After speaking with the director of our group, I have decided that this would be a great opportunity to post some of our goals and ideas for the coming year. These goals will be chronicled in upcoming posts, but I need a way to list them out so that we remember what needs to be done.
These projects are intended to help push the group forward, something we as a group need since one of the main driving factors of our group (namely the Director) is away for a year.
Phase Two Marionettes
Moving from doll accessories, namely the heads, and into real puppet pieces is the next step on our list of improvements. Wooden or paper mache heads might not be the easiest to complete this year, but it is a necessary step if we are to continue moving in the right direction. We have to remember that the goal is a worthy production, and we can't expect our audience to take us seriously if we still use heads from scavenged dolls.
Currently, the team has very little skills in wood carving, but I have contacted a friend who is knowledgeable in this area. If the wood fails, we have our back up plan of paper mache, which, I believe is a period technique that might be able to fit the bill. More research on this idea will be forthcoming.
A Shadow Puppet Stage
A friend has asked us to create a shadow puppet stage for her event in March. While this type of project was not necessarily our main focus, it will be interesting to create such a contraption. Further study and creative ingenuity are required to complete this task on time.
The first step is obviously research. What would a shadow puppet stage from this culture look like? What types of materials are needed to make it? And, obviously the most important question; can it be completed in time?
The Guild
While not as important as some of the other items listed above; creating a guild charter and heraldic device can be considered helpful in the long run. The director's views are important when creating the defining documents of the guild, and will require constant communication to make sure we get it right.
The first steps are, again, research. By looking at existing guild charters, we can easily see what is needed in the founding documents. From there, more information can be added to the document to make it workable for us.
A guild would be helpful in several ways, most notably by encouraging others to participate in our endeavors. With more people, we can produce more performances and items and move forward into more period styles of performances and artwork quicker.
Blog d'Arthur Revamp
As we progress further and further into our goal, we have found that the need to stylize and freshen up this blog is important. We want to be able to communicate what we are doing so that other groups can learn from our experiences. This involves a clean forum of communication and, dare I say, more pictures.
Some people would say to create a website, however, we are not ready for this monumental task at this time. We have decided to keep up with the blog style until we have enough research and material to make a truly dedicated website to our process, style, and plans. What we can do is make the blog more user-friendly.
Expect to see subtle changes soon.
Performance Ready
I won't say that we will have a performance within the next year. What I will say is that we want to be ready. This task, divided up throughout this year, includes script writing, tweaking the stage, marionette construction and styling, technical aspects of marionettes and stage, and practicing with the marionettes. It may seem like a very large list, and trust me it really is, but it is vital to our group to move forward (I think I mentioned this several times before).
Sunday, January 29, 2012
Friday, January 20, 2012
A Few Good Examples: Beauty and the Beast
Recently, I went to go see the Broadway production of Beauty and the Beast. While the show itself was fun and entertaining, it was the theatrical magic that captivated me. Understanding that this was high technology developed with an equally high budget; it is still possible to glean ideas and techniques from this experience.
All we have to do, then, is to render it in a medieval fashion.
The techniques of medieval theatrics, and in this case puppet shows, was usually a very well guarded secret. Only the troupe which employed the techniques and devices would know how they operated and what they actually were. This in itself isn't unique, many medieval techniques applied to guilds were secretive, but it does cause problems when looking for resource material.
However, not letting that stop me, I can suppose what could have been used in the time period I am looking at and make reasonable facsimiles without compromising our original goal.
Example 1: A Front Scrim
A scrim is a commonly used device in theatre. The fabric has unique properties so that when it is lit from the front the screen is opaque. However, when the theatre is dark and objects behind the scrim are lit, the fabric is translucent. While scrims are often used as the backdrop for a performance, in some instances they are used between the actors and the audience.
Looking back at Beauty and the Beast, the stylized front scrim was used for several purposes. Mainly, it was used to frame a certain part of the story that was important; very much like watching a story book. Additionally, the scrim was used to add depth to the wooded scenes by projecting shadows on it. This made it appear that the actors were deep in the woods. Lastly, the scrim was used for special effects, such as rain.
Now the question is: Could we use something like this in our performances? I think the answer is a definitive yes. A stylized front scrim could be used when performing a fairy tale or an underwater scene. The trick, however, is not using modern equipment that would normally be used to accent the scrim itself. We would need to find another way to cast shadows or give it the blue hue to make it work. In modern times, this is done by powerful lighting systems with colored gels; but these things were not available to the medieval puppeteer.
Obviously, this idea requires more research and thought.
Example 2: Set Pieces
Set pieces are important to have. They portray the setting in a three dimensional way that a simple painted backdrop cannot. Additionally, set pieces offer the actors or marionettes a way to interact with the world that has been created for them.
While The Batty Puppeteers has been good about set pieces, we haven't fully realized what can be done with them. Going back to my experience at the theatre, set pieces had one or two different sides. For example, the front of a house could be seen and when turned around, the inside could be seen.
Incorporating two sided set pieces would not only help cut down on cost of materials, but help alleviate space requirements for transport or storage. A castle wall, in this case, could be turned around and become something totally different, like a hedge of shrubbery.
This type of project would be rather simple to accomplish and would require critical thinking on what types of scenery could be grouped together.
Example 3: Basic Stage Magic
The show, Beauty and the Beast, relied heavily on stage magic. Thunder, lightning, flashes, fog, and even a magical transformation. While we are currently developing a thunder machine, how do we incorporate other items, like fog?
This will obviously require more research and experimentation. We need to understand what could be used for these basic items of stage magic an if they could have been understood by medieval man. This topic will, undoubtedly, be commented on in further editions of this blog.
In Essence...
In all, my trip to the theatre was a fun experience and I was able to walk away with not only a well told story, but thoughts and ideas of how these items could be incorporated into our own humble troupe.
The whole purpose of any performance, be it actors or marionettes, is to tell a story and have the audience walk away with an experience that they will remember. It is my belief that incorporating these few ideas that we can achieve our goal.
All we have to do, then, is to render it in a medieval fashion.
The techniques of medieval theatrics, and in this case puppet shows, was usually a very well guarded secret. Only the troupe which employed the techniques and devices would know how they operated and what they actually were. This in itself isn't unique, many medieval techniques applied to guilds were secretive, but it does cause problems when looking for resource material.
However, not letting that stop me, I can suppose what could have been used in the time period I am looking at and make reasonable facsimiles without compromising our original goal.
Example 1: A Front Scrim
A scrim is a commonly used device in theatre. The fabric has unique properties so that when it is lit from the front the screen is opaque. However, when the theatre is dark and objects behind the scrim are lit, the fabric is translucent. While scrims are often used as the backdrop for a performance, in some instances they are used between the actors and the audience.
Looking back at Beauty and the Beast, the stylized front scrim was used for several purposes. Mainly, it was used to frame a certain part of the story that was important; very much like watching a story book. Additionally, the scrim was used to add depth to the wooded scenes by projecting shadows on it. This made it appear that the actors were deep in the woods. Lastly, the scrim was used for special effects, such as rain.
Now the question is: Could we use something like this in our performances? I think the answer is a definitive yes. A stylized front scrim could be used when performing a fairy tale or an underwater scene. The trick, however, is not using modern equipment that would normally be used to accent the scrim itself. We would need to find another way to cast shadows or give it the blue hue to make it work. In modern times, this is done by powerful lighting systems with colored gels; but these things were not available to the medieval puppeteer.
Obviously, this idea requires more research and thought.
Example 2: Set Pieces
Set pieces are important to have. They portray the setting in a three dimensional way that a simple painted backdrop cannot. Additionally, set pieces offer the actors or marionettes a way to interact with the world that has been created for them.
While The Batty Puppeteers has been good about set pieces, we haven't fully realized what can be done with them. Going back to my experience at the theatre, set pieces had one or two different sides. For example, the front of a house could be seen and when turned around, the inside could be seen.
Incorporating two sided set pieces would not only help cut down on cost of materials, but help alleviate space requirements for transport or storage. A castle wall, in this case, could be turned around and become something totally different, like a hedge of shrubbery.
This type of project would be rather simple to accomplish and would require critical thinking on what types of scenery could be grouped together.
Example 3: Basic Stage Magic
The show, Beauty and the Beast, relied heavily on stage magic. Thunder, lightning, flashes, fog, and even a magical transformation. While we are currently developing a thunder machine, how do we incorporate other items, like fog?
This will obviously require more research and experimentation. We need to understand what could be used for these basic items of stage magic an if they could have been understood by medieval man. This topic will, undoubtedly, be commented on in further editions of this blog.
In Essence...
In all, my trip to the theatre was a fun experience and I was able to walk away with not only a well told story, but thoughts and ideas of how these items could be incorporated into our own humble troupe.
The whole purpose of any performance, be it actors or marionettes, is to tell a story and have the audience walk away with an experience that they will remember. It is my belief that incorporating these few ideas that we can achieve our goal.
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