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.