PuppetryLab.com

For the benefit of the uninformed, They Might Be Giants (TMBG) is an American alternative rock band known for odd songs and a unique sound. Their fans span the globe and have been labelled “cult-like”. Their album Flood debuted when I was in high school. I’ve been a fan ever since.

So you can guess that I was thrilled to find a recently launched TMBG video podcast for kids. But I wasn’t prepared for the cutesy, crocheted faces (strange yarn-and-felt representations of band founders John Flansburgh and John Linnell) that popped into my screen to introduce the animated segment of the podcast.

Ha! They’re puppets. Kewl.

The puppetry isn’t stellar, but it sure is gosh-darn funny to have John and John puppets intro their new songs for kids. Check out podcast info on their downloads site, or just go right to the details on iTunes.

So, enjoy some puppety goodness while I get back in the groove of posting puppety inspiration. Will be back soon. Really.

Ventriloquism Weekend Workshop

Stephen Knowles and Ken Groves are sponsoring a weekend intensive for ventriloquists at the Park Grove Inn in Pigeon Forge, TN. Itinerary and registration information are listed on their web site (see below).

More info @:
Vent Weekend Workshop - January 18-19, 2008

From their web site, “The PuSh International Performing Arts Festival is Vancouver’s mid-winter festival presenting acclaimed local, national, and international artists and their work. Held over four weeks each January. PuSh looks to expand the horizons of Lower Mainland audiences and artists with work that is visionary, genre-bending, startling and original.”

More info @:
PuSh Performing Arts Festival - Vancouver, BC - January 16-February 3, 2008

Link via the Puppeteers of America BB, “For the past seven years, Puppets in Prague has been organizing intensive workshops on how to create wooden marionettes based on traditional Czech technology. Students go through the whole process of building a puppet, from design to making a technical drawing, woodcarving, assembly of parts, painting, costuming, stringing, creating controller, and finally making a short performance. The course also includes visits to Czech puppet theatres, lectures on Czech puppet history and animated film, and the chance to meet many Czech puppet artists.”

More info @:
Puppets in Prague Puppet Workshops - Jan 5-19, 2008

Link via the Puppeteers of America BB, “Bangkok’s Patravadi Theatre is pleased to announce that it will host the 8th Bangkok Fringe Festival in 2008. The Festival is a performing arts festival organized and sponsored by Patravadi Theatre since 1999. It is a festival where Thai artists benefit from the exchange of experience, while visiting companies promote their various cultures to Thai audiences. The 8th Bangkok Fringe Festival will take place on the Saturdays and Sundays from 19 Jan to 3 Feb 2008.”

More info @:
8th Annual Bangkok Fringe Festival - Jan 19-Feb 3, 2008