The Nativity

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I went to the final dress rehearsal for the Nativity at
Pinocchio’s Marionette Theater in the Altamonte Mall. It was a few days before
Christmas and the Mall was overrun with shoppers. I had to drive up and down
about ten parking isles before I finally found a spot in the parking garage
next to the movie theater. There was panic and road rage among the cars
searching for spots. It was a freezing cold night and I added my windbreaker to
my arsenal of coats. The security gate was closed when I found Pinocchio’s. I
went to the backdoor entrance and started firing of texts to people I hoped
were inside. With no return texts, I decided I might have to sketch the theater
from the children’s play area. I set up my stool and was about to start
sketching when I saw Sean Keohane open the gate to get in the theater. I
scrambled, gathering my supplies and I ran to the theater just as he started
lowering the gate. He saw me and reversed the motor.

Puppeteers were given dark olive green long sleeved shirts
which would help blend them into the background as they worked the rod puppets
designed by Jane Henson. Sarah Lockhard who plays the Virgin Mary wasn’t at the
beginning of the rehearsal, so the smaller puppets used in the actual nativity
scene rehearsed several run-throughs of that scene. Sean boomed out his lines
as the voice of God from the back of the theater. God speaks in Latin, it turns
out. Herod hatched his evil plot to kill the new born King using the three
Kings as his henchmen. Joseph was shocked when he discovered Mary was pregnant
and he understandably doubts her story of divine birth. He still vows to
protect his young bride.

My favorite part of the play is when a banner is waved
majestically over the manger. The puppeteer looks up at the banner making it
wave in slow motion as if in a breeze using two rods. It is the puppeteer’s
concentration and complete absorption in the process that I admire, and this
was one moment where the puppeteer was in plain sight. Three musicians
performed live, playing medieval music. The rest of the puppeteers remained
hidden behind the stage front and faux rock work. They  had knee pads on, yet several times I heard
loud thumps back stage. Edna Bland iced her leg from one of those bumps
during a break. There were two weeks of these back breaking rehearsals for two
performances. Art isn’t easy.

The Nativity Rehearsal

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I went to the Henson’s Pineloch warehouse on December 12th to sketch a rehearsal of The Nativity. Rehearsals were held most weeknights for two weeks from about 7:30 to 10pm. All of those rehearsals were for two performances on December 22 at Pinocchio’s Marionette Theater in the Altimonte Mall. The oldest story in Christian history was made new in this retelling with live music, and the gorgeous puppets from IBEX Puppetry and the Jim Henson Company. This puppet production was spearheaded by Jane Henson, the wife of Jim Henson of Muppet’s fame.  Jane helped Jim in the early days of television production but then abandoned puppetry to raise her family. He youngest daughter, Heather Henson helped her bring this production to life.

The warehouse was cavernous, filled with boxes and bins full of foam, fabric and assorted puppet parts.  There were woodworking benches and large kites suspended from the ceiling. If you were to imagine Santa’s toy factory, this would fit the bill. I decided to sit behind the table where the performing puppets were stored. Gabriel with his gossamer wings dominated the table. A dark sinister and conniving Herod stood beside him, visible through his transparent wings. Mary, Joseph and the three kings also waited to begin their performances. A train rumbled by adding an industrial edge to this period piece.

From this angle, I could see the puppeteers who had to crouch down behind the stage setting to stay out of the future audience’s view. Sean Keohane, the director corralled the cast and explained how important the telling of the story would be. It was something parents could share with there children. Sarah Lockhard worked with the Virgin Mary rod puppet. Her face expressed every emotion as she moved the puppet. It was fascinating watching actors become lost in the subtle performers.  The word, marionette, 
means “tiny Mary” and  was derived from the puppets used in medieval mystery
and miracle plays.

Marionette Making Workshop

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As part of ArtsFest, Hannah Miller offered a free Marionette making workshop at Urban ReThink. I heard that this workshop was sold out quickly and tickets were limited. Thankfully, Hannah, AKA Thunder Hag, understands my sketching obsession and she was open to having me observe. On the white board, Hannah had written the names of two puppet masters who’s work influenced the workshop. Albrecht Roser is a German puppeteer who believes that the puppet drives the motion, not the puppeteer. Robin Walsh had an affinity to using fabric, especially silk in the construction of her puppets. She explained that the puppets we would make today would be ugly but functional. Hannah pointed out that the puppets movements were based on a pendulum swing and each puppet would have its own way of moving depending on what it was made of.

Each participant had a bag of supplies. Inside was fabric, beads, string, and a control bar. The fabric was used as the body of the puppet. Beads were threaded onto the corners and became hands and feet. The head required special attention since three screws were positioned for mobility and control once the puppet was strung. April Tennyson was assisting Hannah. Both puppeteers once worked at Pinocchio’s Marionette Theater in the Altimonte Mall. April asked me, “Where should I stand to get in the sketch?” “Well,” I said, “The best place would be to stand behind Hannah.” She stood behind Hannah and smiled broadly as she took a heroic pose, holding up some fabric. I laughed out loud and tried to ignore her until she “acted natural.” I hope Hannah didn’t think I was laughing at her lesson.

Jeff Ferree who is a puppeteer who had a show at Fringe last year in the smallest venue, a closet, sat next to Hannah and struggled with the head of his puppet. To me, he is a puppet master but even masters want to expand their horizons. The couple seated closest to me seemed like a married couple. They giggled like kids as their creations came to life. The woman was always two steps ahead of her partner, and she would step in and help out on occasion. Some folks arrived late and April tried to get them up to speed.

The Nativity Story

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As I drove North on I-4 I got nervous about going to Pinocchio’s Puppet Theater since I figured the Altamonte Mall must be packed since it was the last shopping weekend before Christmas. Surprisingly it was easy to find parking and it wasn’t too crowded in the mall. When I got to Pinocchio’s I slipped in past the velvet rope. Sarah Lockhard and Heather Henson were manipulating several puppets, just finishing up a rehearsal. Along the side wall of the theater there was a trio of medieval performers with recorders, a vi0lin and mandolin. They were the Olde Noyse Trio. The recorder player glanced over at me while I sketched. He said, “Your Tom aren’t you? I played recorders with your wife Terry.”

The puppet show began with the annunciation as an angel appeared before Mary telling her she would immaculately conceive a child. The Mary puppet was manipulated by Sarah Lockhard who panted in surprise upon seeing the angel. Mary was no more than a foot high. Joseph who was much older than Mary had a difficult time believing Mary was with child. The truth was reveled in a dream. Some children squirmed, not understanding all aspects of the story.

When the Nativity Story was complete, Sean Keohane stood at the set alter an announced that they would set up the manger scene again so children could get a closer look, and parents could take pictures. A little boy shouted out, “I want to see the baby!” When I inspected the puppets up close, a pupeteer took one of the three Magi’s and she started lifting his skirt. “This is my favorite part.” she said. Neatly sewn on the Magi’s butt was a cloth label that read, Jim Henson’s Workshop.

Adult Puppet Slam

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Pinocchio’s Marionette Theater in the Altamonte Mall (451 Altamonte Dr., Altamonte Springs) hosted a single evening performance of an Adult Puppet Slam. When Terry and I arrived there was a line to get in. Jeremy Seghers arrived right after us and we all joked about how we keep bumping into each other at events. When the crowd filed in the place filled to the point where there was standing room only. At first I sat on one of the small child sized benches but then decided to use my portable chair and sit against a wall so I could sketch puppets and some of the audience. Sean Keohane, the Executive Director of Pinocchio’s, introduced the evening.
A Punch and Judy style show started off the festivities and had the audience laughing. Hannah Miller did a performance of “The Gift of the Magi.” I had sketched Hannah as she built set pieces for this show. The marionettes that she built from scratch are absolutely magical, brightly colored and sparkle with sequins. An actual alligator head is used for one character. Hannah’s boyfriend, Jack Fields had his own show as well called “The Loaf That No One Cried For.” This rather hilarious performance also featured Brian Feldman as a humanoid who is concerned for the well being of a giant puppet that he drags on stage. A gourd shaped puppet that pops up from a bright patchwork quilt offers advice and orders Feldman around. When Brian climbed into the audience, he stopped next to Sultana Ali and stuffed his mouth with bread. The audience couldn’t stop laughing during this performance.
After the Slam was over a number of us lingered. Brian and Hannah disappeared into Pinocchio’s Playland in order to look over some rather legal looking documents. They were married in February as a demonstration that a straight couple, who don’t even know each other, can get married while gay and lesbian couples who are in love and have lived together for years are denied the right to marry. As Brian and Hannah talked behind closed doors, rumors circulated about a possible annulment. The rumors remain just that, since the couple did not confirm or deny anything.

An Orlando Cinderella Story

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On the morning of Hannah Miller‘s wedding to Brian Feldman, a man she barely knows, I decided to go to Pinocchio’s Marionette Theater to watch her work. She is shown in this sketch high up on the puppeteer platform with Jack Fields. Appropriately, I thought, they were performing Cinderella. Cinderella is, of course, unjustly oppressed and in the end offered a triumphant reward. Her hard work goes unrecognized, until one day she achieves recognition and notoriety, thanks to a handsome Prince.

Today, Hannah would marry a man she doesn’t love to point out the absurdity of laws that prohibit same-sex couples from marrying. In the Cinderella tale, the Prince invites all the young ladies in the land to a ball so he can choose a bride. Brian Feldman invited all the young ladies of Orlando, via Facebook, to the Orange County Courthouse so he could do the same. Hannah was picked to be Brian’s bride thanks to the spinning of an Aquafina water bottle which, if you think about it, really does resemble a glass slipper. As the bottle spun, the light from the dull florescent lights overhead in the marriage license office refracted and shimmered in the multiple facets of the bottle’s tight-waisted form. After the bottle settled on Hannah, she took a sip from the bottle of Aquafina but then hesitated wondering if it might break the spell.

The evil stepmother and the vain and haughty daughters in this modern day fairy tale of course are the legislators and lawyers who allow a law to be on the books that would deny loving same-sex couples from being able to marry. I hope that Brian and Hannah’s brave gesture will bring the issues of equal marriage rights to the all the people in the land.

After the performance of Cinderella was complete, I saw Hannah and Jack embrace for a long time in the dim light on the opposite side of the stage. This was actually the first time I realized they were a couple. Hannah came over and said hello and we talked for a while. She said she never actually manipulates the Cinderella puppet herself. She tends to work the “heavies”, since she is one of the tallest puppeteers in the troupe. She told me all about the fabulous wedding dress she had made from a $12 thrift store purchase. She hot glued pearls and other exotic items to the dress to make it something that even her fairy godmother would have had trouble creating. The bouquet itself was a work of art with rainbow colored flowers emblazoned with colorful gems and a handle of pearls. After finishing my sketch, I thought I would go downtown to listen to Shakespeare’s Sonnets being read. As I exited the Altamonte Mall, The Beatles were singing, “Eleanor Rigby picks up the rice in the church where a wedding has been, lives in a dream. Waits at a window, wearing the face that she keeps in a jar by the door, who is it for? All the lonely people, where do they all come from? All the lonely people where do they all belong?”

Outside it was raining, gray, and cold. So, as I sat in my truck, I called Hannah from my cell phone, and asked if she would mind if I sketched her as she got ready for the wedding. She agreed, and I drove over to her place. I knocked on Hannah’s door and her roommate, Caeley Batten, let me in. She apologized because the heating unit had broken and she was trying to keep the place warm by turning on the electric oven and leaving the door open. I stood by the oven and warmed my hands. When Hannah arrived she asked me to make myself comfortable while she took a shower. She didn’t have much time to get ready, so when I got back to her room, I immediately got to work. I love the fact that she had a garland of hearts hanging from her air conditioning unit. She collects quirky creatures, and as she got dressed they seemed to be looking on in surprise and bewilderment. Hannah’s roommate helped zip her into the dress. It was time to face the music.

The 3 Puppeteers

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It turns out that Jack, one of the 3 puppeteers from Pinocchio’s Puppet Theater in the Altamonte Mall, had written a comment on my blog that he had been at a number of events that I had sketched, but he was always on the opposite side of the room and so he wasn’t in any of those sketches. In the first sketch of the puppeteers I didn’t sketch Jack because he was the furthers away and he might have been out of view because he was working the curtains or getting a puppet. April told me about how disappointed Jack would be so I had to do another sketch to be sure I caught Jack. He is usually on the platform at stage left so I walked backstage to draw on that side.
Jack is the puppeteer who worked Frosty. Frosty has the amazing ability to separate all his body parts during his dance number. In the sketch Frosty is off in the wings at stage left watching the dancing reindeer’s who do a lively can can number.
The final show is a bit over an hour long but with fits and starts the rehearsal was well over 4 hours. Much of this is because the lighting had to be figured out for each number. Endurance, patience and a playful spirit seem to be the attributes needed to be a good puppeteer. The cast affectionately referred to April as stumpy which implies that long arms are also a plus. She got to perform as the acrobatic monkey which is one of the more challenging and fun puppets to work. She can swing through the air with the greatest of ease and she is able to flip up and sit on the cross bar.
Space backstage is very cramped. Sometimes the puppeteers have to crawl under the platforms in order to untangle puppets or work the back stage curtains. It is easy for a puppeteer to bump their head on all the exposed beams. April who works the MC of the show had him stand and look up at the huge puppeteers looming above him. he made a comment as if this were the first time he had realized that they were there. It was quite funny.
The true magic comes from hearing the reactions from the children. The puppeteers can hear the audience response and they feed off of that energy. April was saying that the last audience was screaming for more of the dancing panda. She also wrote me that in a recent performance of Holly’s Follies the arms fell off of several characters. The children screams not in horror but delight.
One of the final acts was set to the music of “Its the Most Wonderful Time of the Year”. I had heard this music over and over again at the Trees rehearsals. It seems the most wonderful time of the year is fast approaching. Brace yourself. Santa’s Holly Follies runs through November 29th check the website for show times.

Santa’s Holly Follies

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Hanna Miller through facebook had informed me that the Holly’s Follies were about to start rehearsing in Pinocchio’s Marionette Theater in the Altimonte Mall. I was told to stand in a back hallway of the mall and then call on my cell. Sean Keohane opened the door I was standing near which had no doorknob. I was shocked that all the walls inside were red. We entered the theater and the stage is intricately decorated with red and gold paint. There were tiny chandeliers and small benches for the children. Sean took me back to stage left where there are steps for the puppeteers to climb up 15 feet to a boardwalk. He then took me over to stage right where there was a glass window and all the unused puppets were gathered together waiting to go onstage. We had to move some boxes and Tupperware storage containers so I could sit close and start my sketch.
The sketch shows April and Hanna on the boardwalk manipulating puppets which are on stage behind all the waiting puppets. Jack the third puppeteer is probably on another boardwalk working the curtains. The rehearsal went on for about four hours. Lighting was being worked out by Richard who was sitting out in the theater with a light board on a bench in front of him. The show involves many changes of sets with curtain drops and a huge cast of puppets. Hanna informed me that they don’t even have all the puppets yet and there are only a few more days of rehearsals before they start performances.
Several times the performance had to be stopped when puppets got tangled together. One of the kings got his strings tangled in his own crown. When things like this happen the puppet will be forced to move in a strange stilted way but the show must go on. While one puppeteer is working a puppet another might be called on to flick on a black light or drop a new curtain behind the set. It is a complicated process in a tight space and I don’t know how they keep it all straight. For hours they bent forward at the waist manipulating the strings. I have no doubt muscles were sore by the end of the night.