Author: David

Founded in 1995 in Toronto, Ontario, the school offers classes, courses and mentoring led by proffessional puppeteers and thatre artists, for adults interested in learning about theatre with puppetry.

Intermediate Marionettes

May 2nd & 3rd from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

In this two day workshop the participants will explore and build more complex marionettes, made of wood, with simple working joints. We will explore character development and design, the basic do’s and don’ts of costuming marionettes, as well as different types of marionette control bars and stringing methods. Through a series of movement exercises everyone will begin to learn how to bring their puppet character to life.

Instructors:  Ann Powell & David Powell

Ann and David started their puppetry careers with marionettes, and have developed a very good understanding of their construction and theatrical potential.  David will focus mainly on the construction and mechanics, while Ann will bring her character development and costuming skills.  Though in their work with Puppetmongers they have developed their art to include many other types of puppetry, marionettes hold a special place in their history.

The Art of the Solo Puppet Show

April 18th    10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Join Mike Harding of Applefun Puppetry and learn how to perform a one-person puppet show! Find out how to organize your puppets and props. Discover how to manage an audience by yourself. Decide what type of puppets will work best. Learn to create a story that can be performed by just one person. Uncover tips about creating a stage that is portable and easy to set up. You too can create a puppet show to be performed anywhere for almost anyone! Participants can bring their own puppets and portable stages if they wish

Recommended companion workshop – Finding Voices for Puppets      

Instructor:  Mike Harding

Mike, Chief Puppeteer and Owner of Applefun Puppetry, has been constructing puppets and studying the art of puppetry for over 20 years. His earliest shows took place on his sister’s farm. Since then, he has performed thousands of shows at libraries, schools, and birthday parties. Mike is a member of the Ontario Puppetry Association and has served as both President and Vice-president. He is also a member of The Puppeteers of America. Mike studied Improvisational Comedy at Second City, which adds a unique and spontaneous flavour to his shows. Applefun Puppetry Puppet Shows are characteristically interactive with a high degree of audience participation.

Hand and Rod Puppet Manipulation

Sunday March 22nd – 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Lampoon’s first show, Clowning Around, used a simple hand-puppet technique with mime for the two clown puppets to tell their stories. Greater attention was given to details of the movement because, without words, the movement of the puppets became the language to communicate with the audience. This knowledge became a great tool in the production of Lampoon’s other shows and helped inspire the worldwide appreciation of the company.

In the workshop, attention will be on using the most effective movement, isolating those movements by removing unnecessary moves, to be able to lead the focus of your audience. Participants will also construct their own hand puppet “glove”, following Johan’s effective technique.

Recommended companion workshop – Finding Voices for Puppets

Instructor:  Johan van der Gun Johan, one of the founders of Lampoon Puppettheatre in 1972, stayed with the company as artistic director while also fulfilling many other positions.  Over the years Lampoon Puppettheatre represented Canadian puppetry at about 50 different festivals in about 25 different countries.  While pursuing many different styles of puppetry one show, Clowning Around, did remain their favourite.  The show uses a simple hand-puppet technique but, because of its excellent manipulation, was loved by many audiences and won several awards.

Introduction to Marionettes

Rescheduled to March 29th   10 a.m. to 5 pm.

In this class the participants will gain a sense of how critically important gravity, leverage and fulcrums are to marionettes.   Everyone will make their own simple yet effective cloth marionette and learn how to string their puppet. Everyone will then learn to manipulate their puppet through a series of exploration and movement exercises. 

Instructor:  David Powell

David and his sister Ann started their puppetry journey with marionettes at the ages of 7 and 8.  He has been a co-artistic director of Puppetmongers Theatre since establishing it with Ann in 1974.  With the company he has invented new ideas in puppet theatre, created many award winning puppet productions and toured extensively.