Next meeting for the SFBAPG:

When: Saturday, January 8, 2005
Where: The home of Kevin Menegus and Michael Burroughs. 11 Padilla Ct. Danville
Time: 4:00 pm
Purpose: This is an open board meeting to discuss the future of The San Francisco Bay Area Puppet Guild.
All are invited who are interested. The guild structure will be discussed and decided on.
All who have an opinion are welcome.

Also... Mark Your Calendar!

The SFBAPG Annual Holiday Party!

Date: Saturday, January 22, 2005
Time: 6:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.
Where: San Leandro Community Center, Multipurpose Room C

Festivities will include a raffle, gift exchange, and entertainment by The Fratello Marionettes and a guest bunraku artist from Japan. (really!) If you would like to be on the entertainment list, please contact Randal Metz at (51O) 35one-4522. We ask that any one who wants to be involved in the gift exchange to bring a gift with a value no greater than $20.00 for exchange. You will be given a ticket to be part of this great party event. More information will be coming in the January update.

Directions to San Leandro Community Center:

Take 880 north or south. Exit Marina Blvd. West. Go to the right, at 1st light
make a left. This is Merced. Follow Merced down 3 more lights.
At the third light, veer to the right and Merced becomes Wicks.
Follow Wicks a short ways. Just after the light at Manor Blvd, look off
to the right and you'll see the Community Center. A park and ball
field are on the left hand side.

If Taking Bart!
Go to San Leandro Bart Station. Catch the 81 bus labeled
community center. It leaves the Bart station at 5:09,5:54,6:39,7:24
8:08,8:53. Surely someone will be happy to give you a lift back to
Bart after the meeting. For AC Transit info: (510) 891-4700

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President's Message:
Well, here it is the end of another year. It has been a very hectic and sometimes frightening one. I encourage each and all of you to attend the meeting on January 8th at Kevin Menegus's home. We will be discussing some very important items and making decisions on them that day. This is to make the
guild continue to be strong and healthy. Issues we will come to terms with are:

a) How many meetings a year?
b) What type of program content?
c) Where should we hold these events?
d) Who is responsible for making these things happen?
e) What about the newsletter? Do we have a new venue?
f) Any other things of importance.
And so I ask again that all members who have an opinion on this come to the meeting or reach me via phone (51O) 351-4five22 or email (puppetcom hotmail dot com) with your concerns. Now is the time to make your voice heard. Thank you, Randal.
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Tim Giugni, SFBAPG co-president, would love to hear from you personally about our guild. Please email him at Tim teatrocalamari dot com or phone him at (7O7) 963-eight259. He will put your ideas together into a format that can be presented to the board at the Jan meeting. We would love to hear your ideas!

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This a message comes from the 2005 National Festival for Puppeteers of America:

Festival goers, do you want to make some extra money by coming early and performing in the St Paul Public Libraries? Here's how:

The Puppeteers of America 2005 National Festival in St Paul MN together with
the St Paul Public Libraries announce "Puppetry Week in the Libraries", July
16-23 (the week prior to the festival).

The crucial info:

1. The library is looking for portable shows that will work well in limited
spaces. Length 35 to 45 minutes. Audiences will average 100-150.

2. Fee range: $150 to $200 per performance.

3. The website for the St Paul Public Library is:
http://www.stpaul.lib.mn.us/ This site will give you some idea where the
various libraries are located.

4. Where to stay? You can set up your own, or Concordia (the site of the
festival) will have rooms available the week prior to the festival. Rooms
at Concordia University will be the same price for the week prior to the
festival as during the festival:

Air conditioned double occupancy - $30 per person per night
Non-air conditioned double occupancy - $25 per person per night
Air conditioned single occupancy - $40 per person per night
Non-air conditioned single occupancy - $35 per person per night

For housing reservations at Concordia prior to the festival, contact
Jennifer Sila, 651-641-8201, or email sila csp.edu

How do you apply?

1. Email the following information to Pam Wheeler at the St Paul Public
Library: Pamela.Wheeler ci.stpaul.mn.us

2. Subject line should read (you can copy and paste this): Puppet Fest 2005
Puppetry Week

3. Your email should include:
a. Your name and contact information (email, address, phone, etc.)
b. The program you propose to do, with a brief description, and length
c. Your performance fee
d. Your previous performance experience, especially noting performance
before children and/or in libraries
e. Your website, if you have one
f. Are you able to provide the library with a brief video (dvd or vhs)?
This is not required, though can be helpful.
g. References: names and contact info, people who've seen your work and
can tell Pamela how wonderful you are.

That's it. The libraries start booking on January 2, so get your
application in early.

If you have any questions regarding performance and the libraries, please
direct them to Pamela Wheeler. If you have questions regarding housing,
please contact Jennifer Sila. Other questions can be directed to the
festival staff, emails on our website, http://www.puppetfest2005.org/

We will have the same information on our website, the public events. http://www.puppetfest2005.org/

Thanks. See you in July!

Wayne Krefting & Tom Davis
Public Events, National Puppeteers of America Festival 2005
publicevents puppetfest2005.org

This message comes from fellow SFBAPG member Sharon C.:

Do you know where a person could find a chemical called super hydrolyzed Polyvinyl Alcohol crystals? Puppeteers have access to so many different things I thought someone might know of a source. This is used in a kids science experiment that makes "slime". One of our leaders wants it for a meeting. Any clues?

Please email me at sharonclix dot netcom dot net

Sharon

This comes from fellow SFBAPG member, Lettie S.:

While waiting in line to pick up an order today at my pharmacy, I saw a magazine. Not a mainstream one. On the cover - "Puppets, Theater & Resistance" !!!!! There' was that magic word - puppets. The magazine is "YES! a journal of positive futures" Winter 2005 issue. $6.50 USA. Published by YES! magazine, PO Box 10818, Bainbridge Island, WA 98110-0818. And the article mentioned on the cover is on page 48: "Rehearsing with Gods" black and white photographs by Ronald T. Simon, essays by Marc Estrin about BREAD & PUPPET THEATER. The publisher - Positive Futures Network is an independent, nonprofit organization that supports people's active engagement in creating a more just, sustainable and compassionate world.

Happy Holidays! Lettie

This comes from fellow SFBAPG member, Herbert Lange:

Dear everybody, dear puppeteers,

Shortly before the year closes (which hopefully has been a good one for all
of you) comes my newest idea...
I know, it must be a very busy time for (almost) everybody.
Let me introduce myself first:

My name is Herbert Lange.
I am a stage actor, speech pathologist and novice puppeteer from Germany who
has been living in San Francisco since fall of 2001.

After 3 quite successful fairytale puppetry productions that have been traveling all over the Bay Area since November of 2002 I am planning to set up a forth project in 2005 with a brandnew partner (or two? or three?). It will either be a Halloween fairytale or a show for grownups (comedy), with hand puppets again. Or both? Who knows.

My current partner (who is just wonderful) is going to continue working with me, but nevertheless I'd like to expand, be taught, learn from other puppeteers' wonderful knowledge and experiences, share the world of fairytales and enjoy some mutual inspiration. When I attended the meeting in Phenix/Arizona this summer, I was amazed by the creative groupwork that happened on stage, and I thought that this is the way for me to go.

To cut it short, I'd like to get together with another experienced, humorous, enthusiastic puppeteer/some puppeteers from San Francisco (or close-by) who would be available for rehearsals and shows on Saturday afternoons/evenings and throughout Sundays. Not every Saturday and Sunday, of course, but some regularity is essential to really create something nice and professional for the entertainment of audiences at libraries/Saturday schools/birthday parties, etc.

www.fairytaletheater.net gives you more information about the previous programs and also the direct contact.
We do our shows alternatively in English or German, but bilingualism is never a must. If you do speak another language, though, great!

Fortunately, I got plenty of time in early 2005, probably from the very beginning of January 2005 till the end of March, so that it could be possible to start planning, discussing, brainstorming, rehearsing, performing, etc. even on weekdays.

Well, that is all for today.
I look forward to any ideas, feedback or so.
Thanks in advance.

Let's make more puppets dance in San Francisco!!!

Wishing you a MERRY CHRISTMAS, HAPPY HANUKA,
HAPPY HOLIDAYS
sincerely,

Herbert LangePermanent link to this entry.

This comes from fellow SFBAPG member, Lynne J.:

'Tis the month for "Bread and Puppet"....There is also a two page(pp.36-37) article called "Where Gods and Humans Meet"- also with text by Mark Estrin and photos by Ronald Simon - in December's "American Theatre" Magazine. Enjoy! Enjoy! Lynne

This message comes from fellow SFBAPG member, Herbert Lange:

Dear puppetry friends,

THE BREMEN TOWN MUSICIANS, the famous fairytale by the Brothers Grimm,
will be opening tonight at 6.00 p.m.
at the GOETHE-Institute of San Francisco,
530 Bush Street (near the famous Chinatown Entrance Gate).
The show is $ 5 for adults, kids are free.

Would love to see some of you there (stagefright is on the rise...)
for your entertainment and good advice (if you like).

For more information, please visit www.fairytaletheater.net
Fairytale shows are so much a part of holiday traditions in Germany/Europe.

All the best to all of you,
happy holidays

Herbert