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July 23, 2002 HIV-positive Muppet on South African version of Sesame Street

Reuters reports that Sesame Street will soon introduce its first HIV-positive Muppet character to children of South Africa, where one in nine people have the virus that can lead to AIDS. The upbeat female Muppet will join Takalani Sesame on September 30 for its third season on the South African Broadcasting Corporation. However, some Republican Congressmen and "defenders of family values" are eager to cut funding to National Public Broadcasting because of the puppet. For more details on this, read the Tough Pigs news summary at http://www.toughpigs.com/extragopvssesame.htm

July 23, 2002 Lotte Reiniger's "Adventures of Prince Achmed" newly restored

Milestone Film and Video has just released a restored version of "The Adventures of Prince Achmed" by Lotte Reiniger. To quote Milestone: When The Adventures of Prince Achmed premiered in Germany on September 23, 1926 it was hailed as the first full-length animated film. More than seventy-five years later, this enchanting film still stands as one of the great classics of animation - beautiful, mesmerizing and utterly seductive. "A masterpiece! She was born with magic hands." - Jean Renoir "A rapturous animated kaleidoscope!" -Wesley Morris, San Francisco Examiner The video also includes a one hour documentary about Reiniger. To visit Milestone's site http://www.milestonefilms.com/blurb/vachmed.html

July 23, 2002 Asians, Europeans fight to keep puppetry alive - through TV

From the Associated Press, by ALISA TANG, Associated Press Writer BANGKOK, Thailand - Puppetry, which for centuries enthralled audiences across the globe, nearly took its curtain call in the last century. But diehard puppet masters in both Asia and Europe, fighting to keep the ancient art alive, have found an unlikely ally -- television. Children in Thailand tune into Channel 7 four mornings a week to sing the ditties of Chao Khun Thong, the talking black bird puppet. In Germany, generations of children revere puppet heroes from the Augsburger Puppenkiste's 49-year-old television show. Avid puppeteers from 16 countries gathered in Bangkok this month to promote and revive their art at the first Asia-Europe Puppet Festival. The Chinese presented dramas drawn from the days of the Tang and Song dynasties a millennium ago. Their hand puppets don intricately embroidered silk robes, dance with long red trailing ribbons and wield spears to hunt. The German troupe's fur-capped marionettes, whose bodies are each controlled by as many as 13 strings, wielded miniature musical instruments and danced to background music. The stories enacted by the puppets ranged from mythological to historical to modern-day tales. But the common thread binding the various troupes was their efforts "to preserve the cultural heritage of each country," said Marie Le Sourd of the Asia-Europe Foundation, one of the organizers. Ireland's Puca Puppet gave a fresh twist to classic tale of "The City Mouse and the Country Mouse," in which the bumpkin rodent leaves the tranquility and turnips of the countryside to visit her cousin in bustling Dublin. Augsburger Puppenkiste is one of Germany's most well-known puppet theaters. It owes its popularity to television, said Jurgen Marschall, who is the third generation in his family to work for the 54-year-old puppet theater founded by his grandfather. The troupe has produced more than 700 television shows since its debut in 1953. "Children who watched the show in 1953 are now adults watching with their children and grandchildren. Every generation has its own Puppenkiste hero," said Marschall. Kiatsuda Pirom, the producer of the festival and the Chao Khun Thong bird puppet show, said Thais prefer television melodrama to theater. But they also seem to be attached to Chao Khun Thong, which airs more than half the week. Through workshops and performances, the Asia-Europe Puppet Festival gave puppeteers the chance to garner ideas from each other. At one rehearsal, a roomful of puppeteers showed each other tricks that give their fabric and wood figures the souls of agile acrobats, sword fighters and demure damsels. Hong Hui Jun, director of the Zhangzhou Puppet Troupe from Fujian, China, whirled a bearded warrior hand puppet on his hand like a dervish, flipped it in the air and landed the puppet back on his hand to continue acting. The festival, co-organized by Thailand's Office of the National Culture Commission, had performances by troupes from Austria, Belgium, China, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Indonesia, Ireland, Japan, Luxembourg, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Spain, Sweden and Thailand. (Original article found at Yahoo)

July 23, 2002 Pinocchio is already stealing the scene in Italy

From Reuters, By Shasta Darlington ROME (Reuters) - While intergalactic warriors and web-spinning superstars may be the stuff of heroes in other countries, in Italy a long-nosed wooden puppet called Pinocchio still holds center stage. Oscar-winning Roberto Benigni -- director and star of "Life is Beautiful" -- has breathed fresh life into one of Italy's most beloved characters with a new film based on the classic 19th-century fairy tale. Although Benigni has refused to reveal details about the upcoming movie, Italy is abuzz with anticipation. Sales of hand-made wooden Pinocchio dolls are soaring and modern merchandise, including baseball caps and backpacks featuring the mischievous liar, is disappearing from toy shop shelves. A kiddie park in Tuscany has been dubbed "Pinocchioland" in expectation of a surge in interest and publishers have reissued "The Adventures of Pinocchio," Carlo Collodi's original 1883 best-seller about a naughty puppet in search of boyhood. "Italy has older traditions, a culture of artisans and country living so it is natural that our hero is Pinocchio," said Giorgio De Rienzo, a literary critic for Corriere della Sera newspaper and self-described "Pinocchio-ologist." In the classic fable, the elderly Gepetto carves a puppet from a mysterious piece of wood. Pinocchio, an endearing mischief-maker whose nose grows every time he tells a lie, comes to life but aches to be a real boy. His adventures on the way to learning honesty and bravery are peopled by a talking cricket, a blue fairy, an evil puppeteer and a giant fish, figures that have all become popular characters in Italian folklore. "Pinocchio is about freedom and fairy tales. It is the kind of story that can continually transform itself and be adapted," De Rienzo added. PINOCCHIO BLOCKBUSTER The new Pinocchio movie is due to hit cinemas across Italy Oct. 11 and the film industry is betting it will be the most popular movie ever in Italy, squeezing out the previous record-holder, Benigni's own tragi-comic story about the Holocaust, "Life is Beautiful," for which he won Oscars ( news - web sites) in 1999 for best foreign film and best actor. That shouldn't be surprising considering Pinocchio is the most widely read book in the country's history and perhaps the most-read children's book around the world. "Italian movies aren't usually blockbusters even in Italy, but there are exceptions," said Andrea Lazzarin, marketing director for Medusa Film, distributor for the film in Italy. "Both Pinocchio and Benigni are cultural heritage in Italy, together they're just too appealing." Benigni has sworn the cast to secrecy until the film is released but before shooting started he said he wanted to "make a big film from a small idea" with Pinocchio. Unlike Walt Disney's 1940s animated version, real actors will star in Benigni's film and the director himself will play the long-nosed wooden puppet. Most of the $35 million Miramax production, Italy's most expensive film to date, was shot in the village of Pignone, north of Tuscany where Collodi, born Carlo Lorenzini, was brought up by his chef father and house servant mother. PINOCCHIO THE CHAMELEON The film is just the latest Pinocchio adaptation. A silent, black-and-white Italian "Pinocchio" was made in 1911, followed by Disney's animated version and a series of made-for-TV films, one starring Mickey Rooney. Italian director Luigi Comencini made a popular movie based on the book in 1972 and Pinocchio was even turned into a porno flick, called "The Erotic Adventures of Pinocchio." Even before Benigni's film debuts, a musical play is being prepared and Italian feminist writer Vittoria Haziel is putting the finishing touches to a book called "Pinocchia." However, the growing Pinocchio hype unleashed by the Benigni film is alarming some die-hard local fans. "Pinocchio is known all over the world, but here we really consider him Italian," said Gianpaolo Galli, a craftsman at the Trad.Eco cooperative that sells wooden Pinocchio dolls in central Rome. "The only thing that worries me about all of this is that what has been a symbol of tradition for so long in Italy is turning into something trendy." (Original article found at Yahoo)

July 23, 2002 Vietnam's water puppets stage comeback

From the Associated Press By DAVID THURBER, Associated Press Writer HANOI, Vietnam - A grinning tiger splashes through the water, grabs a duck from a helpless farmer and races up a palm tree 6 meters (20 feet) away, its prey dangling from its mouth. The audience roars at the antics - controlled by puppeteers standing thigh-deep in water behind a bamboo screen. Long underwater poles and ropes transmit the complex motions to the colorful hand-carved puppets - including dancing maidens, smoke-belching dragons and fish that pull lazy fishermen into the deep. Vietnam's unique water puppets have been portraying the foibles of rural life for nearly 1,000 years. They are among many traditional Vietnamese performing arts that nearly faded away during decades of war and communist revolution, but have now found new audiences. About a dozen water puppet troupes are currently performing, mostly in villages in northern Vietnam's Red River Delta. Most of the puppeteers are farmers who devote long hours to practice but perform for free. "I inherited this art from my ancestors, and I want to pass it on as an inheritance to future generations," said Nguyen Xuan Thu, a member of a troupe in Nguyen Xa village in northern Thai Binh province. Water puppet shows originally were performed in rice paddies or ponds when farm work allowed, either after spring planting or harvesting. The performances - often introduced by a smiling country bumpkin named Teu - intersperse vignettes of life in a farming village with legends about Vietnam's creation, magical turtles and brave kings. In many, the humans are outfoxed by nature, to the delight of generations of rural Vietnamese. The water serves as not only the stage but also a character in the stories, portraying the tranquil ripples of a duck pond as well as the violent waves of an ocean battle. Thu's troupe has a repertoire of 40-50 vignettes, with some favorites repeated year after year, while others are added each year for variety. Many involve complex motions - all controlled underwater - of the brightly painted puppets, which range up to about 60 centimeters (two feet) in height. Some weigh as much as 13.5 kilograms (30 pounds) and must be held and manipulated by three puppeteers. The designs of the underwater poles, wires and levers are a strict secret, and spectators are not allowed to watch from behind the screen. Water puppetry nearly disappeared during the decades of wars against France and the United States, poverty and communist revolution. "During the war we didn't have the conditions to do many shows," said Nguyen Huy Hong, 76, president of UNIMA, a Vietnamese traditional puppetry club. "Many of the performers had to go to battlefields. The puppets were put in storage and many became ruined, and there wasn't time for performances." After the Vietnam War ended in 1975, Communist authorities believed that traditional culture and festivals were backward and frivolous in a time of extreme poverty and political upheaval. That policy began shifting in the mid 1980s as Vietnam introduced economic reforms that ended its failed experiment in collectivized agriculture and a centralized command economy. The government now officially encourages many traditional arts in an effort to forge a national cultural identity, and this year plans to ask UNESCO to designate water puppetry as part of the world's cultural heritage. But government support for the arts remains tightly limited. "There's not much support from the government because it faces many financial difficulties," Hong said. "Puppet shows are not very expensive to produce, so we've been able to revive them. But it depends on the contribution of the puppeteers, who usually don't receive any salaries." In theaters in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, water puppet performances are packed every night with foreign tourists. But the art form's future is less certain in its countryside roots, where it faces growing competition from television, pop music and the allure of private enterprise. Hong, who has been involved with water puppetry for 43 years, says it will survive as long as it accurately depicts rural society. "It originated from the farmers, and when farmers see it, they feel part of the show," he said. "So I think it will live forever, like a mirror which reflects the people's daily life." (Original article found at Yahoo)

July 23, 2002 Puppeteers of America Store Open for Business Again

Puppeteers of America's Puppetry Store is open for business again. Check the organization's website www.puppeteers.org for details.

June 18, 2002 Sock Puppet Gets a Second Chance

The sock puppet mascot for the now defunct pets.com has found a new home. 1-800-Bar-None, a Pleasanton, California company that provides car financing, is adopting the character to market auto loans to people with bad credit. According to the article by Joelle Tessler in the San Jose Mercury News: The puppet's message: Everyone deserves a second chance. ``He's a lot like our customers -- they are good people who have had a bad time,'' said Jim Crouse, chief executive of 1-800-Bar None...

May 13, 2002 Puppeteers of America Store Temporarily Closes

Puppeteers of America's Puppetry Store is temporarily closed while moving to a new location. Check the organization's website www.puppeteers.org for up to date information about the grand re-opening. If there are any questions about orders already in process, please contact P of A president Jean Hasselschwert.

April 24, 2002 Elmo Testifies before Congress

From CNN: Sesame Street's Elmo Monster gave evidence before the United States Congress Education Appropriations Subcommittee and urged more spending on music research and musical instruments for school programs. Joe Lamond, head of an international trade association of musical instrument makers, said "I think Elmo, in many ways, speaks for all children everywhere that musical learning starts in that preschool age and really does help prepare children to learn more in school." http://www.cnn.com/2002/ALLPOLITICS/04/23/elmo.hill/index.html

April 22, 2002 Krofts Lose Lawsuit Against Boy Band

From AP: A federal judge in Los Angeles has cut off a lawsuit against pop group 'N Sync brought on by puppet makers Sid and Marty Krofft. Their company sued in December 2000 seeking damages because an 'N Sync program and backstage passes featured a likeness of the puppets the Kroffts made for their "Bye Bye Bye" performance at the American Music Awards in September 2000. The suit claimed the use of the puppet pictures violated the company's copyright. But the judge dismissed all claims against the group members.

April 22, 2002 Super Liar Puppet Pokes Fun at French Politics

From Nikla Gibson, Reuters: A mysterious latex super hero known only as "Super Liar" has swooped into French politics, taking a swipe at President Jacques Chirac's re-election bid and saving the country's voters from a yawn-inducing campaign. The red-caped and masked rubber puppet, which has an uncanny resemblance to the 69-year-old conservative president, regularly appears on a popular satirical television show making up stories and wild election pledges to get the Chirac puppet off the hook. "Jacques Chirac has a brilliant and realistic programme," the larger-than-life sized marionette enthuses in one sketch. "On day one, his government will build 400 centres for young delinquents, arrest all France's delinquents on the second day, reform and educate them on the third and by the end of the fifth they will all have jobs as doctors or engineers." While its creators at Canal Plus television say the character is just a bit of fun and insist, with wry smiles, they have no idea who he really is, there is no doubt "Super Liar" is a thinly-disguised jab at Chirac's most sensitive spot -- his credibility. For the full story, go to: http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/nm/20020407/wl_india_nm/india_68244_1

April 22, 2002 Petition to Put Fraggle Rock on DVD

From Karen Prell: Warrick Brownlow, a fan from http://www.muppetcentral.com , has set up a petition to get the Fraggle Rock series released on DVD. The Henson company is considering doing this sometime in the future, but any awareness they can get of audience interest is always helpful. Even if you don't want to sign the petition, those who enjoyed the show or worked on it will appreciate the statement that accompanies it. Sure, there are more important things in the world to sign petitions about, but hey, anything that tries to promote peace and cultural understanding to kids has got to be worthwhile. The petition just started, so there are only a few signatures (including mine) so spread the word if you're interested. cheers! Straight to the petition statement: http://www.PetitionOnline.com/Fraggle/petition.html To Warricks's Fraggle Petition site: http://www.angelfire.com/super2/fragglerock0/Entrance.html

March 24, 2002 Puppets in Kenya Educate Despite Taboos

Mike Crawley writes in The Christian Science Monitor about puppetry in Africa being used as a tool to educate children and adults on formerly taboo subjects such as government corruption, gender equality, and environmental conservation. "The medium is gaining popularity here among organizations with an educational mandate because of its relatively low cost, its ability to be locally adapted, and its entertainment value in a land of few televisions." http://www.csmonitor.com/2002/0319/p13s01-lecs.html

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