Hopefully, unless you've been depraving yourself of true happiness since the late 60s, you've seen these guys before:
The Muppets! Jim Henson's foam-and-fur creations are familiar to millions around the world. Which brings me to a not-so-secret obsession: I want to be a puppeteer. I love acting, and I'm almost always part of the cast of a musical at Theatre Macon, but making money off of stage acting? It's a very competitive field, based almost 90% in New York City and LA, and nearly impossible to get regular jobs in. Not to mention the dramatics (naturally) of actors in the field, the back-stabbing and stealing parts, and crazy commitment and devotion. If you audition for a Broadway musical, you're giving up any social life, chance to go out, friends, or love life for a year and a half minimum (although you may have to sleep with the director, so there's that).
Anyway, I've always liked Jim Henson's Muppets and movies. I like the whimsicality and the hidden jokes (poke past all the flowers and glitter and unicorns in my brain and you'll find I'm rather cynical at heart. Under the cotton candy surface, I love a good dose of irony). And when I started volunteering at the Center For Puppetry Arts in Atlanta, something clicked. I know I want to work there. It's such a fun environment, and when I do the workshops with the kids they have, I just love it. I must have some mothering gene, because I feel most comfortable when I'm hanging out with kids ages 4-10.
So...that's what I like doing. I'm following muppetshenson, a blog dedicated to current Muppets news and Jim Henson goings-on, and puppetmuse, which is a general blog dedicated to and run by real-life professional and amateur puppeteers working around the world. These will keep me up-to-date with all the news, including maybe openings and experiences, of the community (which surprisingly is not a small one!)
Thank you and goodnight. Raise your glass to all of us hopefully being employed out of college.
(P.S.: I can name all the ones in the picture (not nearly all of them- there are over 2900 if you include The Muppet Show, the Muppet movies, Sesame Street, Fraggle Rock and Jim's other projects. He had been making original puppets since he was a teenager.) From top left: Dr Bunsen Honeydew, Beaker, the Swedish Chef, Statler, Sam the Eagle, Fozzie Bear, Gonzo, Miss Piggy, Kermit, Waldorf, Janice, Animal, Pepe.)
I've actually never met anyone that wanted to be a puppeteer, but it sounds like a really cool and interesting career. You sound really enthusiastic about this. I'm also pretty cynical at heart but can't find many people with my sort of sense of humor. Though I don't share your love for being around kids, I do love making people smile. I really hope that you get to accomplish your goals in live theatre and as a puppeteer!
ReplyDeleteThis was a very interesting post to read. I too have never met someone that wanted to do this kind of work, you are a unique and interesting individual. :)
ReplyDeleteI definitely enjoyed reading this post of yours. It's an interesting profession that you have chosen to pursue. I used to watch the Muppets when I was younger and was always fascinated with the concept of the show and how well it connected to children, I can see why you would love to do this.
ReplyDelete