Puppet – Tony Fuemmeler

Behind the Scenes: The King Stag

This show was produced at Lewis and Clark College in Portland, OR, and designed by Professor Michael Olich. I worked as the movement consultant for the actors and as an assistant designer/ builder of various mask and puppet items.

Seven months before the show would open, we met to share broad concepts, discuss exciting opportunities, and forecast potential hurdles. At this early point, it became clear that some things needed to be tried in a rough form to solidify the approach of the design.

Parrot puppet

One such element was the parrot. The first task was to figure out from where it would be manipulated. The parrot couldn’t be designed properly without that key information.

(click on each photo to see full size and captions)

The basic concept was tested in scrap foam, construction paper, masking tape and bamboo

Feathers were cut from craft foam to match Durandarte’s color palette

A spray bottle and styrofoam ball were the understructure.

The aim of the design was to echo the elements in the human version of the character while providing a clear sense of focus for the puppet

A second parrot (with folded wings) for the scenes after the parrot was caught.

After trying a few options, including operating it from above, the most feasible and satisfying conclusion was to puppeteer from the stage deck.

At first I thought I might have to trigger the flapping of the wings through a mechanism on the control rod, but using gravity to activate the foam wings was pretty satisfying.

Stag & Bear Masks

The show was not cast until September, so many issues of scale had to be determined at that time. To know how big to make the mask, it was better to know the size of the body supporting that mask.

I thought topographically to create the individual pattern pieces for each layer of the stag mask.

One of the early trial material was this translucent coroplast.

Actors working in rehearsal masks are great sources of information as a builder.

An early test of the rings had them suspended by thin gauge wire. Eventually we used scrim for the dual purpose of masking and connection.

151104-stag_1838 — The mask of the King Stag incorporates two kinds of rings: the upper are fixed, while the lower can turn. The little movements help incorpoate the mask to the actors body. Photo ©2015 Owen Carey

The best solution for both stag and bear characters was a helmet mask—the stags were mounted on construction helmets, and the bear was, itself, a helmet.

I made trial pieces to test my construction methods.

Eventually, a bandsaw was a better solution for cutting out all the pieces. Exactos remained important for the connector slots, however.

I made this larger rehearsal mask for bear, which also allowed me try out a few different attachement methods.

The final bear used coroplast lined with metallic fabric, and scrim covered the open mouth.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gJjSa45Z9OU]

I love how the planar design helps the mask transform in motion and contributes to the magic of the play.

151104-stag_3037 — It was so interesting to build in this very mathematical way. The front of the face was drawn topographically, then measurements were transposed to help create an appropriate profie. Photo ©2015 Owen Carey

The Laughing Statue

The script requires an enchanted statue that comes to life and laughs at key moments in the story. The designer had a clear idea of the look of the statue and a general sense of intended scale early in the process. Once the part was cast, I could determine measurements that would allow the actor’s face to be seen and permit her arms to reach the control mechanisms.

The scenery shop provided the first step , a steel ladder and on a wooden base, with two metal support ovals.

To help us all visualize, I constructed a hasty mockup in cardboard. It helped me strategize how I would eventually use the fabric-covered foam to create the cape.

My friend Bill helps by patterning the Y20 foam

The third strategy for hand construction worked. They were designed in a way parallel to “topographic” approach to the stags and bear.

Extra supports and surfaces were needed as I listened to the materials I was using.

The order of operations was difficult—and necessary—to determine, much like constructing a garment in a costume shop. The pieces were unwieldy, so it was very nice to have assistance from student workers.

Even then, it was a challenge! I was using many materials and adhesives that were relatively new to me, and doing so in a short amount of time. We would joke frequently about how every single solution created two new problems. It was a relief to have the advice and help of both my friends in the puppetry community and also my collaborators on the show as I learned about making this statue.

151104-stag_0727 — The magical statue aids King Deramo by laughing at the false affections of Smeraldina, his valet’s sister. Photo ©2015 Owen Carey

It’s amazing to me how much expression can be manifested with just a few movements. The only movements available to the actor were the flex in the statue’s hands and those of her own face, but she was able to find great levels and variety to play.

Click here to see all of the production photos.

This summer I was hired by a production company in New York City to make five large fish puppets. This is their story.

Prototype

The puppets needed were to be operated outdoors by a single person over the course of a few days. I needed to find a lightweight solution that could respond to wind and other variations in weather.

I started with the idea of using conical tomato cages as the base for the body. Also pictured: Bill.

The build time was short, and I only had a week to make a prototype before heading to New York for other work. I asked Bill Holznagel, an excellent builder and performer for Tears of Joy and his own company Signal Light (if you live in Portland and haven’t seen their show Playtime with Pete and Randy, do yourself a favor).

An emphasis was put on the desired “flowiness” of the puppets by the client. In an earlier test, I’d looked to find that element with a combination of materials and performance. It’s show here in shadow, ’cause when you’re videoing your self, you make sacrfices.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0YyRlFQ2nYQ&w=420&h=315]

Some early variations of fabric choices and fin designs.

Every puppet has certain elements that serve to create it's personality and reflect emotion. The opening mouth and the eyes proved to be very important — Every puppet has certain elements that serve to create it’s personality and reflect emotion. The opening mouth and the eyes proved to be very important

These puppets were intended to interact with people at a large party, so it was necessary to test the scale (no pun intended).

Finalizing the Design

In New York, I worked with my friend Sam Hill, a fellow mask maker and sculptor, to finish the build. We worked in studio in Greenpoint to figure out the final details.