The Making of a Puppet

This past semester our crafts class was lucky enough to have the lovely puppeteer, Honey Goodenough, teach us how to make rod puppets. The puppets will be used for the University of Utah's production of "Avenue Q" in the fall. I made Mrs. Thistletwat.  These are some pictures of the process.

Using the "muppet stitch" to sew the fleece together.  Once it's fluffed up it's invisible.  It's amazing!

Using paper features to decide placement, proportion and shapes

  

Ears and eyebrows

A look at the inside

Her features are pinned on!

Trying her wig and glasses on

Trying on her mocked up nose

Teaching the class my method of sewing on lips

Mrs. Thistletwat and I

"Once Upon a Mattress"

Salt Lake Shakespeare

June 21 - July 7

Directed by David Schmidt
Set Design: Kevin Dudley, Lighting Design: Ethan Olsen, Sound Design: Jennifer Jackson

Princess Fred (Jessa Brock) and Prince Dauntless (John Yerke)

King Sextimus (Brian Mantarnach), Queen Aggravain (Shalee Schmidt), and Prince Dauntless

Jester (Greg Neff), King Sextimus, and the Minstrel (Keeley McCormick)

The Nightingale of Samarkand (Arielle Schmidt)

Sir Harry (Taylor Smith) and Lady Larkin (Jamie Urry)

Jester and the wenches (Jessie Turner and Brinnah Schmidt_

The wizard (Eric McGraw) and the Queen plotting away

Princess Fred (Brock) straight from the swamps

Photos by Alex Weisman (http://www.icewolfphotography.com/Theater/slshakes/Once-Upon-a-Mattress/)