Here are a couple of shots of some fence posts that I’ve been carving out of dense styrofoam. Once they are painted up, they should look just like the ones in the Bull comic strip. They kinda look like they’re made out of marshmellow–like peeps, but don’t worry…I won’t be taking any bites out of the fence posts…
Tonight we worked through the script again, this time paying special attention to the songs. Alex has written another brilliant song–this time for Ewe, so he and Jessie spent some time working out the kinks to make it flow more smoothly.
As I sat back, watching and listening, I was struck by the passion that has gone into this show. Everyone involved has given it all they’ve got. Alex has poured his heart and soul into this script and he’s great about gently coaching us to make us understand the characters’ motivations. Building puppets and developing the look of a show is one thing, and it’s important, but it’s all for nothing if the puppets aren’t doing something engaging.
Alex’s script is very engaging, and even though we’re still working on timing and cues, it’s already something that I’m very proud to be a part of. Good work, my friend!
Yesterday we had the opportunity to have a look at the stage where we will be performing BULL: A Puppet Musical in November. The Dumas Center is a beautifully restored building that was once a hotel here in Roanoke. The offices for Opera Roanoke are located in the building, as well as a complete recording studio and theater. The Dumas is “a center for collaborative non-profit organizations dedicated to providing area citizens of all races and socio-economic backgrounds -especially youth (and the young at heart) – opportunities to gain life enriching appreciation and develop talent in the visual, cultural, performing and historical arts.”
The theater seats 185 and is a beautiful state-of-the-art facility.
It was great to get a feel for the place and to see how our stage is going to work in the space. I’m even more excited than before about this performance. It’s going to be an unforgettable event.
I made this new t-shirt after an inspirational talk with friends. Go on over to the Thistledown Puppets Store and get one for yourself!
It’s taken quite a while, but I’m very happy that the four puppets for Bull: A Puppet Musical are finally finished. I love all of them. It’s a really weird feeling to see them sitting there as three dimensional creatures that once lived on the two-dimensional page. There is still a lot more work to do as we begin the stage and props, AND rehearsals, but it’s a relief to have the cast assembled.
Today, I completed the Ewe puppet for the Bull show. That leaves only one more puppet and then the cast will be complete and I’ll be on to constructing a stage. Below is one more shot of Ewe…for you.
Here is the completed head for Rooster. He is the coffee-chugging business man on the farm. He’s always at his post on time, ready to do his job. Sometimes in translating two-dimensional characters into three dimensions some changes have to be made. In Rooster’s case, the beak had to be made slightly larger in order to fit the puppeteer’s hand and still have him be the correct scale to the other puppets. Below is the original comic design for him.
For anyone who’s interested, we’ve just started a little fan group over on Facebook called ThistleHeads. So if you get a kick out of our puppets or if you’re just looking for a place to “belong”, head on over and become a ThistleHead! You’ll be glad you did.
Here is a nice little story in the Roanoke Star Sentinel about our upcoming performance at the 2008 Roanoke Arts Festival. They were also nice enough to publish one of our strips.
Here is the completed head for Ewe, the third puppet in the cast of BULL: A Puppet Musical. Below is the original character design for Ewe in the comic strip. She is a slightly forlorn, lovesick little thing and I can’t wait to see her in action.
