#inspiringfellow: August

Our August #inspiringfellow article is a guest post by Artistic Director Robert Biggs:

Hello, Biggs here. Gail Shalan has been chief cook and bottle-washer for outcastcafe.com since Mighty Acorn put us on the digital map last October. She has blogged, posted, linked and promoted faithfully, trusting that you are out there and paying attention. Thanks for hanging out with us. Hope you are enjoying our story. Today I lift up Gail as Outcast Café’s Inspiring Fellow. Tenacious, smart, clever and kind, she inspires me as an actor, puppeteer, puppet maker and friend. Thanks, Gail. And congratulations on your role in THE WINTER’S TALE.

Maiden Phoenix Presents THE WINTER'S TALE

This month Gail has been playing Paulina/ Mopsa in Maiden Phoenix Theatre Company’s all-female production of The Winter’s Tale. This opportunity for Gail is close to our hearts because of our shared passion of the plays of William Shakespeare. Gail grew up watching Biggs breathe life into many of Shakespeare’s best characters, most distinctly his wonderful Fools. Biggs first directed Gail in an 8th grade production of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, then a year later in Twelfth Night. Throughout their time collaborating on Biggs’ own works, the delight and power of Shakespeare’s story telling arose again and again.Gail was able to work some of the skills she’s honed with Outcast Café into The Winter’s Tale, helping to devise and tune-up a puppetry approach to the infamous stage direction: exit pursued by a bear. This dynamic puppetry moment moved a patron to say “the way that famous stage direction… was staged in this production was amazing,and sure to be a “theater moment” that will linger in my mind for a long time to come” (Daniel Boudreau, MPTC Event Page).

"Go together, you precious winners all; Your exultation partake to every one." Gail as Paulina (far right) with Perdita (Lelani Ricardo, center right), Hermione ( Cassandra Meyer, center left) and Leontes (Juliet Bowler, far left) — “Go together, you precious winners all; Your exultation partake to every one.” Gail as Paulina (far right) with Perdita (Lelani Ricardo, center right), Hermione ( Cassandra Meyer, center left) and Leontes (Juliet Bowler, far left)

We celebrate Gail’s hard work with the Maiden Phoenix Theatre Company, whose mission is to employ 51% females in all areas of production, actively working to change the gender disparity in our theatre scene. Having spent the better part of her life training and studying Shakespeare’s work, playing one of the most powerful and tenacious roles in Shakespeare marks a well-deserved right of passage.

"What's gone and what's past help should be past grief..." Gail as Paulina (left) with Leontes (Juliet Bowler). — “What’s gone and what’s past help should be past grief…” Gail as Paulina (left) in rehearsal with Leontes (Juliet Bowler). (photo cred: Cassandra Meyer)

“Whose honorable thoughts, thoughts high for one so tender, cleft the heart that could conceive a gross and foolish sire blemished his gracious dam!” Gail as Paulina ( right) tells off Leontes( Julirt Bowler, center) as court watches on ( pictured: Sarah Mass, left). (Photo cred: Jeff Butcher)

“I beseech you, do not receive affliction at my petition; rather let me be punished, who have minded you of what you should forget.” In both images Juliet Bowler as Leontes ( left) begins a reconciliation with Gail as Paulina ( right) (photo cred: Jeff Butcher)

She also doubles as the hilarious lady-clown, Mopsa, bringing the house to much needed laughter and delight, playing with her talented scene partners Allison Paige Gilman (Dorcas), Cassandra Meyer (Clown), and Sarah Mass (Autolycus) .

11933418_10206435409300303_31728178171567648_n — Bohemia in it’s full glory with most of the MPTC Winter’s Tale cast! (Photo cred: Ona Johnston)

In rehearsal in Bohemia Gail (right) plays Mopsa with Clown (Cassandra Meyer, center) and Dorcas (Allison Paige Gilman, left). (Photo Cred: Alyce Householter)

"I love a ballad in a print o' life, for then we are sure they are true!" Gail as Mopsa (center-right) with Clown (Cassandra Meyer, far right), Autolycus (Sarah Mass, center-left), and Dorcas (Allison Paige Gilman, far left) — “I love a ballad in a print o’ life, for then we are sure they are true!” Gail as Mopsa (center-right) with Clown (Cassandra Meyer, far right), Autolycus (Sarah Mass, center-left), and Dorcas (Allison Paige Gilman, far left) (Photo cred: Alyce Householter)

For one more weekend you can catch her performance for FREE at the Nathan Tufts Park right off of Powderhouse Circle in Somerville, MA.

For more information about the show (and weather updates) check the Facebook invite, Maiden Phoenix’s page, twitter, and website.

For more about Gail browse our website, or check out hers. Also, follow her on twitter and instagram.

Puppets on Film

For me, one of the most exciting elements of being a part of Coyote Girl: The Short Film was exploring the art of puppetry through the medium of film. Both forms of story telling are expressions that Biggs and I alike have little experience with compared to our work on stage as actors, but to which we both find a strong draw. For myself as an actor (and I believe for the writer/director in Biggs) film and puppetry, both, are facets of performance that illuminate a simplicity and honesty in our work. The expansion and contraction that comes with jumping from stage to screen and back again mirrors the transient nature of playing a story as an actor and puppeteer simultaneously. This passing through many veils, masks, forms, expressions to articulate a primal truth hits the core of what I understand Outcast Café to be, and what enables, in my opinion, good story telling.

So, in spite of often feeling like I was on a novice’s path to creating this piece, the sense of trust I harbor towards the risks of puppetry and working on film come almost innately in comparison to being an actor on stage. Perhaps this permission comes from this distance from the self/ego I’ve discussed before during our filming log. Both puppetry and working on film give me a greater sense of offering my energy and skill to aiding the story as a collaborator, rather than veering off into any abhorrently self-aware, self-centered, self-obsessed trap that I fear in acting.

Regardless, the challenge of puppetry on film was one that my mind may have been cautious about, but my heart was hungry for. Since the wrap of the film I’ve done a lot of wandering around on the internet looking into puppets on film. BAM and the Jim Henson Foundation hosted an entire event devoted to this art form through which I found March’s #inspiringfellow , Toby Froud, as well as many other talented artists. I’ve watched old Muppet re-runs, shadow puppet music videos, Labyrinth, and even Jaws with a whole new awareness and appreciation. I’m exceedingly excited to share the results of our work with the world and often wish to thank Coyote himself as a trusted collaborator, but in the meantime I want to share a very exciting discovery I made recently:

On the world wide web exists a place that features incredible short films of all types and has an entire category labeled “Puppetry”. This place is called “Short of the Week”. In celebration of our upcoming short film with puppets, I want to share a couple treats from “Short of the Week” that I find have something in common with Coyote Girl. Sometimes it’s stylistic, sometimes it’s subject matter, and sometimes it’s just the joy of puppets! And after you’ve watched these goodies, browse the site for hundreds of other awesome short films.

1. Josephine and The Roach (A dark comedy about love in live-action) by Jonathan Langager

2. Caterwaul (An aging fisherman develops an intimate relationship with a lobster) by Ian Samuels

3. Cicada Princess (A romance about love in puppetry) by Mauchi Baiocchi, narrated by Stephen Fry

4. Undone (A handcrafted poignant metaphor for the effects of Alzheimer’s) by Haley Morris

5. Dad’s Clock (An ode to a dying father & an attempt to resolve their strained relationship) by Dik Jarman

#inspiringfellows: March

In light of our upcoming short film, Coyote Girl, we sought out #inspiringfellows for March in the world of puppetry on film. The vastness of applicable inspirations was overwhelming and truly inspiring! If you have some time to kill, search puppets on film in your favorite social media outlet or search engine: there are some incredible films available for your consumption! While searching the hashtag #puppetsonfilm, I most frequently came across the 2014 Puppets on Film Festival presented by the Jim Henson Foundation and hosted by BAMcinematek over this past fall. We had a brief eye on the festival, but were consumed with preparation for If the Vices… at the time. Luckily, the marvel of the internet still spreads the gospel of fantastic puppetry on film through their Facebook page. There I found this incredible video:

Now, I understand if you aren’t the puppetry geek that I am, and don’t want to watch all two and a half hours of this forum, but do yourself a favor and skip to 24:20 to watch our March #inspiringfellow Toby Froud, as he discusses the process of creating his beautiful, artistic, and poignant short film Lessons Learned.

Lessons Learned poster (source: imdb.com)

Froud grew up literally surrounded by masterful puppets, making his first appearance as the baby abducted by Bowie in Labyrinth. He is the son of legendary designers Brian and Wendy Froud who were a core part of Jim Henson’s team on both Labyrinth and Dark Crystal. He even addresses (in the video above) working with his mum on the early stages of transforming his character sketches to 3D puppets. His partner in crime on this project is Henson’s daughter Heather (hosting the video symposium above), founder of the Handmade Puppet Dreams film series.

Toby and David Bowie in Labyrinth (source: craveonline.com)

Mr. Froud faces his creation (source: portlandmonthlymag.com)

Toby Froud's amazing Spider puppet with an equally beautiful friend. (Source: portlandmonthlymag.com) — Toby Froud’s amazing Spider puppet with an equally beautiful friend. (Source: portlandmonthlymag.com)

From the sweet and expressive faces of his puppets, to the masterful animation provided by the puppeteers, to the touching story behind Froud’s journey to creating this film we’ve fallen in love. We adore an honest, homespun, heartfelt tale full of imagination, creativity, and a touch of wisdom. Especially when it involves puppets!

The protagonist of Lessons Learned (source: vimeo.com)

Froud's amazingly skilled crew (source: stripeypajamaproductions.com) — Froud’s amazingly skilled crew (source: stripeypajamaproductions.com)

You can find out more about Lessons Learned and Mr. Froud on his website: http://www.stripeypajamaproductions.com

You can also join us in following him on twitter: @Toby_Froud

His film is still making the festival circuit so stay posted for a screening of Lessons Learned near you!

Who do you find inspiring? Any recommended #inspiringfellows that we just can’t miss? Tweet #inspiringfellows to @outcastcafe with your inspirations and suggestions.

#inspiringfellows: January/February

Hey, y’all, sorry we missed January! We were busy making the movie Coyote Girl, or hadn’t you heard? While we garnered much inspiration from the expansive Heartland and the howling coyote friends, we didn’t get out to see much. Luckily, we were tipped off to a very cool puppet happening that took place at the Woolly Mammoth Theatre in DC by DCist contributor Anya VanWagtendonk (read her article here) while we were half-way across the country making our cool puppet happening. Over the holidays, Woolly Mammoth hosted our #inspiringfellow of January & February: The Old Trout Puppet Workshop:

January/ February

Old Trout Puppet Workshop (Source: http://www.theoldtrouts.org)

We feel particularly inspired by this odd and fantastic self-proclaimed: “motley gang of artists churning out ideas for a whole heap of unlikely things: puppet shows for adults and children, sculptures, films, music, books, plays, paintings, and pedagogy.”(source) The show that VanWagtendonk shared with us, Famous Puppet Death Scenes, is a celebration and exploration of the fears, anxieties, and curiosities we have about death through the safe and illuminating medium of puppetry. In a very puppet-y way, the show turns these horrors on their heads and into joy and amusement… the ups and downs of which we at Outcast Cafe know well from our work on The Dick and The Rose.

Famous Puppet Death Scenes now touring (Source: http://www.theoldtrouts.org)

Still from FPDS (Source: http://www.theoldtrouts.org)

Still shot from FPDS (Source: http://www.theoldtrouts.org)

But we also feel akin to the Old Trout folk, in their beautiful exploration of puppets on film, their ambitious world travels, and of course, their broad exploration of the light and dark, the holy and bawdy, the ins and outs, the passage through the veil.

Still from Old Trout's "Ignorance" (source: http://www.theoldtrouts.org) — Still from Old Trout’s “Ignorance” (source: http://www.theoldtrouts.org)

Still from Old Trout's "The Erotic Anguish of Don Juan" (source: http://www.theoldtrouts.org) — Still from Old Trout’s “The Erotic Anguish of Don Juan” (source: http://www.theoldtrouts.org)

Old Trout Puppet Workshop, we salute your detailed and gorgeous bravery in storytelling and look forward to taking in a show down the road! Thanks for the inspiration, #inspiringfellows !

Still from Old Trout's "Ignorance" ...love this guy. (source : http://www.theoldtrouts.org) — Still from Old Trout’s “Ignorance” …love this guy.
(source : http://www.theoldtrouts.org)

Check out this stunning music video they made for Feist’s song “Honey, Honey”:

Can’t get enough of them…Although we may have missed the U.S. leg of the run, if you are interested in catching Famous Puppet Death Scenes, the show is still touring in Canada and here are the dates I pulled from their website:

February 3 – 22, Majestic Theatre, Eastglen High School, Theatre Network, Edmonton, AB

March 13 – 28, Flanagan Theatre, Theatre Junction GRAND, Calgary, AB

March 31 – April 19, York Theatre, The Cultch, Vancouver, BC

Find out more about their past and present work, and about where to see it at their website: http://www.theoldtrouts.org/index.html

and join us following them on twitter: @theoldtrouts

#inspiringfellows: December

Happy New Year, all ye creative and caring beings! It’s been a productive month for Outcast Café as we have been hard at work on pre-production rehearsals and meeting for our upcoming film Coyote Girl. Between prep and the holidays we may have gotten a little carried away with good cheer, celebration, and creation and forgotten to share with you our #inspiringfellows of December! But better late than never:

December

Bristol Old Vic's A Midsummer Night's Dream — ArtsEmerson presents Bristol Old Vic’s *A Midsummer Night’s Dream*

Our #inspiringfellows of the month is the Bristol Old Vic Theatre for collaborating with an old favorite, Handspring Puppet Co., several months ago on a stunning production of William Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream: Holy wow, Batman! Per usual, these exquisitely manufactured hand-manipulated puppets not only stood out as stunning works of their own, but truly engaged in the storytelling of this Shakespearean favorite in places where the story had never quite been illuminated in such a way and could only have been done so by the likes of puppets! The bicycle contraption which served to turn Bottom into a literal ass was a personal favorite, but from the gardening tool hodgepodge that created Puck, to the majestic oversized Titiania and Oberon, we were transported from start to finish.

Puck serves his master Source: Angela Weiss gettyimages.com — Puck serves his master
Source: Angela Weiss gettyimages.com

We commend your brilliant and intentional use our favorite manipulated objects, time and time again! Bravo!

"Titania straightway loved an ass!" Source: Angela Weiss gettyimages.com — “Titania straightway loved an ass!”
Source: Angela Weiss gettyimages.com

You can check out what Bristol Old Vic is up to here on their website or follow them @BristolOldVic

The Majestic Fairie King and Queen Source: Angela Weiss gettyimages.com — The Majestic Fairie King and Queen
Source: Angela Weiss gettyimages.com

Who do you find inspiring? Any recommended #inspiringfellows that we just can’t miss? Tweet #inspiringfellows to @outcastcafe with your inspirations and suggestions.

#inspiringfellows

One of the best parts of being at the Edinburgh Fringe in 2011 was all of the amazing and inspiring theatre going on all within a few miles of each other, a walk-able smorgasboard. You could pick whatever you wanted. And although the world isn’t as conveniently smushed together as that blossoming month of creativity, Outcast Café continues to discover truly inspirational fellow artists making the kind of theatre and art that we can really get behind, the kind that lights a fire in our hearts and under our butts. This post marks the first of our monthly blog trend: #inspiringfellows

November

Our #inspiringfellows this month are the Pigpen Theatre Co. and their gorgeous show “The Old Man and The Old Moon”. In their first year at Carnegie Mellon these seven talented storytellers and musicians, came together for a devised side project and have stuck to songs, shadow puppets, simple tales and each other ever since. We love their sense of play and clarity of storytelling, their clever use of beautiful and original music, and especially their inspiring use of shadow puppets. Check them out: www.pigpentheatre.com & @PigPenTheatreCo

(photos sourced from writerstheatre.org, tumbler.com, and lydiafine.com)

Who do you find inspiring? Any recommended #inspiringfellows that we just can’t miss? Tweet #inspiringfellows to @outcastcafe with your inspirations and suggestions.