Hear What Muppets REALLY Think at the Stuffed & Unstrung Show



For as fun as it can be to watch puppet shows such as The Muppets, it's easy to forget just how difficult, uncomfortable and exhausting the performance art of puppetry can be. After all, puppeteers have to be sure that their puppets perform well while they themselves remain hidden--concealed behind or inside a wide variety of objects--during live performances, sometimes for hours at a time. If you're wondering what that does to a puppeteer's fragile mind, then the live improv show of Stuffed and Unstrung is for you.

I heard about Stuffed and Unstrung the other day because there was a performance of it here this week (which I missed, unfortunately), so I thought I'd spread the word for those of you who might be interested when the show appears near you. Stuffed and Unstrung is a touring performance that's produced by Henson Alternative, a label from The Jim Henson Company that's geared exclusively towards adult audiences. The show consists of six puppeteers who use a large selection of puppets to perform improv comedy skits based on suggestions from the audience. While there are video screens present to show the comedy as it is performed by the puppets, the audience can simultaneously see the puppeteers controlling the puppets on the stage. While the comedy inevitably veers into adult territory, Stuffed and Unstrung is not so much of a parody of wholesome puppet shows like Sesame Street (such as Avenue Q) as it is a showcase of how puppetry and puppeteers excel at absurd, bizarre comedy.


Click here to visit the official Stuffed and Unstrung site, which includes video clips, pictures, articles, a schedule of upcoming performances, and a message from Brian Henson himself.



Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Art of Tron: Uprising (Part 1 of 4): Characters

Image
This month marks the one year anniversary of the cancellation of Tron: Uprising , which aired on Disney XD for 19 episodes. Set between the events of Tron and Tron: Legacy , Uprising chronicled the events shortly after Clu’s rise to power within the stand-alone Grid created by Kevin Flynn. Personally, I think that Tron: Uprising got a raw deal from Disney. It’s a fantastic addition to the Tron saga that went on to win both Emmy and Annie Awards , yet Disney clearly had other priorities and was willing to toss Uprising aside without so much as an official cancellation notice. Even to this day, Uprising has yet to be released on DVD or Blu-ray and I’m wondering if it ever will. In honor of this amazing animated series that was cut down in its prime, I have decided to do something that Disney won’t. Since there will never be an official Tron: Uprising art book, I have searched across the Internet to find a selection of art from Uprising that I can share here on my blog with ...
Read more

FOUND: Mechanical Shark from Universal Jaws Theme Park Ride

Image
When the Universal Studios Theme Park in Florida shut down its Jaws ride back in January 2012, Jaws fans everywhere were devastated. Yet even though this part of the Jaws franchise is no longer operational, some of its sharks are swimming around out there … including places such as Frederick, Maryland. A few days ago, I was contacted by a fellow Jaws fan named John Ryan, asking me if I knew anything specific regarding the sharks from the Universal Jaws ride. He was asking because he thought he found one and is trying to verify its authenticity. We spoke on the phone and exchanged a few emails, and here’s what he told me about his find: “I've been collecting Jaws memorabilia for decades and when I found this incredibly rare gem sitting in a backyard in Frederick, Maryland, I wondered about its connection to the state. The current homeowners said the shark was already there when they purchased the property. They also told me it had been the subject of neighborhood rumor for y...
Read more

Machine Robo's Magnificent Robot Combiners

Image
I don't collect Transformers merchandise, but I see articles and advertisements about it when I browse through Japanese robot toy sites. From what I can gather, one of the latest product lines for Transformers is called "Combiner Wars" , a line that consists of five or six transforming robot toys that combine into one bigger robot. Combiner robot toys have been around for a long time, and Transformers had quite a few of them even back in the '80s. Yet of the many combiner robot toys I've seen over the years, the ones that have consistently impressed me were the ones released by Bandai under the Machine Robo line. Whereas other robot toy lines are stuck in the novelty of combining smaller toys into a bigger toy, Machine Robo has used the concept of combination to promote creative play. Read on for a review of how Machine Robo has built upon its combiner toys throughout the years.
Read more