CALL TO ARTISTS
Puppet Slams are cabaret-style theatre evenings consisting of short, object-oriented performances for adult audiences. The Central Florida Puppet Guild is planning to present a Puppet Slam on Saturday, November 12th, 2011, as part of the Orlando Puppet Festival weekend. If you have an idea for a short performance piece (under 10min), then we’d love it if you’d submit your script, storyboard, or a summary of your concept to us by September 1st, 2011.
Traveling puppeteers: We are pleased to offer a handful of travel stipends to assist you in performing at our Slam. We may also, if you are interested, be able to arrange an additional Slam performance in another locale during your visit. Please tell us in your submission if you would like to be considered for a travel stipend and whether you would be interested in performing to two audiences.
Local applicants: The Central Florida Puppet Guild is especially interested in presenting acts from local individuals who don’t consider themselves traditional puppeteers! We challenge artists and performers from all mediums to experiment in new territory. Burlesque performers: Can you make us laugh and cheer with extra-creative costuming that turns you into a giant puppet? Dancers: Have you ever explored storytelling through masked dance? Actors: Can you sustain believability when your scene partner is a muppet? Painters/Illustrators: Can you bring your images to life through shadow or rod puppetry?
We are also happy to help connect local performers with dramaturges and artists. Want to perform, but don’t have a piece of your own? Have a piece, but no one to help build it or perform it? If you feel you’re one half of a great show waiting to be made, message us and let us help you connect with someone who needs your talents.
Here are a few (randomly chosen, unaffiliated) examples of the many different styles of puppetry and object-oriented performance the Central Florida Puppet Guild is open to considering for our Slam:
SCROLL DOWN FOR SUBMISSION GUIDELINES
SUBMISSION GUIDELINES
Submissions will be reviewed by members of the Central Florida Puppetry Guild and selected for presentation based on factors including audience appropriateness (work is intended for an adult audience), merit (work is complete and entertaining or at a stage we judge will benefit from exposure to an audience), and feasibility (we may not be capable of staging acts requiring large amounts of custom light, set, or other tech; we will not stage pieces longer than 10 minutes in length).
Submissions may consist of scripts, storyboards, summaries of your concept (with or without images), or videos. Please copy/paste and respond to the following needs into an email titled “Slam Submission - [your name here]” and submit to hannah.miller@ibexpuppetry.com:
1. Who is the primary contact for this performance piece?
2. What is your contact information/best contact times?
3. What technical requirements (set, lighting, music/sound, otherwise) do you have?
Remember: the simpler the technical requirements, the more likely we will be capable of presenting your piece. We will provide for your use a table top, a playboard, and a marionette riser. The venue features basic lighting only.
4. How many performers will be in your piece?
If traveling, we may be able to provide local performers to rehearse with and support you in performance. Locally, if you are looking for collaborators, we will do our best to connect you with others who can help.
5. How long is your piece?
6. If you are coming from out of town, do you need any further special assistance?
This includes help finding lodging or other travel accommodations. If you have specific monetary requirements for travel, note them here. We will be offering a limited amount of travel stipends to support non-local performers.
We will notify parties of acceptance for performance on a rolling basis: once we receive your submission, we will review it at our earliest opportunity and reply immediately upon reaching a decision.
All accepted performances will be invited to at least one casual rehearsal and MUST attend a technical rehearsal or face being dropped from the final show. Performances and rehearsals are uncompensated, however copies of programs and press will be provided to all performers. We will also provide video documentation of our Slam to our participants.
Submissions or questions regarding submissions should be sent to Hannah Miller at hannah.miller@ibexpuppetry.com.