Puppet Heap Prepares for 2011

We have been really busy getting some big projects underway and can't wait to share them with all of you!

With these undertakings, Puppet Heap is expanding and looking to add a few talented individuals to our team.

Click here to view our current openings and see if any of them are right for you.

New Puppet Heap Site Launched!

There are a great deal of goings-on in the world of puppetry this fall, and there couldn't be a better time to roll out our new website.

Click here if you haven't seen it yet, and let us know what you think.

If you are a puppet enthusiast [or any kind of enthusiast], there are a whole lot of happenings that might interest you -- one of which features puppets designed by Puppet Heap's very own Anna Paniccia.

The Kentucky Goblin Siege is running at the Kraine Theater in NYC (85 E. 4th Street) every Wednesday through November 24th.

"The Kentucky Goblin Siege is a sci-fi comedy based on accounts of one of the largest reported alien encounters in U.S. history. It's August 21, 1955, in the small town of Kelly, Kentucky, and the Sutton family is welcoming old family friends in from out of town and settling in for a night of catching up. But when strange goblin-like creatures begin to appear, all hell breaks loose. The Kentucky Goblin Siege is a hilarious play about xenophobia and reversed expectations, and will feature the biggest gun battle between human actors and alien puppets to ever grace the stage of the Kraine Theater. "

If you have a chance to catch this great show [or any others], tell us about it!

Ivan Takes Blu Moon Award!

"Ye Ballade of Ivan Petrofsky Skevar" won the Blu Moon Award at the Blu Moon Independent Film Festival this past weekend (October 8th-9th). It was the audience-selected short film.
















Click here to watch the film, or to check out the other winning entries.

EXIT ROW: Behind The Scenes

Admit it - you were a little curious as to how the folks here at Puppet Heap rigged two paper bags to projectile-vomit.

Puppet Heaper Matthew Brennan took the time to tell us a little bit about his experience working on Exit Row.



Left: Matthew Brennan is brewing a bucket of puke. Right: Matthew and Melissa Creighton fill 'er up.

"The puke rig was a latex pump which is usually used to fill molds. They had the right amount of pressure and control to be able to spew on cue."

"After buckets of slop and slime settled overnight, we soaked oatmeal with yellow and green food coloring. But the true secret is a few drops of red. Gives the puke just the right amount of bloody, natural goodness. Soaking the oatmeal overnight made it extra slimy. We made a lot and it still wasn't enough!"



Tim Lagasse (left) and James Godwin (right) get suited up prior to their performance.



Here, the cast and crew are hard at work.

"Tim and James were in extreme waterproof gear the whole time. We covered them up pretty good but the puke still managed to get down their sleeves all day long.
They both stayed in character the whole time being completely ridiculous and hysterical. They were troopers for being thrown up upon the whole shoot. It was a treat to watch them perform."




Left: Anna Paniccia poses with the lovingly crafted puke rig. Right: James Godwin and Tim Lagasse perform Chuck & Ralph.

"Months of planning went in but the shoot itself took two days during a heavy snowstorm. The crew was great to work with. The Chuck and Ralph puppets are really neat to see come to life and they have so much personality for paper bags...

After every puke scene, everyone burst out [laughing] as soon as cut was called. Fake puke is always funny."

Now, without further adieu, we bring you Episode Number 10 of Exit Row.

Anybody Need a Pet Monster?

Now, you can make your own!

Puppet Heap's very own Diana Schoenbrun can show you how. This week, Diana has released her new book, BEASTIES: How to Make 22 Mischievous Monsters That Go Bump In The Night. The creatures, designed by Diana, were photographed by Tory Williams and can be brought to life with the magic of scrap fabric and thread.



There will be a release party on Thursday evening from 7-9, featuring live music, drinks, snacks, a presentation, and discussion. Click here for more information.

EXIT ROW Moving Forward: Epsiode 7

We are already up to Episode 7 of our web series, EXIT ROW -- but there is more on the way! If you haven't been keeping up, view the entire playlist here. If you have, watch the episode below.

O'Neill Summer Gala A SUCCESS!

Previously, we posted about the Eugene O'Neill Theater Center's summer gala, and we are pleased to report that it was a great success.

"The O'Neill's Celebrating 20 Years of the National Puppetry Gala would
not have been the run-away success it was without the vital support of Jean
Marie Keevins and Puppet Heap. So many of Puppet Heap's artists and
craftsmen support the O'Neill's mission and activities, and I'm incredibly
grateful to have their expertise." - Preston Whiteway, O'Neill Theater Center Executive Director

(Pictured above from left to right: Heather Henson, Cheryl Henson, Bobbi Nidzgorski, Richard Termine, Melissa Whitmire, Heather Asch, Mystery Person, Kathy Mullen, Jane Henson, Kermit the Frog, Steve Whitmire, Pam Arciero, Dortita Leiberman, Jim Kroupa [Puppet Heap], Tyler Bunch, Jean Marie Keevins [Puppet Heap], Paul MacGinnis, James Godwin [Puppet Heap], Preston Whiteway, Tom Viertel)

July 24th: Celebration of American Puppetry Gala

It's time to celebrate the National Puppetry Conference's 20th anniversary, and The Eugene O'Neill Theatre Center is using this year's gala to honor Jane Henson and the founders of the National Puppetry Conference. The evening, co-curated by Heap comrade Jean Marie Keevins, will feature a silent auction, a star-studded puppetry program, and much more.

For more information, or to register, click here.

From Puppets to Cake Creations

Terry Fator asked Freed's Bakery of Las Vegas to create birthday cake for his brother that featured himself, his brother, and five of his puppets -- including Heap-created Wrex the Crash Test Dummy & Winston the Impersonating Turtle!



Terry was proud that some of his favorite puppets were able to be showcased nationally on TLC's premier episode of Fabulous Cakes [on July 19th]. "Special kudos to Puppet Heap who were able to finish the creation of my newest addition, Wrex, the Crash Test Dummy in time for filming! Freeds Bakery in Las Vegas did a great job portraying my newest cast member, and Puppet Heap has done an amazing job creating and building my last three characters for me. Their entire team is truly gifted and help make the magic that my fans see night in and night out at The Mirage in Las Vegas.”

Ivan and Abdullah Return to Etsy!

Ivan Petrofsky Skevar and Abdullah Boul Boul Ameer are back in our Etsy store for a limited time only! Bring the Crimean War into your home with these two legendary rivals of the Balkans - Ivan Petrofsky Skevar and Abdullah Boul Boul Ameer - as depicted in the Puppet Heap classic "Ye Ballade of Ivan Petrofsky Skevar!"

Each translucent jumping jack is approximately 7" tall, is made of laser-cut, screen-printed acrylic and hand assembled in our workshop in Hoboken.

Click your weapon of choice [images above] to purchase -- or visit our Etsy store here.

Puppet Heap Releases EXIT ROW!

Starting today [July 12th, 2010], we are releasing EXIT ROW, a brand new web series chronicling the travels of Chuck & Ralph, two air-sickness bags who reside in adjacent seat pockets.



Ralph and Chuck are performed by renowned puppeteers James Godwin (Chapelle's Show, Henson's Stuffed and Unstrung) and Tim Lagasse (Chapelle's Show, Sesame Street).

New episodes will be released twice a week, so be sure to subscribe to our channel!

Heaper Christine Dempsey at The Sandglass Institute

Sandglass Theater and The University of Connecticut’s Puppet Arts Program offer an annual three-week Puppet Arts Training Program for puppeteers, builders, writers, and all of those who want to further explore the puppet as a medium.

Puppet Heap intern Christine Dempsey has been participating in the program this year [from June 27th to July 17th] and we can't wait to see what she comes up with -- participants get open workshop time for building & an opportunity to develop their own pieces. Other sessions include body training & breath development for performers, discussion of puppet theory, improvisation workshops, and more.

Click here for more information about the Sandglass Institute.

Puppet Heap at The 20th Annual O'Neill National Puppetry Conference

Puppet Heap marketing director, Jean Marie Keevins coordinated the 20th annual O'Neill Puppetry Conference at the Eugene O'Neill Theater Center this month. Puppet Heap founder Paul Andrejco led Focus On Design, a workshop focusing on character, set, and sound design. Fellow heapers Jim Kroupa and Tim Lagasse also appeared at the conference. Kroupa led a 3-day intensive on creating mechanisms for puppets, while Lagasse directed a puppet music video, enlisting ten participants as his crew.


The Eugene O'Neill Theater Center scooped up a Tony award just in time for the main conference, which took place this past weekend (June 19-20.)


For photos, or for more information, see here.

Fellow Heaper James Godwin Joins Henson Alternative's Stuffed and Unstrung!

We would like to congratulate Puppet Heaper James Godwin, who has recently joined Henson Alternative's Stuffed and Unstrung Off-Broadway (for two weeks as of May 26th) -- we would also like to congratulate Heaper Melissa Creighton, who performed in the show last night.

"After just the first few moments of watching...or rather..interacting with the puppeteers of Stuffed and Unstrung, you’ll realize this is no ordinary puppet show... The magic that’s usually a secret shared only among expert puppeteers is unveiled on stage as this world-class, hilarious gang of professionals does their thing right before your eyes." (stuffedandunstrung.com)


For more information about the show, or for tickets, click here.


**UPDATE** James Godwin has rejoined the cast and will be performing until the show closes on July 3rd! Go see it if you haven't already!

Puppet Heap in April's Kidscreen Magazine!

Check out the nice article about Puppet Heap in this month's magazine of Kidscreen! Just follow the link to their site HERE.

KidScreen is the leading international trade publication serving the informational needs and interests of kids entertainment professionals.

Happy Anniversary Terry Fator!!

Puppet Heap was ecstatic to be apart of Terry Fator's one year anniversary extravaganza at the Mirage Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas this past week. It has been one year since Terry began his run at the Mirage, and Puppet Heap was happy to be there as Terry unveiled his brand new Crash Test Dummy puppet designed and built right here in Hoboken by the Puppet Heap team. Here's to many more fantastic years to come!

Handmade Puppet Dreams

Aircraft Carriers AND Puppets! It's not too good to be true, it's simply Kids Week aboard the Intrepid Museum in NYC. This year the festival featured a screening of Heather Henson's curation of puppetry shorts Handmade Puppet Dreams. Puppet Heap's original short film Mother Hubbard was one of the shorts selected for the viewing. Puppet Heap was happy to be apart of Handmade Puppet Dreams as always, and director Paul Andrejco, stayed afterwards to answer any of the audience's questions during the talkback.

To learn more about Handmade Puppet Dreams, you can visit their website here.

Chinese New Year with Grace Chang

Looking for a wonderful afternoon of family friendly "edu-tainment"?
Puppet Heap recommends you stop by the Brooklyn Central Library to see Grace Chang's Chinese New Year Gala event on February 13th. Grace has a wonderful show that includes acrobats, magic illusions, live music, and puppetry.

Puppet Heap was lucky enough to collaborate with Grace in the building of her magical dragon puppet named Jin Jin in 2009.

Chinese New Year Gala Event
February 13, 2010, 1:oo PM
Brooklyn Public Library, Central Branch
Dweck Theatre
www.changimagination.com

Bookaboo Becomes Multi-Award Winning Show!

BOOKABOO became a multi-award winning Rock Puppy last night picking up BEST CHILDREN’S PROGRAMME at the Broadcast Awards in England. A perfect compliment to the BAFTA award Bookaboo earned at the "tail" end of last year. Bookaboo was designed and built by the Puppet Heap team right here in Hoboken, NJ.

A hearty congratulations to Lucy Goodman and her entire team for another exciting achievement!!! We look forward to seeing what is up their sleeve for Season 2.