About Storytelling with Puppets

If you’re a storyteller, teacher, librarian or parent and have ever watched a puppet show with the vague thought that you’d like to be able to bring a puppet to life for some kids or an audience, this article is for you.

Anyone with an active imagination and the willingness to suspend disbelief for a few minutes will quickly discover what puppeteers have known for centuries:  the artful use of puppets can be a powerful tool.  

Some people think that because I often include puppets in my work, my performances are only for kids. This is far from the truth, but because most of us associate puppets with childhood it is easy to draw this conclusion. The fact is that people of all ages and from every walk in life enjoy watching a bit of good puppetry once in a while. I have discovered there is magic in the way a puppet can entertain and engage children and adults during a performance.

A puppet has the ability to grab attention and get an audience to listen and understand concepts deeply without seeming to do so. A puppet is able to provide instruction in an off-handed, yet interesting way. For example, when a parent reminds a child to “look both ways before crossing the street,” the kid is often miles ahead in thought - he has heard this one before. But during a show, when a puppet asks the kids why he always has to look both ways every time he wants to cross the street, youngsters in the audience are eager to speak up and provide reasons why it is important to be cautious. This interaction – the ability to teach a little puppet something – gets the kids to own the information they have just shared. On the surface, not too impressive, but at a deeper level this interaction has a lasting effect.

Including a puppet in every show is not always appropriate, but there are times when a puppet segment can be an excellent addition. I have found that a puppet is a great attention-getting device, particularly for those little ones sitting down in front. When used properly, a puppet adds extra energy to an ordinary performance. In a storytelling show, puppets are not too common, so a short visit by a puppet at the start and again at the end of the show ties things up nicely.

 

I recently produced two short puppet videos to share what I've learned about the use of a simple "lap puppet." This type of puppetry does not require a puppet stage; it is a technique where the performer brings out a puppet friend in full view of the audience. My videos offer some audience-tested ideas on how to use, teach, entertain, interact and have fun when you include a puppet in your communication tool kit. As time goes on, I plan to produce more of these segments. I hope you will be inspired and use these ideas as a springboard to create and develop your own unique puppet style.   

To view the first two videos, simply click here to see how to make a magic puppet. Click here to view the segment with my favorite coyote puppet friend, Clyde.

If you'd like to know when the next puppet videos are released, be sure to visit my website or join me on Twitter or Facebook. 

If you have questions about puppetry, just write me a note in the comment section below, and I will get back to you right away. I am always happy to share what I know about puppetry and the art of storytelling.

Thanks for your interest. (I’d love it if you become a subscriber to this blog.)

Bridal Showers - A Good Venue for Stories?

The inquiry arrived via regular post. I was surprised the writer was asking about the possibility of my telling stories at a bridal shower/luncheon to be held six months hence. The shower would take place in a dedicated room in a restaurant for a dear friend, and she wanted to find something different in the way of entertainment. She said the bride-to-be enjoyed stories, so having a storyteller at the shower might be a nice surprise.  

My initial response: “A bridal shower? Stories during lunch?  Probably not.” 

Most storytellers do not actively seek venues where food will be served. Events in restaurants come with a list of problems for any performer, and the stand-up comedian seems to be the only performer I know of with the ability to make it through gigs like this unscathed. It had been many years since I tried to provide entertainment for an event in a restaurant, and I vaguely remembered thinking, “never again.” So, why was I even considering the idea? 

The fact is that my storytelling bookings have been down since the recession began two years ago. Although things have been picking up lately, my schedule is not nearly as busy as it was when the economy was better. Besides, the writer was so earnest and had taken the time to write a real letter to get my attention. It tickled me that she added a P.S. to the note to let me know she had found out about me through an Internet Google search. I decided to contact her to learn more about what she had in mind. 

We communicated via phone calls and emails, and in the end I accepted the booking. I knew I’d have to be extremely flexible in order to do this job well – my mind was full of concerns:

(1)  I would have to find and learn new stories to fit the occasion,

(2)  guests to these events don’t always arrive on time,

(3)  restaurant food service can be too quick or too slow,

(4)  finding a good spot to present stories could be a problem, and  

(5)  there’s always a possibility of excessive noise coming from other areas of the restaurant. 

The presenter and I agreed that we would both “play it by ear.” I would plan on about 20-30 minutes of stories to be either delivered as a set, or one at a time as the circumstance allowed.

Was I crazy to say yes? As the time drew near, I started to think I had, indeed, lost my mind.

When the day came, I had some great stories ready to go, and I hoped I could handle any surprise that might come my way. The biggest roadblock came when guests (as I thought they might), did not arrive on time. This kept me “in the wings” waiting to go on a bit longer than I would have liked. I was introduced after the lunch orders had been taken, and since the food was not delivered immediately, I was able to tell the complete set of stories with the final one ending just as the food was served.

I had a good time, and I now believe other storytellers might benefit by taking a look at this marketing niche. This venue seems to have good potential for folks interested in expanding their customer base. Certainly storytellers in large cities could do well by contacting event planners about the possibility of providing an option to silly games or (heaven forbid) male strippers.

Best of all, a good storyteller can expect to receive a much better fee for a bridal shower than (say) a birthday party or family gathering.  After all, a bridal shower is a very special, once-in-a-lifetime event for the bride-to-be! What could be better than a few good stories to make the event even more memorable?

To give you an idea about how my recent performance for the bridal shower was received, here are some excerpts from the email I received after the venue:

 “. . .each and every woman in attendance mentioned to me upon exit that they had a wonderful time and especially enjoyed your performance.  They said it was a great idea (modest me) to have a story teller rather than to play games.”

“Your stories and wedding trivia were perfectly chosen, sweet and poignant.  I liked how you emphasized the special talents/gifts of women without disparaging men.  Your first bridal shower performance was well done and I hope it will encourage you to add that type of storytelling to your offerings in the future."

"I will not hesitate to recommend you to others should the opportunity arise.”

On Learning How to Be a Storyteller

I’ve been expanding my media outreach lately by working on improving my video presence as a storyteller, puppeteer and performer. I also plan to use the video skills I’m developing to help market “The Storyteller’s Place,” our Bed and Breakfast business scheduled to open later this year.  

I recently produced two short video segments about how to be a storyteller. My goal for the series called “Story Basics,” is to provide short teaching segments (each 3 to 5 minutes in length) for people who want to know more about the art of storytelling.

Storyteller Ron Lancaster prefers to be close to the audience.

The first in this series is 2 minutes 55 seconds long, and it covers the importance of knowing your audience. To view the segment, just follow this link:  
\http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wBLGTEKU440&feature=plcp

  

Finding stories to tell is the subject for the second video. This one is a bit over three minutes long. Please click on the following link to watch it.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=endscreen&v=4CbEw4Jxg2g&NR=1

If you watch either one (or both) of these videos, I’d appreciate it if you take a moment to click on the “like” button and/or add a comment or question. This will help me determine if what I’m doing is helpful. Your comments and questions will also help me determine what subjects to cover in the future. 

So far, I’m considering producing videos on the following topics:  

• “How to Learn and Remember a Story"
• “Different Ways to Tell a Story”
• “How to Evaluate Your Own Storytelling Work” 
• “How to Tell Your Own Original Stories”

There are many different storytelling topics I will be happy to explore in this blog, so if you have a specific subject you’d like to know more about, just let me know in the comment section below. I will get back to you as soon as possible. Thanks!

Looking Back (Some Steps I Took to Become a Storyteller)

When I first started to seriously consider storytelling, I spent a lot of time doing research at the library  My research included reading folktales, reviewing audio/video recordings, buying books and searching the Internet for storytelling information.  I started to follow the work of storytellers I admired, and I visited with program coordinators at my local library and school district to find out what they looked for when they worked with storytellers.    

I joined a local storytelling group, and became a member of the NSN - the National Storytelling Network (www.storynet.org).

National Storytelling Network

I also made an effort to go to as many storytelling workshops, events, concerts and storytelling festivals as possible. At each show, I evaluated different presentation styles, story selections and I watched how the audience reacted to specific stories.  I was not doing this to duplicate what other storytellers did, but to consider what qualities made a story worth sharing and of interest to an audience.   

My local storytelling guild provided me with a peer group to serve as a test audience for the new stories I was learning. There is nothing so fine as a support group of like-minded people to listen and provide feedback about what really works in a story, or to make suggestions on how to make a story better.  

I also expanded my knowledge about the art of storytelling by joining other storytelling groups like www.storyteller.net and www.professionalstoryteller.ning.com . (Most recently, I find I am using the Internet more often since it continues to provide even more ways to learn and connect to other storytellers through blogs, newsletters, social networks and YouTube.) 

I am amazed at how things have changed since I decided to become a full-time storyteller in 1996! What a fun and exciting journey it has been. As I look to the future, I smile – what new experience or learning opportunity waits? Only time will tell.  

If you are thinking about telling stories, or if you are considering becoming a storyteller, I hope the information in this blog will help you find your way. 

I love to hear from folks interested in telling stories, so please do not hesitate to contact me if you have questions about the art of story.

Time to Refocus and Repurpose

I hope this hiatus is finally over. I really enjoyed getting into the “blogging zone” earlier this year when I started to enjoy my stride, writing about things I usually don’t talk about in other venues. For those of you who have been reading my blog and wondering what I’ve been up to, a brief explanation follows.  

Unlike summers past, I am not touring libraries and community centers around the country. Instead, summer bookings for my storytelling shows and “Squirrely Shirley Meets Fry-Fry” are mostly in and around Arizona.  My ambitious plan to be on tour this summer turned out to be unwise, once I took a good look at budget cuts and the high cost of gas for the tour bus. By not being on tour, I am able to focus on other opportunities and take more time to expand my repertoire.   

The last two months have been very busy. I could call the last six to eight weeks a time of “repurposing” - a word used by my friend, Linda, when she came over to help us revamp our property - prior to opening “The Storyteller’s Place.” a Bed and Breakfast for folks who want to spend time in the heart of Tucson and enjoy the fantastic art and cultural scene our city has to offer. We could not wish for better advice, since Linda and her husband, Dan, own a magnificent B & B near the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum: Hacienda Linda (www.haciendalinda.com). If you check out their website, I am certain you will understand why having Linda and Dan Leonard mentor us on this project is so thrilling.

Entrance to Hacienda Linda, Tucson, Arizona

 At “The Storyteller’s Place,” we will provide stories and historic tours to guests who have an interest in such things. Our main goal, however, will be to provide visitors with comfortable, lovely and convenient accommodations to make their Southern Arizona visit memorable. To that end, we’ve been painting, fixing and planning for a fall opening. While this change of direction has been exciting, it has also been somewhat exhausting.  So you see, although I’ve been quiet, I have been busy repurposing in more ways than one! I’ll keep you posted as we get closer to a launch date. 

I hope one day in the near future, you will visit Tucson and stay at “The Storyteller’s Place.”

Until then, be sure to share your stories with someone you love.

April Lessons Learned

I am not a person who pays much attention to April Fools Day or Friday the 13th, but in retrospect it seems I should have taken both days a bit more seriously. Between my work and doing the labor of painting our home in anticipation of opening a Bed & Breakfast (The Storyteller’s Bungalow) in the fall. I was confident I had no time left in April for distractions or any new endeavors. 

By mid-month, I had finished up a delightful 4-day residency for 1^st grade classes at a school in Scottsdale, Arizona, performed a multicultural storytelling show at a local library and presented “Squirrely Shirley Meets Fry-Fry!” during Tucson’s  Healthy Kids Day Celebration. My mind was occupied with thoughts about learning some new stories, and I was looking forward to developing shows for two new programs I will be doing later this year. I had reached a point where I believed I had finally gotten into an easy rhythm with this blog. I was feeling great. 

Just about that time (April 13th), a hacker struck my email account and caused most of my plans to come to a halt.  

All this is to say, I came face to face with a lesson I thought I had learned many other times in my life: we never really know what can happen. No matter how much we think we are in control, something out there or some unexplained event can change our plans before we know it. That’s life, and because I sometimes get so wrapped up with what I am doing, I guess I needed to be reminded again about how uncertain life can be.  

Thank goodness I have my health, a wonderful family and am surrounded by good friends. I love my work, and I appreciate having the freedom to be able to do many of the things I enjoy. It is unfortunate that we must occasionally deal with troublemakers on the Internet, dishonest and greedy folks, and other problems that come our way. How easy it is to become angry, frustrated and depressed about things we cannot control. I am happy to say that my nature won’t let me stay in these dark places for long. I don’t want to miss out on the moments I live for: love, joy, accomplishment, creating art, spending time with my favorite people and having the satisfaction of doing some good in this world. Most of all, I don’t want to let trouble win. I hope this is true for you, too!

I'm looking forward to the month of May.

A Pause in Communication

I have had problems accessing the Internet since my email was hacked on Friday.  My computer may have been hit with a worm or some other invasive program, as well. This has created a break in my email responses and regular Blog posts, so I am using a borrowed computer until mine is up and working again.  

Please be patient with me as I l find ways to access blocked accounts and stumble through this unfortunate and time-consuming situation.

Wouldn’t the world be a better place if mean-spirited folks used their talents in positive ways? 

Mother Goose, Libraries and Storytelling

Yours truly as Mother Goose in 1971.
The cute little boy looking at the book
 is my youngest son, John.

It’s interesting to note that many beginning storytellers who may have volunteered in libraries helping out during story times for tots, elect to take on the persona of Mother Goose as a way to launch a storytelling business. I decided to add Mother Goose to my repertoire several years after performing as Whispers the Clown.

My idea was to attract the attention of customers who had already hired Whispers for a venue and might appreciate an alternative to a magic clown for birthday parties and other family events. This was an easy and logical move on my part, because I had served as a volunteer coordinator for story hour in Matawan, NJ in the late 60s. By then, I had already developed Whispers the Clown to draw attention to our library program, register participants and recruit other parent-volunteers. I really had no idea that what I was doing might actually develop into anything other than a fun, temporary project. As I look back, I know now that serendipity was at work, helping to set the stage for my current work as a storyteller. 

In those early years, I learned a lot and got quite a bit of experience keeping toddlers interested and happy. Furthermore, the press started to notice what we were doing at the Matawan Joint Free Public Library, and in no time at all, many parents in the Jersey shore area had started to ask me to tell stories or bring Whispers the Clown to birthday parties. Trust me, this was not easy work, but I loved it! When we moved to Tucson, Arizona in the 70s, Whispers and the idea of Mother Goose came to the desert with us.  

With Mother Goose, I started to move away from the slap-stick, attention-getting antics of a clown into the quieter and more introspective arena of telling stories for the sake of stories themselves. Glenda as Mother Goose was off and running by the time the family had settled into our home on the east side of town. 

My Mother Goose phase didn’t last long, because Whispers was hired by KUAT-TV (local PBS station) to do some television segments and a 30-minute children’s special, “Whispers Magic Tent.”  By that time, some new “characters” had started to form in my imagination - I plan to tell you about them in future blog posts.   

If you have small children or grandchildren in your life, and if you want them to love books, stories and literature, be sure to check out what your local library has to offer. If the librarian happens to be looking for a parent/volunteer to lend a hand during story times, you might even want to say yes. I'm certainly glad I did! And please keep an eye out for beginning storytellers who bill themselves as Mother Goose – they are a sure bet to entertain at a young child’s birthday party. For some reason, kids always love Mother Goose.

Gaining Experience as a Performer (part two)

For any new storyteller or community performer looking to develop a small business as an artist, knowing how to entertain a wide variety of audiences and having many opportunities to demonstrate one’s work are essential for ultimate success. But how does an artist move away from constantly donating services to confidently asking for and receiving a fee?

When people contact you and say they are looking to find an entertainer for an event, but they have no budget, you are in a position to ask for something other than money as compensation.  By doing this, you establish the fact that your work has value, and it alerts people to the idea that you are seriously looking forward to the time when you will be charging professional fees for what you do. Do not be shy about asking that in exchange for your time and talent, they (1) allow you to use them as a reference, (2) be willing to write a letter of recommendation on your behalf, and/or (3) can help you network and explore new opportunities.

I was a little nervous the first time I requested a letter of recommendation, but I soon learned that people are quite happy to accommodate a performer in this way. Furthermore, the unspoken message is that you are starting to move beyond the need for experience and exposure alone.  This unspoken message translates into a new respect for you as an entertainer. It is a “cross-over” moment.  I know this to be true, because once I realized I had reached a point when I could ask for acknowledgement in a tangible form, I began receiving fewer calls to work for free and more calls asking about my fees.   

Performing Before Library
Audiences is a Joy for Me!

One of the most important goals to pursue as you “pay your dues,” is to clearly identify your ideal niche - the groups and audiences that can’t get enough of what you do, and the audiences you are most eager to serve. This is where your repeat and loyal customer base lives, and this is the group that will make it possible for you to transition from the world of “free-bees” into working as a professional performer.

I am always happy to share the benefit of my experience with other performers. Please do not hesitate to contact me with your questions or comments.  

Gaining Experience as a Performer (part one)

When eager new storytellers contact me for advice, they are usually interested in finding out what steps they need to take to eventually be able to charge for their services. Most of these folks understand it is necessary to polish performance skills until someone is willing to pay them a fee. There really isn’t a short cut from wanting to become a storyteller and working professionally as one. It takes work, time, focus and passion about what it is you want to accomplish.

Many years ago, I was a performing clown, and I had to teach myself the basics since the option to attend Clown College did not exist yet. Furthermore, I lived in a rural area in New Jersey, and I didn’t have a network of performers to call on for advice. So, I drew from what I had learned when I took theatre classes at Portland State College and the Portland Civic Theatre (Portland, Oregon). Then I read every book I could find on the subject at my local library. I found a local magic group, and convinced them to teach me how to become a magician. After months of study and practicing with these folks for a while, I decided I was ready to see if I had what it took to entertain as a clown.

Here's my alter-ego, Whispers the Clown.
This photo was taken before a show in Tucson, AZ.

I put out word that I needed audiences, and soon my calendar listed all kinds of volunteer jobs: library summer reading programs, sidewalk sales days, school shows, church benefits, hospital visits, Blue & Gold Dinners and birthday parties for neighborhood children. After each experience, I wrote down what worked and what didn’t in a notebook I kept for this purpose. Some notes listed more in the “what didn’t work” column than on the “what worked” side. At the time I didn’t realize I was ”paying my dues,” aka gaining valuable experience and developing sound professional habits.

Over time, I managed to improve my skills and polish my performances until I reached a point when I felt confident about asking for a fee. I found that once I started to charge for my services, requests for benefit shows became less frequent. Best of all, many of my past customers were now comfortable about paying me, since they already knew my work.

From that early experience of learning how to be a performing clown, I developed a sense about how to take the dream of accomplishing or doing something to a point where it is possible to move beyond the dream and into reality. In my next post, I will discuss what a new storyteller or any starting performer can ask for when people call and say they have no budget, but they can provide an audience that will be great for “experience and exposure.”

"How Much Do You Charge?"

Here I am telling stories on the
Storytelling Stage during the
2012 Tucson Festival of Books.

I am often approached by phone or by email by a potential customer asking the "how much do you charge" question. My answer is always "that depends.” I need to consider answers to the following questions before I can provide an accurate quote.

1) What kind of event is being planned?

A large school assembly is quite different from a family reunion, a festival workshop, a convention or a bridal shower. When I have an idea about what is being considered, I am able to determine if the event a good match for what I have to offer. This information also helps me learn if the potential audience will consist of children, mixed ages, or a specialized interest or age group.

2) What date and time will the show take place?

If I am already booked to do something else that day, I may not be available, or only able to book a program for another show if there is enough time to get from one venue to another.

3) Where will the event take place?

The answer to this question lets me know how much travel is required. For example, if I need to drive from one city to another to get to a venue, I may require a mileage stipend beyond my basic fee.

4) About how many will be in the audience?

The size of an audience helps me calculate the fee. If 500 people are expected, my fee will be different than what it would be for a show in front of 36 kids in a classroom.

5) How long will the anticipated performance be?

The cost for a 90-minute concert will not be the same as for a 45-minute show.

If you want to find out what I (or any performer) will charge to entertain your group, please be ready to offer details for these five questions.

I am always willing to discuss my fees with potential customers. When possible, I will do what I can to accommodate budgets. To book several shows the same day at one site or at nearby locations, be sure to ask about a block booking discount. Please feel free to email me through my website www.StoryWorksGroup.com or contact me by phone (520-235-4171).

A Thank You to Sean Buvala and Storyteller.net

A few days ago, I received a phone call from a woman who told me she had just retired from teaching, and now wanted to become a storyteller and tell stories in schools. The happiness in her voice as she described her dream took me back to the start of my own journey. Her call was a welcome chance for me to “pay forward” a little of what I have received over the years.  

As we talked, I recalled how eager and excited I was in 1996 when I decided to become a full-time storyteller. I remembered how much I appreciated being mentored by librarians and others who were already working successfully in the field. I told her where she would be able to quickly connect with the huge network of active storytellers and storytelling groups from around the world. At the top of my list of resources was storyteller.net, an online website for storytellers and people who love the art of story. Storyteller.net was founded in 1997 by Sean Buvala and was, I believe, the first resource of its kind. Now, there is a proliferation of storytelling sites, newsletters and blogs on the Internet, but in my mind storyteller.net will always be the best touchstone around for new and experienced storytellers alike.

Sean is a founder and the director of this fantastic website, maintaining this service even as he developed his own very successful storytelling business. Under Sean’s guidance, storyteller.net provides an extensive catalog of storytelling articles, interviews and related products. If a new storyteller has a question, chances are that question has been completely explored and answered by many working storytellers from all around the world.

Sean Buvala Performing During the
2012 Tucson Festival of Books

I hope the woman who contacted me visits

storyteller.net often. I know the information and

guidance she finds there will help her greatly.

Over the years, Sean's website has certainly made

a difference for me, and this is why I am taking

time today to thank this dedicated storyteller for

nurturing so many hopeful storytellers

for so many years.

Thanks, Sean!

A Festival of Family Fun

We had good crowds under the
Storytelling Tent.

The 2012 Tucson Festival of Books was even better than last year! This says a lot about how the our community supports and values stories, reading, books, authors and learning. I am proud to be a small part of an event that brings an estimated 115,000 people together in southern Arizona for a two day celebration of literacy. Tucson launched this festival in 2009, and it now ranks fourth on the list of five top  book festivals in the United States, just behind the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books.

NAU Peaks Players in " Josefina Javalina"

As a coordinator for the storytelling stage during the festival, I was delighted with our line up of excellent storytellers - each one sharing a different set of tales and performance styles. The diverse family audiences drawn to our large tent in the children's area on the University of Arizona Mall had a grand time!

Jean Baxter, co-cordinaor
of the Storytelling Stage

Fran Stallings, Author and Storyteller

In the previous post, I listed

the talented storytellers

featured on Saturday.

Our storytellers on

Sunday got off to a great

start with stories by

by Fran Stallings.

Other artists on the Sunday stage included Conrad J. Storad, Susan Lowell and the NAU Peaks Players, Loren R. Russell, Jean Baxter, Anne Lee, Ron Lancaster and yours truly.

The festival is over now, and plans for the next one are already underway. I wonder if 2013 will exceed the number of authors (450) and attendees (approximately 115,000) we had this year.

Author Conrad J.Storad

Storyteller and Author
Loren R. Russell

Be sure to mark your

calendar for March 9-10

and come enjoy the 

Tucson Festival of Books

next year!

Tucson Festival of Books - Day One!

In about two hours I will be on my way to the University of Arizona Mall to set up the Storytelling Tent in the Children/Youth section of the Tucson Festival of Books (TFOB). This is the fourth year for the TFOB, and last night during the Author's Table Reception, it was announced that the event is now in the top four book festivals in the United States! It is such an honor to be associated with this free and fantastic celebration of stories, books, authors, illustrators and readers.

I have coordinated the TFOB Storytelling Tent for three years now, so I've been able to watch how the organizers have come together to create and sustain such a wonderful community event. For the past two years, local storyteller and teacher, Jean Baxter, has served as co-coordinator for the Storytelling Tent. She and our colleague, Ron Lancaster (the emcee), have made it possible for our tent to be one of the most popular places for families to visit when they go from activity to activity during the day.

Today, our featured storytellers include: Internationally known storyteller, author and editor, Fran Stallings; the funny and prolific writer/presenter, Gary Hogg; Sean Buvala, author and founder of storyteller.net; award winning author of Tibetan wisdom tales, Naomi C. Rose; Tucson storyteller and teacher, Gloria Myers; and the wonderful talent of The Odaiko Sonora Youth Ensemble.

If you are in Tucson, you do not want to miss the TFOB. If you come to the UA Mall, please stop by the Storytelling Tent. You won't be disappointed!

Creating the Character of Fry-Fry

At the request from a reader, this post includes two photos of Fry-Fry, the nemesis of the “Squirrely Shirley Meets Fry-Fry” show.

The story behind the creation of this puppet started with a comment by a friend years ago when I was on the board of a downtown Tucson (AZ) historic neighborhood association. Being on the board meant that I got to know a lot of really interesting people. One of our neighbors was an extremely talented man who had been a chef for several years. During neighborhood fundraisers, dinners and ice cream socials, I came to know and admire David and his wife, Kathryn, because they knew how to organize events and bring ideas and people together. One evening during a conversation about bad restaurant experiences, David described the greasy food odor wafting from some fast-food places as being “fry-fry.” What a great image! His off-handed reference to greasy food made a lasting impression on me.  

As I was writing the “Squirrely Shirley Meets Fry-Fry” show, I considered introducing a puppet with a fondness for greasy, sugary, salty food.  I envisioned this puppet as the bad guy for our 2012 show about making healthy choices. Thanks to David, the descriptive image of fry-fry smells from fast-food places seemed like a good place to start exploring what I had in mind.  

The puppet character evolved to be a rather inarticulate and irritating troublemaker. I had a lot of fun constructing this stick puppet shaped a little like a French fry container. I decided to give him a mouth that could change from a smile to a frown during the show.

So, now you know a bit about the character of Fry-Fry, and how he evolved from an off-handed remark, to an idea that eventually became an unforgettable puppet. I am grateful to this odd little character, because he helped me envision a family friendly, interactive puppet/storytelling program about the value of exercise and good food choices. I now consider this light-hearted family show as my contribution to the First Lady's national campaign to combat childhood obesity. 

The Real Deal

After performing for many years, I know a good thing when I see it, and the Squirrely Shirley show is a good thing - the real deal. I’ve been upstaged by puppets before, but this is different and more exciting. I’m jazzed!

We added a Squirrely Shirley “journal” to the Story Works Group website during the 2010 tour, and took photos of the libraries where the show was booked. If you would like to visit Shirley’s trip journal to see some journal entries and site photos, just follow this link: http://storyworksgroup.com/shirleys_den/index.html

My enthusiasm about the Squirrely Shirley show has stayed with me since then. With the 2010 pool and water safety program “in the can” and ready to go whenever someone wants to book it, I started to research childhood obesity, diabetes awareness and healthy choices. In 2011, when the “Taking Control of Your Diabetes” conference came to Tucson, I spent the day learning about how diabetes is managed and how important it is for a diabetic to exercise regularly and eat well. 
   

Our “Squirrely Shirley Meets Fry-Fry” show about healthy choices is now ready to go. I have written a complete proposal identifying high-profile promotional opportunities, branding possibilities for project sponsors, and a program delivery method to get important information into the hands of our audiences. For this performance to have the most impact, it should be provided without cost to libraries, schools, hospitals and community centers all around the country – this is where the project sponsor (or sponsors) comes in.

I've developed a plan to bring together a family health organization or diabetes prevention group; a business sponsor (or sponsors), a design firm; and (of course) Story Works Group (the Squirrely Shirley team of two - the storyteller and the puppeteer).  

The show is currently being presented to audiences in Southern Arizona. We now need to identify some good folks willing to do something a bit different from the ordinary – a sponsor or sponsors with a sense of adventure and a willingness to have a little squirrel puppet promote their product(s) as she helps reinforce the need for children and families to make healthy choices for a lifetime of good health.

If you would like to see the two page executive summary of the "Squirrely Shirley Meets Fry-Fry" proposal, just let me know. (To get your copy of the summary, simply click on the word "comments" located in the red bar at the end of this blog entry and write "executive summary" in the comment box when it appears. I will email the PDF to you as soon as I receive your message.)

It's Magic!

Whenever I can, I like to add a simple magic trick to my shows, so when I wrote the 2010 program, I considered Soft Soap, a trick that involves magically cleaning three small silks. Since I had used this trick during my clowning days, I knew it was a crowd pleaser. I wrote dialogue for Squirrely Shirley to tell me she needed help with her laundry. Since the trick requires a new cardboard box each time, I visited my local magic store for supplies. I discovered that the tear-up box used for that trick had gone from 25 cents to $1.99 each (yes, I’ve had this trick for a long time). I decided to see if I could find a substitute box. In the cereal aisle of the grocery store, I found Attune’s Uncle Sam cereal. The box is not only perfect in size, shape and eye-popping design; it contains good-for-you cereal! Best of all, a box of Uncle Sam cereal costs about the same as the not-too-exciting empty box at the magic store!  I was happy. Then I made arrangements to get a supply of the cereal so I would have a box for each of the shows booked for our summer tour.  

During the show, Shirley and the audience helped me “clean” her towels by doing a little song and dance. What fun it was when I tore up the box once the magic was over and Shirley learned that her use of the word disposable did not mean wonderful.

Here’s a short video segment of that part of the show.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fp3R-OMlreg

What Worked

When the 2010 “Squirrely Shirley Makes Waves” tour returned to Tucson that fall, I couldn’t stop thinking about how much fun the show had been. This program proved to be a great way to entertain and reinforce important pool and water safety rules for children.


Getting the kids involved by giving water safety advice to Squirrely Shirley really worked!

One of the best things we did during that tour was to distribute “Squirrely Shirley Makes Waves” coloring books to our audiences. This way, the kids got to take away our original eight-page coloring book full of reminders about being safe in water – many of the rules the kids had just shared with Shirley during the show! The kids were happy, and the parents were tickled that their children had a souvenir from the show. Here are links to three of the pages from our 2010 coloring book.

http://storyworksgroup.com/shirleys_den/images/coloringbookcover.pdf

http://storyworksgroup.com/shirleys_den/images/page2.pdf

http://storyworksgroup.com/shirleys_den/images/page7.pdf

The Dream

Welcome! This is my first blog entry, and I appreciate you taking the time to read what I have to say. I am looking forward to blogging about subjects I do not cover in the educational newsletter I publish six times a year for teachers, librarians, parents and storytellers. As I blog, I will reflect on some of the day-to-day events, ideas, projects and travel that have become part of my work. I hope you will be a regular visitor, and that you will be inspired to leave comments or ask questions To send a message to me, just click on the word "comments" located in the grey bar at the end of this blog entry, and place your remarks in the comment box when it appears. I promise to respond promptly. I respect your privacy, and will never share your information.  

Since the recession began, my work as a storyteller has changed quite a bit. With schools and libraries having smaller budgets, my bookings now include more family reunion shows, teaching storytelling to adults, entertaining senior citizens, telling historic stories and sharing folk tales in bookstores. All this is happening as I continue to dream about taking another summer tour across the country. 

Have you ever been so excited about a project or idea that you simply can’t let it go? Well this is what’s been going on with me for the last two years. I’d like to share this dream with you, but first let me tell you about how Squirrely Shirley, a simple little squirrel puppet, became the star of a summer library show. 

In 2010, the national library theme for most of the libraries in the U.S. was “Make a Splash at the Library,” so I decided that pool and water safety would be a good complement to that theme. I selected a squirrel puppet to be part of the show and went to work writing the script for “Squirrely Shirley Makes Waves.” The idea was to have the kids in the audience tell the squirrel what she needed to do to be safe around water. We rehearsed and started on our tour through Arizona, Nevada, Washington, Montana and on to Pennsylvania. After our first performance in Oro Valley, Arizona, I knew we had a hit on our hands. The audience loved Squirrely Shirley, and before we knew it she had fans following her from library to library! The kids loved her, and identified with her child-like antics. Shirley had a paw hand stamp in her tree trunk, and offered to give “autographs” at the end of the show – a move that proved to be a wildly popular way to conclude each performance. The rest, they say, is history. We had a fantastic time with the show that summer.  

I’ll tell you a more about this dream and the Squirrely Shirley adventure in my next entry.