Hey, if you are in or near Carlsbad, CA, allow me to recommend an amazing exhibit. The World on a String: Puppets from the Alan Cook Collection of The International Puppetry Museum. The exhibit runs till December 30, 2011 and is one of the best collections of puppetry you’ll likely get a chance to see.

See the world through wooden eyes with puppets from Bucharest, Palermo, Bali, Africa, Asia, North America and many more points around the globe. Featuring over 120 puppets from all over the world, this exhibition is on loan from the International Puppet Museum of Pasadena, and features a portion of the Alan Cook Collection, founder and director of the Museum.

via City of Carlsbad – William D. Cannon Art Gallery.

Wow. It should not surprise me that this is an impressive trailer given that its provenance. Kevin McTurk, the creator, has been doing amazing work in puppetry for years. This film will be appearing in Heather Henson’s Handmade Puppet Dreams 2012 series. Looking forward to that in big, big ways.

The Narrative of Victor Karloch [Official Trailer] from Kevin McTurk on Vimeo.

He’s using 30″ rod puppets, shadow puppets and in camera effects to create what promises to be a deeply eerie film. You can read more about the Narrative of Victor Karloch at the Spirit Cabinet.

(Hat-tip to Grá Linnea)

As part of Muppet Week at Tor.com, I talk about the impact that Jim Henson had on modern puppetry. Here’s a teaser.

Let me be clear, before we start, that I’m about to geek out on puppetry. Jim Henson is why I’m a professional puppeteer today, even though I never met him. Like many puppeteers, I grew up watching Sesame Street and The Muppet Show and before I discovered the wider world of puppetry.

Now, I’m also a science fiction writer and here’s the thing… Henson would be a really good subject for an Alternate History story of the “Duck Mr. President” variety, where a single change could affect the entire time line.

I do not exaggerate. The face of modern puppetry would be completely different if not for Jim Henson. Here, let me show you.

Read the full article at We Almost Didn’t Have the Muppets: Four Alternate Points in Jim Henson’s Life | Tor.com.

(I’ve closed comments here to encourage folks to comment over there, instead. And please do! I want to know what you think and so does Tor.com)

I’ve just come out of the audition for Madame Butterfly. I was cut in the first round, which is disappointing — I won’t even pretend that it’s not — but not particularly crushing. The thing about auditions like this is that they are such a long shot anyway. You don’t go in expecting to get the part, you know? It was a really good set of puppeteers and frankly, I didn’t show well.

So, what does an audition like this look like?

It was a little different from the last one. There were only a dozen of us, which is pretty amazing to start with. We were led up the elevator to what felt like the bowels of the Met but is actually the top floor. Totally feels like a basement, though. The last time, we’d been on a replica of the stage, with the actual set. This time was in a rehearsal room

The puppeteers all sort of stretch out while we’re waiting. This is part getting the body ready, part showing off flexibility, and part distracting oneself from nerves.

They started by just having us move around the room to get comfortable with the space and with each other. The goal with these moments is to see how well we move and also to start building teamwork. Since the puppet is worked by three operators, this is vital.

Once we’d warmed up, they started having us work the puppet in teams. The first team up was really good. I mean… frequently that is not the case, but they’d already narrowed the selection. I think all of us sort of internally went, “Oh, crap.” Or maybe that was just me.

Then the team rotates so that each person gets to try a different position on the puppet.

When my turn came, having watched the others, I volunteered to do the feet first. With the other teams, as they rotated, the puppet director had the puppet try faster things so the last person on the feet kept winding up running. I’m no dummy. I did not want to have to do that without practice.

I had fully expected the feet to be my worst position, because I have the wrong body type. Since the figure is direct manipulation and worked on the floor, this requires the puppeteer to hold the feet and work in a squatting posture. In the show, the puppet runs 60 feet down a raked stage.  For this particular figure, you want short legs and a long torso so you can really stretch out in front of you. I have long legs and short torso. My knees get in my way.

And yet, that was the position that I was strongest in. I had good placement and stride. I planted fully and showed weight.

Then we rotated. I was fine on the torso and right hand. Nothing special but nothing broken, either.

Then we rotated. On the head I made such a basic mistake that I’m sort of horrified. I checked the range of motion on the other body parts, but I did not check where the puppet’s focus was — where its eye level is when it looks straight ahead — before we started. It was much, much higher than I thought. So my puppet spent the entire time staring at the ground. I also verbally coached my teammates, which, in hindsight, I shouldn’t have done. It’s a trick we use in rehearsal, but in this audition, they were looking for non-verbal communication. I also, didn’t do a particularly good job of countering, that is keeping sightlines clear. So, as I said, I did not show well.

By the way, this is the performer’s version of rejectomancy.

I want to be clear, for people who aren’t used to theater, that I do not feel sorry for myself. It’s also not false modesty or downplaying things to say that I didn’t show well. I’m a really good puppeteer. I know what I’m capable of and I didn’t deliver today.

The last thing they had us do was cross the stage floor in a gliding walk. It’s a very stylized movement that stagehands use in bunraku. I have no idea how I did there, since there weren’t mirrors.

They sent us all out in the hall while they conferred for five minutes and then brought us back in. They read the names of the six people they were keeping. While I hoped I was wrong, I was not surprised when mine wasn’t one of them.

It was a great experience overall. So often, productions think they can just teach anyone to work puppets and it is wonderful to see them take puppetry seriously. It’s also really nice to spend an afternoon watching a whole bunch of really good puppeteers do their work.

And at the end of the day? I got to audition for the Met. Twice. How many people get to say that?

I caught a redeye from Salt Lake City to NYC where I will be until Friday morning. Why? Because I’m clearly insane.

In all seriousness, I have an audition tomorrow. For the Met.

I’ve been called back for a show I auditioned for four years ago. You can read about that audition and I’ll tell you about tomorrow’s once I get on the other side of it.

How do I think I’ll do? Impossible to say. They are looking at a lot of puppeteers tomorrow. As much depends on body type as skillset for this role. Am I nervous? Yes.

But… it’s the Met. Just being able to say the sentence, “I’m auditioning for the Met” is incredibly, amazingly, cool.

One more time.

I’m auditioning for the Met.

Edited to add: I had a great time, didn’t get the part, and you can read how the audition went.

Rob and I had to go out of town this weekend and I was struck by how many of the  places we visited had a touring memory attached to them.  I played in elementary schools all over the place and we were very much in my old stomping grounds this weekend.

At one point, we needed to get diesel for the car and Rob said that he thought he’d wait until we exited for our next turn. I thought that there weren’t any options at that exit — and I was right. It was weird.

If you were in elementary school in Washington or Oregon in 1995-97 or in Idaho in 1993-1995 or 1998, then  I almost certainly performed for you. It is a little awkward how many adults I run across that have memories of seeing me perform or rather of seeing the shows that I performed.

We are on the road to Reno! The puppeteers, (Lance and Jodi) and I left yesterday afternoon after rehearsal.  We’ll be performing on Friday at the convention.

Normally, I only post the public things on my schedule, but this time I’ve included things like rehearsals and SFWA board meetings so you can see why the chances of spotting me on the floor of the con are very slim.

Wednesday

• Teaching SF: Give the Kid a Book (Workshop), Wed 14:00 – 15:00, A18 (RSCC)
• Giving an Effective Reading (Workshop), Wed 15:00 – 16:00, A17 (RSCC)
• Puppet Show Rehearsal (Rehearsal), Wed 19:00 – 21:00, A17 (RSCC)

Thursday

• Sketching Your Costume Idea (Workshop), Thu 11:00 – 12:00, A12 (RSCC)
• Autographing: Thu 13:00 (Autographing), Thu 13:00 – 14:00, Hall 2 Autographs (RSCC)
• Reading: Mary Robinette Kowal (Reading), Thu 15:00 – 15:30, A14 (RSCC)
• Writing Excuses Podcast (Panel), Thu 17:00 – 19:00, D05 (RSCC)
• Shadow Puppetry (Demonstration) (M), Thu 20:00 – 21:00, Hall 2 Demo2 (RSCC)

Friday

• SFWA Board Meeting (Special Interest Group), Fri 08:00 – 12:00, OFFSITE (OFFSITE)
• Puppet Show – Set-up/Rehearsal (Rehearsal), Fri 12:00 – 15:30, C01 (RSCC)
• Puppet Show (first showing): Whatnot (Performance), Fri 16:00 – 17:30, C01 (RSCC)
• Puppet Show – Break (RESET), Fri 17:30 – 18:30, C01 (RSCC)
• Puppet Show (second showing): Whatnot (Performance), Fri 19:00 – 20:30, C01 (RSCC)

Saturday

• The Image of Art in SF: How Art and Artists are Depicted in Science Fiction and Fantasy (Panel), Sat 10:00 – 11:00, A01+6 (RSCC)
• Historical Figures in Action! (Panel), Sat 11:00 – 12:00, A10 (RSCC)
• SFWA Meeting (Special Interest Group), Sat 13:00 – 15:00, A02 (RSCC)
• Art Direction: What’s Involved? (Panel) (M), Sat 15:00 – 16:00, A04 (RSCC)
• Pre-Hugo Reception (Reception) (I), Sat 18:00 – 20:00, Capri (Peppermill)

This is what I made today.

Teeth!

They are made of medical grade thermal plastic and individually placed in Papa Fuzzy’s mouth.

Basically, I cut a tiny piece of thermal plastic and lower it into boiling water with a slotted spoon. I pull it out to shape it using a flat surface and a scoring tool (my fingernail).

For the molars, I shaped two pieces of the plastic and stacked them to get the width I wanted.

You can juuuuust barely see his tongue in this shot.

I’m particularly happy with the molar, but I may wind up not making any more than that.  I just want the hint of white when he opens his mouth and having a full set of teeth might break the “cute” aspect of him. Although I’m using ecru thermal plastic, it’s still a little stark for his mouth.

You might have to be a puppeteer to find this hilarious. Rest assured, that it is.

I’ve been playing with Google+ since they opened it up for field testing and I’m really liking it.  With Buzz and Wave, I was hopeful but neither of them filled a need for me. Wave came closer to working for me but… Google+ is hitting at a time when I’m annoyed by Facebook and wanting a replacement. I’m finding it easier to carry on a conversation there.  Even easier than my own blog, to be honest.

But the thing I really, truly love are the hangouts.  This is basically video chatting, but I can put up a public hangout and anyone can join in OR I can limit it to a specific group of people.  It’s kind of awesome that way.

So far, I’ve been inviting people to hangout while I build puppets.  Today I have some writing to do, and so I’m having a writers’ hangout.  I’ve played with this a little on other days and it’s kind of like hanging out at a coffee shop but I get to bring my own cats and don’t have to worry about what part of the world the other writers are in.

So… if you are on Google+ today,  I’m going to try Nina Kiriki Hoffman’s method of writing dates.  We’ll chat for fifteen minutes. Then at quarter past we’ll start writing for forty-five minutes. On the hour, there’s another 15 minute break for chat… Rinse and repeat.

I don’t know about you, but I have some page count to get done and having folks around makes it easier to not get distracted by my sudden pressing need to vacuum the cat.

So if you are on Google+ drop in and hangout.

[Edited to add: I'm taking a break, but hopefully we'll do more later. I got a lot of writing done.]

This has been a fun week. Among other things, Eric Wright was in town.  Eric is one of the founders of The Puppet Kitchen in NYC and a dear friend. While he was here, he taught a puppet workshop at the Cast Iron Carousel.

The workshop was on making these tiny little hand puppets which are great for travel or just to have around. The Pup-It workshop was two-hours long and everyone made ridiculously cute puppets. RIDICULOUS.  The Puppet Kitchen teaches workshops in NYC, so allow me to recommend them.

It’s been ages since I made a puppet just for fun and this was a nice break. I also learned some new tricks, which is always nice.

While I wish he’d been in town longer, I did manage to get Eric to Powell’s City of Books and Voodoo Donuts.

Hey gang, I just found out that there are still openings in the Pup-It workshop tomorrow in Portland. If you have the time and are interested in puppet construction, I highly, highly, highly recommend this workshop.

Eric Wright, one of the three head chefs from New York City’s The Puppet Kitchen, is visiting the Portland Puppet scene for a weekend of workshops. Come on over to Cast Iron Carousel to participate in a Pup-It Workshop.

Each Pup-It Workshop involves two hours of hands-on instruction with Mr. Wright. He will also provide you with the materials, the patterns, and the know how — basically everything you need to design and build your own Pup-it Puppet.

To see some of our Pup-its in action, check out this Channel 7 exclusive with Lauren Glassberg: http://abclocal.go.com/wab?c/story?section=news%2Floc?al&id=7564658

The Puppet Kitchen Pup-its are excellent moving mouth or “lip-synch” puppets. They are perfect for beginners, or anyone looking to pick up a puppet making trick or two. (you’ll find they’re perfect for web videos, dinner parties, even complex Shakespearean recitation.)

Ages 10 through Adult are encouraged. Scissors and hot glues are used so please if younger guest would like to attend, please email us and be prepared to have a guardian in attendance.

The price is $50 per 2 hr session. Each session will result in a completed functional puppet. Reservations Required: email us at workshops@puppetkitchen.co?m, with the subject line “Portland Workshop”

Workshop Dates: July 8th & 9th, 2011 at 1 p.m. class size is limited to 10; reserve your Pup-It now!

As part of the show that my puppet company is taking to WorldCon, we promised that we’d create a new piece specifically for the event. For that, we need a little input. We need your favorite lines from science-fiction, fantasy and the related genres. No promises that we’ll use all of them, but we need a good sampling.

So, here’s a form you can fill out to tell us your favorite line of dialogue or narration.

What will we do with them? Imagine a scene constructed entirely out of the lines you love.

If you want to see what other people are suggesting, you can see the list online. Oh, and just because someone else has suggested a line, doesn’t mean you shouldn’t suggest it, too. Nothing wrong with knowing a line is popular.

Technically, Friday was the first day of the con but since I got here on Thursday it feels like Day 2 for me.

We started with the opening ceremonies which were short and simple. The various GoH’s introduced themselves and said, “hello” to the audience. Martin Young, the Toastmaster, gave me the straight line of asking if things ever went wrong in puppetry, so I told the Sleeping Beauty story.

Sandra Tayler is in town and rooming with me. She is a delight to hang out with.  By the way, I highly recommend having someone like Sandra with you when you GoH to act as a safety net.

From the Opening Ceremonies it was off to Getting Published Today with Dani Kollin, Eytan Kollin, and Susan Krinard.  Oddly we were all Tor authors whose surnames began with the letter K.  It was a fun conversation although at one point I remarked that we were a self-heckling panel.  The key takeaway I think from that is that if you want to get published you have to have a good manuscript and do your research.

Between panels Sandra and I hung out in the bar area with John Picacio, Chris Garcia, Jeremy Llassen, and a roving cast of others. Funny conversations including a whole host of innocent sentences parents should not say about their children without risking jail time if they are heard out of context.

In the evening we went to the Meet the Guests reception which was good clean fun. I need to give a shout out to Tobi Schneider, guest liaison, who is doing a fantastic job of making us all feel welcome.

After the reception, I indulged in my guilty pleasure and went to the Regency Ball. I brought an extra dress and managed to talk Sandra into going. Man, some of those dances are really fast. At one point, I lost a shoe. I felt very much like Cinderella.

Here’s where you can find me today (Saturday)

11:30 AM to 1:00 PM in room: San Tomas
Growing Artisticially Through Crisis

1:00 PM to 2:30 PM in room: Bayshore East and West
Puppetry Workshop
(Note: I will have the pencil-necked little weasel, and John Scalzi’s Papa Fuzzy puppet with me)

4:00 PM to 5:30 PM in room: Winchester
$5, a Dead Fish, and a Time Machine

5:30 to 7:00 PM in room: Central
Autographing

By the way, if I’m not in a panel, the bar is a good bet on where to find me.