Ultra-cool School in Monroe, NC

I had a great couple of days performing in Union County, N.C. last week. I found myself at the swanky Central Academy of Technology and Arts, a magnet high school in Monroe. It was one of those situations where school groups were bussed in to the beautiful campus auditorium. These were very young children attending the performances, so it was definitely time for our venerable production called "Tangle of Tales." It seems to work well for younger audiences because rather than one long story, it's a collection of shorter ones. Therefore, it tends to hold young attention spans better.

The day started with the obligatory fly by the school office. This had a little different feel, it being high school kids and all. This was immediately apparent when I encountered an earnest conversation between the school secretary and a high schooler with a "Hooters" T-shirt on. The student insisted that the t-shirt was part of his right to free speech, the secretary was just as sure that the Principal would make him turn the shirt inside out for now.

With the coveted "Visitor" sticker in place on my Grey Seal T-shirt, I headed around to the back of the theatre for the load in. Drama Teacher Larry Robinson met me there with his students to help roll in my stuff. What a luxury!

The two performances went swell enough. But what made this gig so neat was the high school students themselves. I got to meet and talk with Larry's Senior and Freshman drama classes. They were fantastic. What was even more refreshing was these same students were able to see the performance of Tangle of Tales too. It was cool to hear the reactions from the pre-schoolers and then the adult laughter of the Drama students as they responded to a different layer of humor. After the performance, I chatted with the Freshman class. They asked the most amazing questions about the performances, puppetry and life as a puppeteer. Then I asked them a question and received an amazing answer, "do you all have drama every day?" The answer? "We sure do!" Awesome!

So, hooray for Larry Robinson and the important work he is doing at the Central Academy of Technology and Performing Arts. Hooray to the Union County School System for implementing such a wondrous campus. But most of all, hooray to the students there. They were confident, very together and focused on their goals. It was great being with them.

Chugging Away In the Workshop

I always think it's neat when our dusty old "business plan" seems to be working the way it's suppose to. When we started Grey Seal away back in the roaring '70's, the idea was to have several "irons in the fire" at all times. That way, if one iron cooled off, hopefully, another would heat up. Our three irons have always been live performances, on-camera performances and custom-built characters.

So, now I'm seeing long Summer road trips around the country to perform in libraries and theatres give way to Fall building projects here in the studio. We are so lucky to have a really neat myriad of projects to work on.

We just finished a HUGE project for Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines. They are launching the largest cruise ship in the world, the Oasis of the Seas, and we built 29 super-cool masks to be a part of the on board entertainment. Cheralyn Lambeth headed up the project here and did a great job. The masks had to be virtually indestructible and involved cool materials like "alumacore" inserts, 1/16" airline cable, aluminum pool poles and about a gazillion 10/24" nylock nuts and bolts. A lot of work, but we were very happy with the end results!

Now it's on to a slew of sports team mascots. This is the time of year the pro guys get their costumes tweaked or rebuilt. On the workshop tables now are a new Hugo the Hornet for the New Orleans Hornets, Roofus the Charlotte Bobcat, Sir Purr from the Carolina Panthers and Norm from the Charlotte 49ers. Oh, and the local hospital's favorite fish, Dr. Gil Getwell, has come in for a new stethoscope and some seam repair.

On the very near horizon are two on-camera projects as well. We have begun construction on puppets for an oral hygiene DVD aimed at 4-6 year olds. Next week we begin construction on puppets for another pilot as well. More on that when the non-disclosure is lifted! Grey Seal Puppets will be providing puppeteers for both of these projects too.

So, we're chugging away in the workshop. It's awesome to have these hot irons in the fire!

Never Heard That Before

As a traveling performer I've seen and heard and experienced a lot of wacky stuff. But in over 20 years on the road, I'd never heard what was uttered amidst the audience the other day at a performance of "Tangle of Tales" at the Gaston County Public Library.

Heck, I've seen a stark-naked child walk across the stage during a performance. Puppeteer Donald Devet was manipulating a character in front of our puppet theatre that was perched atop a large street festival stage one hot summer day. From backstage I heard a collective sort of gasping chuckle from the audience. I peeked out to see a young boy, let's say 4 or 5ish. He was completely naked as he casually strolled from stage right to stage left, inches from Donald and his puppet, Bruno, the ugliest man in the world. But then again, this was in Asheville, so what the hay.

Then there was the time in New York City when Death caught on fire. We were at the Asphalt Green Theatre doing "The Nightingale." In the Emperor's dramatic dying scene, he is surrounded by lighted candles as Death approaches. Death was a marionette. As I deftly manipulated Death past the candles and towards the reclining Emperor, I realized that I wasn't deft enough. Smoke and a small yellow flame appeared around Death's shinbone. I heard a woman in the second row, with a thick Brooklyn accent, say "He's on fye-yah." Alarmed, but keeping a stage face, I dramatically stepped on Death in hopes of extinguishing the flame. I removed my foot to see fresh flames and more smoke as strings began burning in two and Death was left dangling by his elbow string, the only one that remained. The woman in the second row spoke a little louder this time, "he's still on fye-yah!" I threw theatre to the wind and stomped on Death and finally extinguished the flames. I dragged him by his one string upstage and out of site.

But let's get back to the scene at the Gaston County Library the other day. Now, I didn't hear this, but I was told about it after the performance by the librarian. It seems that as the 250 folks filed into the theatre, security was summoned after an exchange between two mothers that went like this:

"If your child sits in front of my child, I'm going
to kick your ass."

Can you believe that? The affronted woman went to the librarian to tell her what had happened. The unflappable librarian replied, "Well, I suggest you sit over there, then."

So, there you have it. Another one for the books. Or the blog. As someone told me years ago, gee whiz it's just a puppet show!

Breakfast at Denny's

I have a real aversion to the hotel breakfast bar scene while on the road performing.

Maybe it's because I constantly find myself in uncomfortable, early morning situations. Like last month, when in the pre-dawn gray, I stood up to refill my coffee cup and loudly conked my head on a very low-hanging pendant lamp that was positioned perfectly at a mere 18" above my two-top. All of the other breakfasters turned as one to see the commotion. A woman seated directly in front of me lowered her Bible and broke out laughing. Moments later she appeared table-side and apologized. "Once I saw you were OK, it was just funny to me." I said not to worry as I patted the top of my head and then was a little taken aback to see a small drop of blood on my palm.

However, my distaste for the scene runs deeper than just this. I can't get the toaster to work. I can't figure out how to spin the fruit bowl cover thing. I burn stuff. I don't need a whole carton of milk for a single bowl of cereal. I don't like people who stand in front of where I need to be and just stand there. I don't like to talk to people early in the morning. I don't like people who pour a cup of coffee and then commandeer the entire coffee area while they concoct their delicate balance of cream and sugar.

Just last Friday, a gentleman saw my Grey Seal Puppets t-shirt while I was trying desperately to get two pieces of wheat to stay DOWN in the toaster and he loudly proclaimed that he thought I dated his ex-wife in 1982. The hotel clerk stopped checking someone out and started checking us out. GET ME OUT OF HERE!


So when Saturday morning rolled around I found the breakfast bar to be a real train wreck. A bus full of middle-schoolers had joined us at the hotel the night before and it was game on this morning. So, I jetted past the breakfast bar, into my truck and headed straight to a nearby . . . .Denny's.

Saturday morning breakfast places are a crap shoot for sure. Always too busy, sometimes smoky, sometimes just bad.

But not this Denny's. You could tell upon entry that this place had it going on. Quick, efficient, not too crowded. The host quickly led me to a nice booth. We hurried past a middle aged lawyer-looking guy who woke up that morning and decided to say good bye to his legal world for the weekend and dress in camo cargo shorts and a "I'm a Legend in Japan" t-shirt. He was diving into a perfect stack of pancakes as his pretty companion stared forlornly out the window.

Before I knew it I had a mushroom and Swiss eggwhite omelet with above-average grits and fresh sourdough toast right in front of me. It was a great breakfast with a great server in a great place. The only momentary hiccup was when the kid across from me began slamming his body into his chairback as his father obliviously ate his waffle. Not to worry, after the 4th or 5th time, the older man who was receiving the body blows on the other side of the chairback growled "cut it out" without even lowering his News and Observer as his wife pursed her lips and all was calm again.

When I'm on the road performing, I like to start the day with a good breakfast and today Denny's came through. I strolled out into the bright Carolina sunshine, past a mini-van with a "Synthesizers are Musical Instruments too" bumper sticker and into my truck. I pointed my bow towards the Southeast and took off for Fayetteville and a performance at the Museum of Art.

"Write What You Know" - Mark Twain

I had a great trip down to Orlando last week for performances co-sponsored by the ultra-awesome City of Orlando Puppettroupe and the equally awesome Ibex Puppetry. It was a blast doing "A Show of Virtues" there as well as catching up with friends in the hopping Orlando puppet scene.

My trip took me from Charleston to central Florida. It was a beautiful ride through South Carolina's Ace Basin, Georgia's endless coastal savannas on into Florida's billboards. I was excited to pass the Wienermobile on 1-95. The Wienermobile has some power, maintaining a solid 75mph on down the road. That's one fast Wienermobile.

I stopped at a swanky "McCafe" for a Java McGrande. While climbing back into my rig, I noticed a raven-esque blackbird in the parking lot. The bird was eyeing a fry, baked to super-crispy in the warming Florida sun. As I looked closer I was amazed to see the bird had only one leg. How curious. The bird seemed to handle the handicap in stride. I watched as bird and fry ascended to a power line and marveled how he or she landed and steadied on the single appendage with little trouble. Ahh, life's little dramas.

My constant companion on this trip, as often is the case, was the music of Jimmy Buffett. For years I've waged a quiet crusade for this man's body of work; over 30 albums, novels, short stories, a kick-ass musical! My heart falls when people equate him with such pablum as "Cheeseburger in Paradise." Leave this silly fun to the escapist parrotheads that flock to his concerts in grass skirts and coconut shell bras. It's the deeper cuts of the album where I find solace.

I feel buoyed enough to openly share these comments here after none other than Bob Dylan recently tagged Buffett as one of his favorite songwriters, naming Buffett's "Death of an Unpopular Poet" and "He Went to Paris" as specific gems in the repertoire. What an affirmation! Long overdue!

So, I leave you with the lyrics from a Buffett masterpiece, inspired by the above-mentioned Mark Twain. Twain wrote in his classic "Following the Equator" about the tragic Remittance Man who was paid by his family to stay away from them. So, here's a little "mental floss" for you, to use another classic Buffett image:

THE REMITTANCE MAN, by Jimmy Buffett

Sinner on the mainland
He's a sinner on the sea
He looks for absolution
Not accountability
How many destinations
Oh God he's seen them all
He collects his precious pittance
Never a port of call

Remittance Man
Blacksheep of the family clan
Broke too many rules along the way
Remittance Man
So far away from home
No they'll never understand
The Remittance Man

A man of empty pockets
From jingling his change
The idleness and grieving
For all that he retains
By the harbour lights of Sydney
Or the Bora Bora moon
He recites his sad confession
To the seagulls and the loons

Remittance Man
Blacksheep of the family clan
Broke too many rules along the way
Remittance Man
So far away from home
No they'll never understand
The Remittance Man

Well you can claim that you were born a prince
But you're the only one you can convince
Survivor with no livelihood
That you could ever make it good
But still you dream of what you can pretend

An unexpected passenger
Boarded in Marseilles
An angel full of tenderness
She gave her heart away
She was but a gypsy
He was just a stray
They almost made a miracle but it slowly slipped away
So he follows the equator
With a wish to run aground
It's a very vicious circle
Goin' round and round and round
And he watches from the fantail
As the mainland disappears
Just like the Flying Dutchman
He's a prisoner of his fears

Remittance Man
Blacksheep of the family clan
Broke too many rules along the way
Remittance Man
So far away from home
No they'll never understand
No they'll never understand
No they'll never understand
The Remittance Man

A Place I Go

When I have a few days free of performances and obligations here at our studio in Charlotte, there's a place I go in the Low Country of South Carolina. It's a secluded place, the perfect spot to do some writing. There's no phone, no TV and no Internet.

Last week I had three concepts to present by Friday. It sounded like a good time for a few days "in the Village," to focus on the task at hand.

I have a writing table that looks out over a marsh and a small creek. It's very inspiring. Seated here with the salted breeze on my face, I can watch the marsh activities throughout the day. I see an osprey pluck a spottail out of the creek and soar skyward while he turns the fish in his talons to parallel his own body to better his aerodynamics. An egret stalks silently upstream and cormorants swim underwater. A giant pileated woodpecker drums on a pine tree while mullet jump three feet out of the water. Stoic blue herons stare out from the marsh grass. Amazingly, a bald eagle occasionally criss-crosses the marsh with a piercing scream to announce her arrival. Watching this wetlands smorgasbord, I tap away on my laptop.

As darkness falls, the writing intensifies. I have a bottle of Beaujolais tucked away. Bastille Day is a few months off, but I figure what the heck. As Buffett says, "I'm a Frenchman for a day." The Beaujolais is full-bodied and wonderful. It fuels the creative spirit. A draft of the three concepts is completed.

I spend the rest of my time in the Village editing and tinkering the piece. There's time for sitting on the dock and staring off across the marsh as the flag above pops in the prevailing breeze. The osprey checks back in and another mullet jumps. I'm sad that my time to leave is fast approaching. It's time to get back on the performance road.

I pack up and head out for some shows in Wake Forest, NC. My truck windows are open as I roll down the dirt road, I hear the bald eagle scream above the marsh and I look back for one final glance.

Day Trip to Aiken, SC

I love days like yesterday, which found me on the road at a reasonable hour for a mid-day performance and then back home, also at a reasonable hour! Added bonus? The destination was an ultra-cool little Southern town, one of my favorites, Aiken, SC!

I hit the road at 7:30am armed with some Home brew, sliced "Gala" apples and a burrito I made with fresh eggs from Marybeth across the street. The tunes were locked on XM 55.

Heading to Aiken always reminds me of when I was a teenager and I would take my horse, Nikki, there for schooling shows. It is a horse town for sure. I remember sleeping in the barn there and hearing the horses make their horse sounds. Lying on my back I would watch the bats in the rafters and breathe in the smells of hay, woodchips and manure. For me, a more savory, sensory concoction just doesn't exist!

I rolled into Aiken on US 1 to see a palette of huge azaleas that were resplendent in every color imaginable. Standing guard over them were dogwoods with blooms so luminescent they seemingly glowed on their own in the bright morning sunshine. I love the South! It was so beautiful.

I eased through downtown Aiken-proper, headed down Whiskey Road and turned into Hopelands Gardens. This was my third year doing this event, so knowing where to go and how to get there is always a comfort. This was an outdoor performance of our show called "A Show of Virtues." The performance space is a neat amphitheatre with a nifty creek between the stage and the audience. Alicia Davis, with the Aiken Parks and Rec. Department, always does a fantastic job of getting a huge crowd and perfect weather for this mid-week happening. Folks come and spread their blankets out and picnic during the show. The Easter Bunny cajoles about while Bufflehead Ducks swim in the creek before me. It is a bucolic place to do some puppets!

The show went well! Not always the case with an outdoor performance, which present their own set of problems; is the music loud enough, will that crow stop cawing and who is that walking out on the stage sort of stuff. Also, there was this little problem of no windscreen on my mike which led me to play a lot to stage right, thus enabling me to use my head to block the breeze that was terrorizing the microphone. In the calm moments, I would overplay it back to the left, hoping to keep those folks in the loop as well! Despite all that, I plowed in to the performance with optimism. In an effort to hold every one's attention, I ratcheted up my pacing a tick, raised the energy level and puppeteered away. The audience laughed and cheered and we all seemed to have a fine time.

I packed up the show and rolled it out to the truck. The load out area backs up to a barn that's on the grounds as well. As I shoved the last crate on board, the smell of hay and the soft nicker of a large Bay completed the day. Man oh man.