Playboard
*Election 2012 *
PLAYBOARD is the Newsletter of the Puppeteers of
America, Inc.
Editor: Fred Thompson * 26 Howard Avenue * New Haven, CT * 06519-2809
playboard[at]puppeteers.org
Nominating Committee
The Nominating Committee, led by Wayne Krefting, Chair, with Eric Brooks, Jean Mattson and Tom Tucker, has presented a slate of six excellent candidates to fill three Trustee positions on the Board. Thanks for a job well done.
Please take the time to vote!
Voting is easy:
1.) Make your choices for the Board and mark the BALLOT.
2. Cut out the BALLOT and place it in an envelope.
3.) Place a First Class stamp on the envelope.
4.) Address the envelope to:
Puppeteers of America Elections
PO Box 128
Cedar Mountain, NC 28718
BALLOTS MUST BE POSTMARKED BY MAY 15, 2012
All regular members – Class A, B, and U, and Special members Class L and M get to cast one Ballot.
Couples, Class C, and Family Class F, with two adults get to cast two Ballots.
Any reasonable copy of the Ballot is acceptable for the second vote and can be included in the same envelope.
Please note that ALL ballots are removed from the envelopes before counting. The names or numbers on the envelopes are used ONLY to verify that your membership is current.
IMPORTANT!!!! Write your name and membership number on the envelope. They will be used to validate your ballot.
Envelopes without member’s names or numbers cannot be counted.
Your membership number can be found on the mailing label on the ballot envelope or the Puppetry Journal.
Email Ballots will be accepted.
Email to: elections[at]puppeteers.org
Put BALLOT in the SUBJECT line.
List three candidates of your choice in the body. You must include your name and membership number in the email.
The Nominating Committee, led by Wayne Krefting, Chair, with Eric Brooks, Jean Enticknap, and Tom Tucker, has presented a slate of four excellent candidates to fill three Trustee positions on the Board.
Thanks for a job well done.
Puppeteers
of America, Inc.
Board of Trustees
BALLOT – 2012
You may vote for
up to three candidates.
ARTHUR GRUENEBERGER
JO ANN KAMINSKY
KAT PLEVIAK
BRIAN HULL
JOHN LEWANDOWSKI
JAN WOLFE
Ballots must be postmarked
by May 15, 2012!!!!
THE CANDIDATES
ARTHUR GRUENEBERGER- Sacramento, California
1. What do you think is the most important issue facing Puppeteers of America right now?
I agree with our web site which says we are an organization that is supposed to “provide information, encourage performances, and build a community of people who love puppet theatre.”
Providing Information
I love receiving the Journal and the Playboard. I believe they both do a good job in providing articles of interest and details of what has been going on in our communities. There have been many times though, where I’ve read about a performance in the Journal and wished I’d had known about it before it had happened. This is perhaps just the nature of a quarterly journal. We have access to technology can help us communicate information about events before they happen. I think that continued efforts are needed in furthering PofA’s 21st century communication. The work that Carole D’Agostino is doing giving P of A a presence on Facebook and the work that is going into updating our web site are precisely the types of communication that will allow our community to more efficiently communicate with each other.
Encouraging Performances and Building Our Community
I was thrilled to be a performer at last year’s National Puppetry Festival and I felt that Paul Mesner and the entire staff did an amazing job. Performing at the National Festival came at the price of a financial loss for my company. Luckily we knew this was the case when we agreed to perform and were in a position to take the financial hit. I can’t imagine how many amazing performers we miss out on at our National and Regional Festivals because we are expecting them to take a loss when coming to perform for us. I don’t think our performers should “get rich” off of performing at our festivals but I do think Professionals should be compensated as such. If we are an organization that wants to encourage puppet performances I believe we should look at prioritizing funding to compensate performers properly so we can have the highest quality performances at our festivals.
I also think it is a missed opportunity when members of the communities where our festivals are held aren’t brought in to see the performances. Our festivals are a prime opportunities to “build a community of people who love puppet theatre.” Making community involvement and attendance in the locations where our festivals are held should also be a primary concern to help grow and build our organization. Helping Festival Directors accomplish this should be another of our Board of Trustee’s priority.
2. Which of PofA’s procedures or services need to be improved or changed?
I support a continued effort to make Puppeteers of America more of a professional organization with greater input from the general membership. There have been times in the past where we have wasted our collective energy coddling a few “squeaky wheel” members instead of consistently making decisions that will benefit the most members and make our organization stronger. No organization can please all of the people all of the time and trying to do so is a waste of time. Right now we have an excellent Guild and Regional system that, in my opinion, is underused as a way for the Board to communicate with our membership and a way for our membership to communicate with the Board. It would be wonderful, for example, to pose these questions that are posed those running for the Board to our membership by asking each Guild to consider them and send the Board their condensed responses. This would be a useful and efficient way to find out in which direction the majority of our members would like the Board to take our organization.
3. What specific new projects might the P of A pursue, or which on-going projects need more emphasis?
As we are a National Nonprofit Organization our Board should be actively pursuing grants and funding outside our membership to help support and fund our current endeavors. A Nonprofit Board’s primary job is to raise money for the organization. This would allow our organization to give more and perhaps larger grants for New Works and would allow for larger budgets for Regional and National Festivals. Focusing on raising money to make our current projects bigger and better should take priority before adding new projects.
4. What special abilities or skill are you able to bring to the job of Trustee?
My puppet company has not only survived through the last few years in a very rough economy, we’ve grown. This is due to a continued focus on long term planning, sensitivity to changing trends in our client base and willingness to trying new ideas while maintaining the integrity of the work we do.
I’ve enjoyed serving as the San Francisco Bay Area Guild President and Vice President and I’ve had the opportunity to serve on other boards and committees outside the puppet community. I also have had the opportunity to collaborate with some amazing puppeteers. Through these experiences I have learned how to work well with others.
I believe the tenacity and vision that have allowed me to build and grow my puppet business through rough times and the people skills I’ve developed that help me work well with others will aid me in serving as an effective Trustee for Puppeteers of America.
5. In the next few years, which is the single most important service the P of A needs to provide for puppeteers?
I don’t think there is one particular service that requires urgent attention from the Board of Trustees. I think it is far more important for the Board of Trustees to look at whether our members want to allow our organization to be a group that provides places from time to time for enthusiasts to gather and talk about how much we like puppets or if our members want to continue to grow our organization in to a National Non-Profit Force whose primary purpose is to enthusiastically support, promote and encourage quality puppetry in America.
BRIAN HULL- Nashville, Tennessee
1. What do you think is the most important issue facing Puppeteers of America right now?
The perception of the organization as an exclusive club. We should become receptive and more aggressive in finding new members from different aspects of theatrical performance. Increase awareness that puppetry is an art form to a larger audience. If we drop the “walls” others will learn from us as we learn from them.
2. Which of PofA’s procedures or services need to be improved or changed?
Communication and promotion – we can improve on these, especially with the ever-growing resources available on the internet.
As Chairman of the POA Awards, I saw very little participation, and even reluctance to participate and nominate, leaving entire categories empty. We can do better by getting more people involved while still following a clean, streamlined and structured order. Communication and promotion will make this happen. If we treat it as something truly important, people will respond.
3. What specific new projects might the P of A pursue, or which on-going projects need more emphasis?
I think the POA puppet festivals can bring in a larger crowd and be less exclusive by opening up even more to the community and families. Promotion is the key. Let’s fill up the Puppet Slam seats with couples and college students. Let’s have lines outside the venues and lines waiting for returned tickets. Festivals are a great way to elevate awareness and will send us farther and quickly.
4. What special abilities or skill are you able to bring to the job of Trustee?
In 1997 I became head of the puppetry program, and founded Wishing Chair Productions at the Nashville Public Library – my first week I had a total of 8 people attend. There was one Storytime a week and a marionette show every two weeks. Since then we have grown to 12 – 15 shows a week, over 1,000 in attendance weekly, and the staff has grown from 2 to 8 which now includes a “puppet truck” that travels the county with 1 – 3 shows a day, visiting daycares, schools, the children’s hospital, and more. In 2008 I was Artistic Director for Nashville’s International Puppet Festival that saw over 18,000 attend in a three-day period. Now organizations approach Wishing Chair for future involvement and development of their own programs.
All of this has been accomplished working for a very structured metro government system at the library. I know the rules and perimeters set and have grown and expanded our puppetry program, by working together with administrators and getting results. We are changing perceptions here. Pre-conceived notions within, and on the outside are disappearing.
5. In the next few years, which is the single most important service the P of A needs to provide for puppeteers?
POA membership can be a more vital, integral aspect of a puppeteer’s life, not just their work. We should encourage and promote every chance we get. We can lift each other up and cheer instead of dismissing and excluding. We can be more open to new ideas and new directions. We all know the possibility is there. POA membership should be sought after.
JO ANN KAMINSKY- Fayetteville, Arkansas
1. What do you think is the most important issue facing Puppeteers of America right now?
I’d like to talk about two things. a.) I think there is a continual need to get the word out about puppetry as a viable creative expression in the current high tech world. It is interesting to see the new developments into the combinations of puppets and film, without losing the magic of a live performance which respects the traditions of the past. Education of the public is a constant when it come to the arts and puppetry in particular.
b.) With the economy as it is, I know everyone is struggling. Business planning and support is always helpful for example continuing to offer and develop workshops on the business of puppetry.
2. Which of PofA’s procedures or services need to be improved or changed?
I don’t feel that I have inner knowledge of the procedures to know where improvements might be, but if elected I would do my best to learn the ins and outs. As a board member, I would hope that I could see things from a different perspective and be helpful.
3. What specific new projects might the P of A pursue, or which on-going projects need more emphasis?
As a therapist I am particularly interested in the use of puppetry as a teaching and therapy tool and so I feel connected to the interests of the Education and Therapy branch of P of A.
I would like to see some more outreach into geographic areas where puppeteers are scarce. I live in northwest Arkansas and we do have a performing arts center that brings excellent puppetry to the area occasionally, I would like to see more opportunities for the public to have hand-on experience in communities. At National Festivals occasionally there are performances for the public but there could be more in terms of workshops to the general public.
4. What special abilities or skill are you able to bring to the job of Trustee?
I am an art therapist and play therapist with experience teaching and facilitating classes and groups to use puppetry and masks to give voice to children and adults’ inner thoughts and feelings. In the summers I lead puppet camps. I also build giant puppets and conduct an annual giant puppet procession and coordinate an annual free puppet festival in our community.
5. In the next few years, which is the single most important service the P of A needs to provide for puppeteers?
I feel that this questions has been answered above but it all boils down to support, connection and inspiration.
JOHN LEWANDOWSKI- Cincinatti, Ohio
1. What do you think is the most important issue facing Puppeteers of America right now?
Assuring that the organization is relevant and attracts new members; both professional and amateur.
2. Which of PofA’s procedures or services needs to be improved or changed?
Outreach and communication and membership growth.
3. What specific new projects might the P of A pursue, or which on-going projects need more emphasis?
Promoting the organization both nationally and internationally.
4. What special abilities or skill are you able to bring to the job of Trustee?
I have more than 25 years experience in Puppet Theater both in the USA and internationally. I also have extensive experience in non-profit board development and strategic planning, having worked with non-profit boards both as a trustee and as an artistic director. I understand well the need to focus on the mission of Puppeteers of America and engage in the Board to lead activities that further the mission.
5. In the next few years, which is the single most important service the P of A needs to provide for puppeteers?
The future needs of P of A are tied to the mission of the organization and of course responding to the changes in the membership. Crucial is the dissemination of information, contacts, and offering (festivals workshops etc.) a forum to meet and explore the diverse world of Puppet Theater.
KAT PLEVIAK – Glen Ellyn, Illinois
1. What do you think is the most important issue facing Puppeteers of America right now?
I think we need to put energy into promoting the organization to the general public outside the puppetry community. Making our presence known will help us to expand our membership base and spread awareness of our art from. A good example of a way to do this is to support the current evolution of the puppet slam.
2. Which of PofA’s procedures or services needs to be improved or changed?
I think there is a great deal of potential within the guilds to sponsor professional development opportunities. I would like to see a focus on workshops, lectures, and performances geared towards supporting and educating the professional puppetry community.
3. What specific new projects might the P of A pursue, or which on-going projects need more emphasis?
I think we should create a program that sponsors professional puppeteers to go into their local colleges with the intent of promoting the P of A and sparking interest in puppet related careers and educational tracks. I believe that establishing puppetry as a standard part of the arts track in education is a fundamental way to foster and perpetuate the form.
4. What special abilities or skill are you able to bring to the job of Trustee?
I am full of energy and am a very good problem solver. My strong people skills allow me to function well in a group. I have a lot of ideas and am able to lead projects but am very willing to support others to help bring large ideas to fruition. I care about the P of A and want to see it continue to grow and be successful.
5. In the next few years, which is the single most important service the P of A needs to provide for puppeteers?
I think the most important service the P of A offers its members are the festivals. They are an amazing tool for networking, education, and providing an opportunity to see the works of others.
JAN WOLFE – Little Rock, Arkansas
1. What do you think is the most important issue facing Puppeteers of America right now?
Puppetry is struggling in today’s economy. Arts funding is cut back, and too many people seemingly don’t know what we, as puppeteers, can do for them.
And yet, when we see the smiles and hear the laughter, when we sense that we have surprised the audience—we know that indifference isn’t the problem. Puppetry retains all the magic appeal it ever had. We have, in our hands, a terrific advantage.
Our most important issue right now is communicating the special values of puppetry and the Puppeteers of America. Puppeteers need this organization to help them succeed.
The audience needs us more than ever. People are looking for a way to escape their troubles. Too often, they just don’t know they’re looking for us. We need to make ourselves easier to find.
2. Which of PofA’s procedures or services needs to be improved or changed?
Right now, the organization does an invaluable job of providing services to its members.
But at the same time – and just as importantly—we need to look outward. We need to call attention to puppetry every way we can. And we need to bring more artists into P of A by making the organization as valuable and accessible as possible.
I believe we should investigate or do more with such possibilities as Facebook advertising, on-line tutorials and long-form interviews with leading puppeteers, information and assistance on alternate funding sources such as Kickstarter, and we should have fun doing it. Social networks such as Ravelry for knitters, and Pinterest for creative expression, could serve as models for new ways to promote puppetry.
3. What specific new projects might the P of A pursue, or which on-going projects need more emphasis?
We all know that anything can happen in puppetry, and so my wish list is really a number of things I believe will and should happen: -An on-line advice column. Everyone gets to read the answers. – A column of personal experiences about puppetry. — A “free” P of A T-shirt. An official P of A T-shirt could be an immediate benefit of joining, turning each member into a walking endorsement and self-advertisement.–A public relations consultant. A media-savvy person whose job it is to call attention to puppetry. — Guild creation. I’m impressed that the Nashville Public Library is helping form a guild in the state of Tennessee, since I come from a state with no guild. The library is the puppeteer’s best friend – perhaps we could network with other public libraries for the benefit of puppeteers and readers alike. I hope to see a guild in Arkansas. — Ever-more open communication. The same questions asked of Trustee candidates should be asked of the entire membership in a continual, open-forum way. We need everybody’s ideas.
4. What special abilities or skill are you able to bring to the job of Trustee?
I’ve had a 25-year career in professional puppetry, an accomplishment that I credit to P of A for the organization’s knowledge and support. Aside from being on the Arkansas Touring Artist and Arts in Education rosters as a performer, I am a volunteer for the public library and THEA, a local organization that brings the arts into schools and under-privileged neighborhoods.
I am also a Nationally Board Certified teacher and reading interventionist with more than 200 hours of professional training in facilitating teamwork, idea generation, and how to get things done.
5. In the next few years, which is the single most important service the P of A needs to provide for puppeteers?
In a world of fast-changing technology, the answer is social awareness.
Playboard 