector and screen for films

Deadline:
April 15th 2012

Contact: Irina Niculescu inniculescu@gmail.com

PUNCH #NYC #BROOKLYN
Submission Due: Open
(Performances: February 20th, 2012, June, Aug & Dec TBD)
We’re gearing up for PUNCH 2012 and WE WANT YOU!

Why do Punch? Well, it's where artists can:
- Try out new material.
- Schmooze and drink with other people who like puppets.
- Get feedback on a piece that needs some work.
- Try out that piece you did for class in front of people who aren't your classmates.
- Get an equal split of the door.
- Try out a piece or scene with puppets even though they've NEVER worked with puppets before in their lives.
- Show a short piece they’ve developed for Puppet Playlist, at the Puppet Lab or at the O’Neill Puppetry Conference to a whole new audience!!!!
- Get a guaranteed $40 at least (courtesy of PUNCH’s puppet slam network grant!)

Perhaps the question to ask is WHY WOULDN'T YOU DO PUNCH?!?
There are only FOUR live PUNCH shows in 2012, so please let us know if you’re interested in any of the upcoming events:

- February 20th = general PUNCH @ Jimmy’s 43 pub
- June TBD = PUNCH Wizard of Oz Kamikaze
- August TBD = general PUNCH @ outdoors at a community garden
- December = the 2nd annual PUNCH Kamikaze Christmas Carol
- We will also have TWO film nights (April & October), so let me know if you’ve got a short film that uses puppetry and maybe we’ll show it!

So, think about it. Get back to me. Pass this on to other artists (puppet or not) who you think might be interested.

Kick ass.
Gretchen Van Lente
curator, PUNCH / artistic director, Drama of Works
PUNCH@punchpuppetslam.com

If you would like to submit an open call for the Puppet Slam Network, please contact puppetslam@mac.com with the details.

Cathy Shaw in Conversation

2012-02-10T10:59:00.000-08:00

Thinking of starting a Puppet Slam in your area but want to know more? Looking for tips on running a puppet cabaret smoothly? Join the conversation between Jane Catherine (Cathy) Shaw and Conrad Bishop. Enter the mind of slam organizers as Conrad, who has a slamnorth of San Francisco in the works interviews Cathy, curator of the now biennial Voice4Vision Festival, which hosts the wildly successful Puppet Art Attacks Slam and HellzaPoppinPuppetsin New York City.

PuppetArt Attacks Slam & HellzaPoppinPuppets
Puppet Junction's Dali with SophiaRemolde ŠimeViduka and Serra Hirsch, 2009

Conrad Bishop: How many events per year do you have?

Cathy Shaw: The Voice 4 Vision PuppetFestival is now a biennial event and we historically hosted one Puppet Slam aspart of the Festival, and that was the “Closing Celebratory Slam” – “The PuppetArt Attacks Slam."

This year weadded a second event called HellzaPoppinPuppets(Slam) that experimented by inviting artists who may be working in othergenres, but who are now doing things with puppetry (like clowns or nightclubsingers, etc.) to see how what they are doing could inform us.

CB: How "curated" areyou? Is it totally open-mike, or selected?

CS: Initially when I curated [Puppet Art Attacks] alone, I sent out an opencall, but I did make it clear that this event was seeking "short works of genius." I think a place for artists to learn theirchops is good, but for the Puppet Art Attacks Slam, I wanted the event to beone that challenged artists to make their best short form work-and to bring themany puppetry forms to the attention of audiences.

I hoped thatperforming in the Slam would feel like a great compliment to the investmentthey had made in their work, so all of the work needed to be of high caliber toset the bar high! It isn't that Iwanted the atmosphere to be competitive, but that the artistsshould feel self competitive-to stretch as far as they can.

This year Honey Goodenough [curator of Puppet Pandemic] joined meas a co-curator and I believe she was more actively seeking certain artists tobring their work to the slam.

CB: Are there time limits on pieces?

CS: I say that pieces have to bebetween 3 and 7 minutes. It is shortform. Get to the point. Don't belabor it. Don't be precious. Make yourstatement in a limited amount of time!

PuppetArt Attacks Slam & HellzaPoppinPuppets
Wonderspark Puppets, 2011

CB: What type of performing venue do youuse?

CS: We are in a black box theater withslightly raked seating. The theater is wider than it is deep. All of theequipment and soft goods are old or non-existent. We rent pretty mucheverything-from lighting instruments, to boards, to cables.

CB: What is the admission price?

CS: Wecharge $12.00 a ticket.

CB: How much tech (sound, lights, video)is available?

CS: Because the Slam is one event in the V4V Festival, all of the equipmentI rent to run the main stage shows is available for the slam. Though we can't do special focus for theacts, we plan in advance a few specials that are likely to be needed, and thenother light cues from the main stage shows usually end up being useful to theslam acts. I hire a Festival Lighting designer, Stage Manager, Sound Engineer,and board Ops. They come in and work the last minute rehearsal and have 2 or 3hours to devise light and sound cues and record them.

CB: What is the average size of the audience?

CS: The Puppet Art Attacks Slam isalways standing room only. This year the first HellzaPoppinPuppets had a prettysmall house.

CB: Are there any other elementsto the evening? (Refreshments? Spaghetti dinner? Other types ofperformance?)

CS: Mainly I' have been doing the Festival as myway of paying it forward for support I have had over the years, so my emphasishas been on getting information about the artists out on our web page, Facebook page, in the programsand as the host during the event, I would try to really make sure the audienceknew who the artists were and what they were up to (It's a hard hard life toget support and audience....)

This year for kicks I tried serving popcorn and having a bar in the audience. Though once the show started, no one would get up to get anything....

PuppetArt Attacks Slam & HellzaPoppinPuppets

Carla Rhodes, 2011

CB: What are some problems you have encountered?

CS: The messiest parts are thechangeovers. You need someone who will run and organize the changeovers. I likeit when all of the participating artists are part of making the event work - itreally establishes a community fast. Theyshould each have a part to do in the changeovers.
Then you need someone to carefully go through the pieces with each artist,setting cues in a cue-to-cue fashion, building light and sound cues only - NORUN THROUGHS! We are able to do 10 or 12 acts in 2 hours and all the cues areexecuted near perfect in the show. I do that, facilitating communicationsbetween the designers and the Stage Manager and the Board Ops and keepingthings moving forward.

The artists may not be used to writing out a script (or they might say thereisn't any dialogue, or that their piece is easy, just lights up lights down) -but still they have to write out a narrative in advance that the stage managercan use to record her cues (if he/she will be calling the show.) Otherwise theBoard Ops need something that they can refer to during the show to jog theirmemory for the cues. All of the pieces might be easy separately, but puttogether it is an hour or more show with a lot going on. So, the artists mustwrite a script that the crew can use to record what they need to record to runthe cues as efficiently as possible. Even knowing if they will be onstagebehind the host frozen to start, or if they will enter in darkness after thehost has introduced them - all of this must be written in a script - its allpart of how their piece resonates--so they should take care of everysingle detail and write it in a script they can give people who will executecues for their piece. They should get it to you in advance. Digitalis best because the Stage Manager can format it just the way they like to writein cues.

P.S. Don'tuse iPods for sound cues! If anything, get a MAC with Qlab on it - all sound cues can be loaded into the computer as MP4and it runs easily.

CB: Any other questions we should beasking?

CS: Its important to me that artists earn something for their work. Itsimportant that it be part of what we know bout ourselves as artists, and thatwe begin to make it a part of what audiences know too. We contribute somethingimportant to culture and society. We earn our living doing it. Puppet ArtAttacks receives a Puppet Slam Network grant and a good portion of it pays theartists for participating. We also give them a percentage of the door (thetheater takes its cut first). This is real important to me, so I share thatwith you.

February 2012 Puppet Slams

2012-02-10T10:35:00.000-08:00

February 2012 Puppet Slams

Whether you have a broken heart to mend, or wear your heart (or puppet) on your sleeve, The Puppet Slam Network is your hook up for a February full of short-form puppetry for adults. Bring your honey-bunny, go stag, or hide out and dodge Cupid's arrow at Puppet Slams in NYC, Brooklyn, Hartford, Providence, Atlanta, Minneapolis, Kansas City, Arcata, San Diego, or as far as Honolulu!

The Puckin’ Fuppet Show #ATL

Friday, February 10^th at 11:00PM

The Basement Theatre

175 West Wieuca RD NE

Atlanta, GA 30342

(404) 277-3071

Facebook Group

$10

The Puckin' Fuppet Show is Atlanta's premiere competitive Puppet Slam with cash prizes as voted for by the audience. Local favorites, new up and comers, and the occasional visiting artist give everything they've got for the coveted 1st place prize.

For the Love of Puppets Cabaret #MPLS

Saturday, February 11^th at 10:00PM

In the Heart of the Beast Puppet and Mask theatre

1500 East Lake Street

Minneapolis MN 55407

(612) 721-2535

Facebook Page

$10

Join In the Heart of the Beast Theatre as we celebrate our love for puppets!

Professor Willikers Puppet Slam #Arcata

Friday, February, 10^th at 8:00PM

Saturday, February 11^th at 8:00PM

Sunday, February, 12^th 8:00PM

Arcata Playhouse

1251 9^th Street

Arcata, CA 95521

(707) 822-1575

Facebook: Professor Williker Puppet Slam

$10/$8

Professor Williers Grand Puppet Slam is in a cabaret setting with live music and featuring Sean’s Shadows, James Hildebrandt, Mark Dupre, The New Eccentrics (San Francisco), Independent Eye (Sebastopol) and your host, the Indestructable Puppet, Professor, LV Willikers.

Booze, Sex & Puppets #NYC

Tuesday, February 14^th at 6:30PM

The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center
208 West 13th Street
New York, NY 10011

212-620-7310

www.gaycenter.org

$15

Come share the love with an evening of strange creatures, burlesque and puppets taking it all off. Join Big Mama as she takes us through worlds of scary babies, naked sea creatures, puppet death and Barry White.

Puppet Pot Pie #Hartford

Thursday, February 16^th at 6:00PM

Real Art Ways

56 Arbor Street

Hartford, CT 06106-1228

(860) 232-1006

Facebook Page: Puppet Pot Pie

$10 General / $6 Members

Puppet Pot Pie is the new, Hartford area puppet slam full of edgy, creative, short form adult puppetry with many different styles of puppetry performed by puppeteers from all over the Northeast!

Blood From a Turnip #Providence

Friday, February 17^th at 10:00PM

95 Empire Performance Collective

95 Empire Street

Providence, RI 02903

(401) 831-9327

Facebook Page: Blood From A Turnip

Since the day Blood from a Turnip began in February of 1997, BfaT, as the salon is affectionately called, has offered professional puppeteers and those new to the art form an opportunity to present big stories, in miniature.

The Kolohe Puppetry Slam #Honolulu

Saturday, February 18^th at 11:00PM

The Actors' Group

Dole Cannery Square, 650 Iwilei Rd. Suite 101

Honolulu, HI 96817

(808) 722-6941

www.taghawaii.net/PuppetrySlam.html

$10 Donation

All acts welcome, dirty material encouraged. Rotation of celebrity guest (impersonator) host. Prizes awarded, although they might be pretty crappy prizes. For more information email Kolohepuppet@gmail.com.

Adult Puppet Cabaret #SanDiego

Friday, February 24^th at 7:00PM

Museum of Photographic Arts

1649 El Prado

San Diego, CA 92101

619-238-7559

www.adultpuppetcabaret.com

$10

Original Puppet performances and live music in the beautiful Museum of Photographic Arts lobby followed by a screening of Handmade Puppet Dreams Vol. 3 in their on site movie theatre. A once a year Adult Puppet Cabaret special presentation

KC Puppet Slam #KansasCity

Friday, February 24^th at 8:00PM

Saturday, February 25^th at 8:00PM

Paul Mesner Puppet Studio
1006 E. Linwood Blvd
Kansas City, MO

www.facebook.com/kcpuppetslam

$11

Join us for an evening of quirky, edgy and oh-so-naughty adult-themed puppet pieces!

Das WunderKammer Puppet Kabarett #Brooklyn

Friday, February 24^th at 9:00PM

Saturday, February 25^th at 9:00PM

The ClockWorks – Puppet Theatre

196 Columbia Street

Brooklyn, NY 11231

(212) 614-0001

Facebook Page

$15

Welcome to Das WunderKammer Puppet Kabarett! This month Our review will feature the works of the Dolly Wagglers! The work of The ClockWorks junior puppet master workshop, and a very special guest performer.

PUNCH #Brooklyn

Monday, February 20^th at 8:00PM

Jimmy's no. 43 pub

http://jimmysno43.com/

43 East 7th Street

New York, NY 10009

(212) 982-3006

www.punchpuppetslam.com

PUNCH is back in 2012! And we're going back to Jimmy's 43 for an awesome night. One of the only general slams in the city, we'll have a variety of acts and puppet styles to share this President's Day!

Great Small Works Soiree #Brooklyn

Sunday, February 19^th at 7:30 PM

Great Small Works studio

20 Jay Street, Room 214, DUMBO

Brooklyn, NY 11201

917-319-8104

www.greatsmallworks.blogspot.com

Free

Soirees are work-sharing evenings in the Great Small Works studio. Bring your developing poem, puppet, monologue, song, somersault, dance, photograph, film, painting, political analysis. Or come to see what others are working on. Join us for a glass of wine.

2012 Puppet Slam Grants

2012-01-20T11:32:00.000-08:00

Thank you to everyone who submitted a 2012 Slam Survey. We received an unprecedented number of Suveys this year (over 50!) and are please to announce that we will be awarding 40 slam grants.

The Puppet Slam Network (PSN) has truly goneglobal with over 60 different events spanning 3 continents, encompassing thecontiguous United States, Puerto Rico, Hawaii, several spots in Canada, and asfar as Copenhagen and Melbourne!

Congratulations to the following 40 slams - We will be contacting you individually in the coming days with further details!

Action Puppet Force #Orlando

Adult Puppet Cabaret #SanDiego

All The SaintsTheater Company's Spaghetti Dinner! #Richmond

Austin PuppetIncident #Austin

Band of Puppets Fest #Brooklyn

Beady Little EyesPuppet Slam #Portland, OR

Blood From A Turnip #Providence

Café Concret #Montreal

CalArts PuppetCabaret #Valencia

coLAB Arts Puppet Slam #NewBrunswick

Das WunderKammer ~ Puppet Kabarett #Brooklyn

Dolly Wiggler Cabaret #Calgary

For the Love of Puppets Cabaret #Minneapolis

Fussy Cloud Puppet Slam #Seattle

Great Arizona Puppet Slam #Phoenix

Great Small Works Soirees & Spaghetti Dinners #NYC

KC Puppet Slam #KansasCity

King Friday’s Dungeon #Portland, ME

NationalPuppet Slam #Atlanta

Nasty, Brutish & Short: a Puppet Cabaret #Chicago

Playhouse Puppetry Slam!#Glen Echo

Professor Williker’s Puppet Slam #Arcata

The Puckin’ Fuppet Show #Atlanta

PUNCH #NYC

Puppet Manualfesto #Philadelphia

Puppet Pandemic #NYC

Puppet Playlist #NYC

Puppet Rampage - The Slam #FtLauderdale

Puppet Showplace Slam #Brookline

Puppet Slamwich #Baltimore

Puppet Underground Cabarets #DC

Puppetzilla #LosAngeles

The Singing Picture Show #NYC

Slam Noir #Melbourne

Sobre la Mesa Puppet Slam & Titeretada: Noches de Cabaret #SanJuan

Spork in Hand Puppet Slam #Columbia

Strung Out #Cincinnati

UConn Puppet Slam #Storrs

Wham Bam Puppet Slam #Asheville

Winnipeg Puppet Slam #Winnipeg

GREAT SMALL WORKS SPAGHETTI DINNER January 31, 2012

2012-01-13T06:31:00.001-08:00

GREAT SMALL WORKS SPAGHETTI DINNER

TUESDAY, JANUARY 31, 2012

America is Home
2012
LISTENING TO MILITARY FAMILIES AND VETS

Meg McLagan and Daria Sommers, directors of the film LIONESS(http://lionessthefilm.com), about new experiences of women in combat, AND Brian Palmer, director of the film FULL DISCLOSURE

will show excerpts of their films about Iraq

Lead organizers of Veterens for Peace Direct Action Team will share images and ideas from their work followed by general discussion with the whole room.

Additional performers TBA!

One Arm Red

10 Jay Street, 9th floor

DUMBO, Brooklyn

8PM

$15

Info: 917-319-8104

PSN January 2012 Directory

2011-12-30T13:44:00.000-08:00

Our latest Directory updated in January includes basic contact information on active puppet slams. If you are an audience, find puppet slams in your area. If you are a slam curator, talk to other curators to find nearby acts that can tour. If you are a performer, use the Directory to find curators to pitch your show to.

You may download the Slam Directory as PDF or as Excell

Contribute to our Calendar

2011-12-23T20:22:00.000-08:00

If you are having an upcoming Puppet Slam or Cabaret, please contribute to our monthly Puppet Slam Calendar. Each month, we put out a calendar with basic information on Puppet Slams happening that month and also a brief look ahead into the year. Our calendar is sent via direct email to around 3,000 people (and growing). We also repost and retweet this information on social networks, blogs and through community distribution lists.

VIEW PREVIOUS CALENDARS HERE

To collect information efficiently and create accurate copy for the month, we ask that you email your Submissions generally 1 week before the month of the event. We also ask that you update future events and let us know of any changes, postponements, or cancellations as soon as possible before the Submission Deadline. All Puppet Slams who have received a slam grant are required to send in Calendar Submissions.

DOWNLOAD CALENDAR SUBMISSION FORM

Please email back to puppetslam@mac.com by the following dates:

*For Slams happening in:*	*Submissions due no later than:*
January 2012	Monday, December 19^th, 2011
February 2012	Wednesday, January 25^th, 2012
March 2012	Thursday, February 23, 2012

April 2012	Friday, March 23, 2012
May 2012	Tuesday, April 24^th, 2012
June 2012	Friday, May 25^th, 2012

July 2012	Friday, June 22^nd, 2012
August 2012	Wednesday, July 25^th, 2012
September 2012	Friday, August 24^th, 2012

October 2012	Monday, September 24^th, 2012
November 2012	Thursday, October 25^th, 2012
December 2012	Monday, November 19^th, 2012