Do your puppets ever get head lice and do they really see?
Over the course of many years of going into schools to teach good values, we had the pleasure of offering question and answer periods after our shows. This was one of our best times of being with the students because you never knew what was going to be asked.
When a very worried little girl got up and asked the question about head lice we knew then that she not only looked at the puppets as being real but she gave us a clue as to an issue, for her, that was very important. And no, our puppets have never had head lice.
The question about whether the puppets can really see was asked because of us using a camera feed, at the back of the room, to television monitors facing the puppeteers behind the staging. This allowed the puppeteers to not only make sure the puppets looked in the right direction when speaking to another puppet, which makes them appear much more real, but also so that they can see the what the audience is doing. Therefore, the puppets can actually speak directly to anyone in the audience, which totally gives the impression that the puppets are real and can see.
What is an “Anything Puppet?”
An “Anything Puppet” is a puppet that is constructed to be used for many different characters. Chad Fada was made to be only Chad, and will never take on another character. Where as an “Anything Puppet” could be used for one purpose, say the Oreo puppet in a “Weird Al” medley and then be changed into another character, say Darth Vader in the game show, for another purpose at a later time. They end up being a much more versatile puppet for us.
What Is Your Favorite “Weird Al” Medley?
That’s a hard one because in each medley there are several of our favorite songs, by Al. But, if I had to choose, I’d say the Jurassic Park medley.
As the song began, we had a small T-Rex hand puppet, which was able to do some boxing motions, come up while we were getting the finale ready. As the music started to build we had the “Weird Al” puppet singing along to the music and slowly from behind the Al puppet, we had a huge inflatable T-Rex prop, with his jaws wide open as if he was going to eat Al, enter the scene.
With the “Weird Al” puppet reacting to the monster dinosaur and at just the right time, we had the fog machine release a wall of fog at the front of the stage, to add to the excitement. The crowds loved this segment and this made for a perfect segue into the game show.
How Did You Choose Material For Your Live Shows?
Sometimes it would start from a prop, a song or an idea that we wanted to use. From there we would ask our clients and audience members what they wanted to see in the show. This is a very helpful thing to do as we are getting direct feedback from the public.
When going into schools we would work closely with each school board to incorporate the issues they were trying to teach and then structure the show around that topic. Therefore, our show was constantly changing to adapt to a clients needs.
We also wrote for the adults in the audience, not just the children, as we wanted them to go away from our shows with a wonderful experience, as well. It was very rewarding when a parent or teacher would come up to us after a show and be so happy that they too enjoyed the production, along with the children.
What Is Your Favorite Puppet?
Chad Fada is my favorite puppet. He’s a very up-beat, cheerful soul. He’s always a delight to perform.
What Are Some Of Your Favorite Memories You Have Of Performing Live?
I have to say that the explosion of cheers and clapping at the end of our shows is nothing that can be replicated. To know that you’ve touched so many people, at the same time…people from different walks of life…is the most rewarding aspect. I feel very good to know that I’ve made someone’s life a little brighter. It’s also a wonderful feeling to know that I’ve maybe made someone rethink how they might treat another person, maybe take a little different look at life or maybe be a little more open minded with others. That, I feel very lucky to be able to do.
