Christams party Puppet shows Bah Humbug!!!!!!!!!!

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Brad Lowe on December 20, 2009 at 2:24pm

Hey Dave,
I sure can relate to your whole list.
and can add a few of my own for just this years run of holiday shows.
"Read you contract" ??? Who the hell does that?
I find that many sponsors don't even read my agreement I send out.

1) This is what my agreement says:
10X12 FOOT IS REQUIRED FOR PERFORMANCE AREA WITH AN 8 FOOT HEIGHT CLEARANCE.

This is what I find when I get there:
A 32'x 6' stage area coated with fake snow, complete with 6 decorated Chrismtmas trees and hundreds of very large glittering snow flakes dangling from the ceiling.

2) This is what my agreement says:
THIS CONTRACT IS PAY OR PLAY

This is what was said to me after the first performance of two:
We don't want the 2nd show, we didn't advertise the second show in the flyer and no one will be here.


3) This is what my agreement says:
THE REMAINING BALLENCE IS DUE AND HANDED TO THE PERFORMER AFTER THE LAST PERFORMANCE

This is what happened when I went to collect the check:
1) "She (contact person) went home and said she will mail you the check.
2) "They left with the checkbook"
3) "Great show, Do we still owe you money???

Yeah, the holiday shows are a trip, you never know what to expect, but us puppeteers can make it work one way or another.
Glad this crazy run is over, but happy we have some employment in these economic times.
We sure are blessed that we can make a living at doing what we so much love to do.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Dave Rozmarynowski on December 20, 2009 at 5:35pm

My all time favorite is the Country Club, or whatever Club that has me perform for the kids and ALL the adults are at the bar SMOKING!!. Yes, smoking. Not only is that terrible for the kids but I also have to air all my styff out in the back yard when I get home because it STINKS OF SMOKE!!! Merry Christmas. Oh yeah, that's the other one, I mean "Happy Holidays".

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by bob abdou on December 20, 2009 at 6:22pm

oh, I love this topic!!!

here are what I have experienced.....

> there are too many children here and they will miss Santa if he stops taking children, there will be a line for Santa in front of your show, is that a problem??? I have to do a show RIGHT NEXT to Santa, yippee :(
this is a true story

> The buffet is now being served, the time is 11:30, what time does my show start??? you guess it...11:30
I now perform to a line of people waiting to get their food at the buffet, this show makes me look oh-so professional :(
this is a true story

>I get to the corporate gig, where do I set up?? I ask, I am told near the moonwalk
I am now located next to the moonwalk with the noise from the generator going, ( the moonwalk is a puppeteers most arch-enemy, I call them the human ovens) This is what I wished for when becoming an entertainer :(
this is a true story

>I get hired at a school that wants a holiday show, no problem. That night I get a call from a parent that threatens me and tells me that I better not leave out her holiday celebration. What does she celebrate??
CHRISTMAS!!! She tells me on the phone that I better mention Christ Jesus and He is the reason for the season. This is a true story.

A church hires me for their christmas family night party, I am hired to perform 2 shows. One of the acts I do is the Axtell drawing board. If you don't know this act, it is basically a magic trick that turns a board into a talking puppet. It is a main act in my shows and has that WOW factor. I do the board routine at the first show and it kills. I do the board in the 2nd show and while I am performing the routine, one parent jumps on my stage behind me and yells out " I KNOW HOW IT TALKS, HE IS MOVING A PEG ON THE BACK". She yells this out DURING my routine. I look at her with evil eyes and I want to shove her off my stage, the act is ruined.
This is a true story.

I got more but I just got a headache remembering all these horrible holiday shows.

Wait, I got one more. I get hired by a Synagogue for a Hanukkah show. I have a fun Hanukkah show. After the show, the Synagogue thanks me many times over, they even write me a thank you letter WITH a letter of recognition for future work. That was 7 years ago and they have not hired me since and will not return my calls. This is a true story.

I gotta go lay down now. where is my bufferin??????

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by bob abdou on December 20, 2009 at 6:40pm

Hey Brad and David, glad you are posting stories like these, I sometimes think it only happens to me because I have talked about this subject to many 'pros" and they tell me they never have a problem. I have to mention about each thing that you posted that has happened to me that I will never forget and will wind up taking to my grave.

David, you mention picture taking during the show. I allow that when I give permission before hand, I do not allow anyone behind me while performing that I did not give an ok to before showtime. I get nervous that they will trip over my wire that plays my music, knock down a marionette or worse bring a child backstage during a show.

Here is my story:

I did a library show 4 years ago in Temple Texas ( they have not hired me since) there were over 500 people in the audience at this library, it's a big one. Well during my show, some lady starts to walk behind me while I am performing. I tell the mom to please stay up front behind the tape on the floor. She ignores me, I say it again in a nice manner. She ignores me again. I then STOP my show and say to the mom, Please stay up front behind the tape for everybody's safety, I then walk up to her and escort her away from my stage. She then proceeds to get MAD at me and huffs and puffs really loud and walks out of the room. Remember there are 500 people in the room and she now has to make everybody get out of her way so she can leave. At this point, I do not continue, I am in SHOCK that she is mad and is making a fuss. For 3 minutes, I just stand there watching this lady storm out of the room, everybody is watching her so there is no reason to continue my show. I am still in shock. For the first time EVER I call up the librarian and shut off my mic. I whisper to her "I am sorry for this problem, I can not perform with people behind me without my knowledge, it is a HUGE distraction". The librarian then tells me "oh don't worry about it, she is just the town newspaper reporter and wanted some photos for your show to promote". WHAT??? why wasn't I told about this, I am furious because now my show is NOT going to be promoted and that my show is now ruined by this lady pitching a fit. Well, like I said, I have not been hired back since, UGH what a stupid thing to happen and I am the one that loses out.

Hey Brad, I'll tell you my story another time, this one I just wrote is a mouthful to digest

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by David C. Herzog on December 20, 2009 at 10:33pm

This business of people thinking it is OK to take photos during the show from anywhere they want is a real problem. I don't mind them taking pictures. I do mind when they are behind me calling out Johhny! Johhny Look at Daddy!! Or laying in front of my stage [ yes it really happens] I make an announcement before my show that for The children's safety that I need all audience members behind the tape line at all times. The first time people break the rule I give them the benefit of the doubt and politly remind them to move back. If it happens again I try to look the individuale right in the eye and say please move back. Press photographers are the worst offenders and I don't think there is anything you can do but hope they get their damn pictures and leave. The photo thing is a real problem even at broadway shows. The last time I saw Wicked there were several people taking flash photos during the show. Of course at a show like Wicked the offenders can have their camera confescated and can be asked to leave the theatre with no refund.

I had the buffet thing happen the other night. I was backstage at 5 minutes after 7:00 waiting to start the show[ my third show of the day] and the sponsor comes backstage and asks if I would like to eat with them. I said no thank you that I had had dinner on my way to the show, and to just let me know when they were ready. She then told me it would be another 20 minutes or so. By the time they actually strarted the show at 7:25 the kids were wacked and cranky.

Here is a true story about a performance of Hello Dolly staring Pearl Baily in Chicago many years ago. My parents were in the audience and saw Pearly Mae stop the show after someone took a flash photo that caused a dancer to fall. Miss Baily then scolded the man from the stage and told him how rude he had been and how he had possibly injured one of the dancers. She then apologised to the audience and told them the show would resume in a few minutes after they checked to make sure the dancer had been attended to. Oh to have that kind of star power!

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Jim Menke (Mr. Puppetman) on December 20, 2009 at 11:07pm

Had a real problem at one show this year. Aboy of about 5-6 sitting on the floor in front of the performing area kept grabhbing the marionettes. I stopped about 5 times asking him to stop. He didn't. His older brother was sitting next to him and did nothing to stop him. Finally as adult came up and took both boys out. It was very difficult to do the numbers with him continually grabbing the puppets.
At another preschool show, the head teacher told then children not to make a sound during the show or there would be no treats. So there was no response to the questions the puppets asked or any laughs to the normally funny puppets.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by bob abdou on December 20, 2009 at 11:42pm

ok, I can write a book,

I did a library show where the parent was at the other end of the library and his 2 boys were at my show, during the whole show, they hit each other, laughed at the wrong times, yelled at me and were just pains. I did nothing to correct them. After the show I pack my stuff and as I am walking out the door the father stops me and says 'how did the show go and how were my boys?" ( like he thought all was alright with the world) I was not going to be any kids punching bag, so I told him that his 2 boys ruined the show and misbehaved the whole time. When I said this, I saw devil horns come out of his head. He was furious at them. He then walks like Hitler trying to find them, when he does, he grabs both by the arms and yanks them out of the library screaming at them at a whisper, I knew once they got home there were going to be hit. I felt bad, I saw their sadness in their eyes as they were being dragged out of the library, their look was an expression of death. I wish I did not say anything but I did. Who knows if these 2 kids are still alive???

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Lois Sprengnether Keel (LoiS) on December 22, 2009 at 12:36am

I combine my puppets with my storytelling & music, which is why I'm "Out Front with My Puppet." Told the Christmas party organizer the need for a quiet area to hear, so of course at the party they substituted that area for a giant blowup slide. I was told to tell to the kids at the round tables filling another big room. Knew that wouldn't work. My area of performance space mainly filled with the kids on the floor. Things went fairly well even if there was some noise beyond my area, but the party also had cotton candy & asstd. other things to make the kids faces & hands a mess, then they wanted to hug & pet my 2 dog puppets. YECH! Still don't know how the little angels with dirty faces & hands didn't get it all over the puppet fur, but I was very careful when the puppet greeted a kid.
Your #2 & 3 are the reasons I never do a party less expensively than a regular program. Parties are rarely anything less than a zoo. You really earn your $. Had a b'day party/family reunion for a 2 yr. old! O.k. had lots of nursery rhyme music, but mom hired me mainly to tell stories. B'day child's on grandma's lap & grandma's telling me to keep doing songs. The kids who are following the program & wanting stories don't concern grandma. I did my program & had a lot of happy kids, but presume grandma complained. She was that kind of person used to taking over.
Parties...BAH, HUMBUG!

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by biblebetty on December 26, 2009 at 12:32am

we go to do a performance that is pre-recorded (30mins to 45mins and they've been told ahead of time) and when we arrive and set up they will tell us we only have 10mins.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Ollie M. DePriest on January 16, 2010 at 1:44am

Same thing happened to us by a reportertaking photos during show!! How rude. We were performing a rod puppet show and I look through the scrim and see a shadow on stage right that shouldn't be there? Now my concentration is off. I bend down a little to see a camerafrom the side in th performing area. It looked like an alien in our show. Then continued to roam around in front of stage and in back. A real show stopper!
Best to you,
Ollie DePriest

• ▶ Reply

▶ Reply to Discussion