On June 2012, I hosted The New American Vaudeville, at the Eugene O’Neill Theater Center in Waterford, CT as part of the National Puppetry Conference. In The New American Vaudeville, I contextualized evenings of short-form puppet and object theater for adult audiences in intimate settings. The New American Vaudeville was informed by my position as co-founder and coordinator of the Puppet Slam Network from 2005 to 2016.
Presentation Excerpt:
Underground puppet slams have been popping up everywhere. They feature contemporary short-form puppet and object theater for adult audiences, often late at night in small venues, nightclubs, and art spaces. Puppet Slams exist at the nexus of vaudeville, burlesque, and performance art through the intersection of experimental theater, art, music, and dance as a viable alternative to the culturally homogenous digital mass media.
When was the very first puppet slam? Surely there must have been Paleolithic Slams or something like them with cave people projecting shadows onto their walls by torchlight to communicate the location of food. (Read More)
Presentation History
- June 13, 2012 – National Puppetry Conference,
Eugene O’Neill Center (Waterford, CT) - April 2, 2011 – Puppetry & Post Dramatic Performance,
University of Conneticut (Storrs) - July 6th, 2010 – Winnipeg Puppet Collective (Winnipeg, Manitoba)
- July 2009 – National Puppetry Festival, Georgia Tech (Atlanta, GA)
- July 2007 – National Puppetry Festival, Concordia University (St. Paul, MN)
The mission of the O’Neill’s National Puppetry Conference is to encourage puppet artists to create and communicate through the visual and kinetic form of the puppet, to push beyond their personal boundaries, and develop new works for puppet theater. Participants collaborate with renowned guest directors, puppet artists, and playwrights to develop innovative productions conceived by guest artists, as well as presentations initiated by the Conference participants.
For eight days each summer, puppet artists have the opportunity to explore various performance styles through rehearsals and workshops on writing, music, marionettes, and more. Puppet artists also have the option to gather before the main conference for three days of intensive workshops. The main conference culminates with two public performances, featuring new works which explore the extraordinary range and power of the puppet.
Ibex Puppetry is an entertainment company dedicated to promoting the fine art of puppetry in all of its mediums. Founded in 2000 and receiving multiple UNIMA (Union Internationale de la Marionette) awards, Ibex Puppetry supports puppet art in the mediums of film, stage, gallery exhibits, workshops and artist presentations.