A visit from the stork...

Grey Seal has a new cub! Workshop coordinator Vania Reckard (along with husband Chris) welcomed second daughter Elisabeth Rose Reckard into the world on May 6, 2006. She was healthy 8 lbs, 3 oz with a full head of dark hair! Four-year-old Sophie is delighted to be a big sister. We're very proud of our new family member. Way to go, Vania!

More to See on our YouTube Channel!

We've just added clips from several of our touring shows to our YouTube channel! You can now see excerpts from Bathtub Pirates, Elves and Trolls, The Emperor's New Clothes, A Show of Virtues, and Tangle of Tales.

We've got even more in store for our YouTube channel, so stay tuned!

Foam Book Giveaway!

Here's your chance to win your very own copy of The Foam Book! All you have to do is register as a member of our Foam Book Community between now and April 30th. Everyone who is registered for the Foam Book Community will be automatically entered for the drawing. The winner will be drawn at random and will win a copy of The Foam Book!

The Foam Book Community is a great place for puppet builders, whether beginners or advanced, to come together and discuss puppet building The Foam Book way. In our forums you can share tips, ideas, and photos of the characters that you've built. You can also discuss puppet performance and staging-- everything that goes into a puppet performance.

Don't be shy-- come join in the fun at the Foam Book Community!

We Create Character!

We've been working with the University of Virginia Athletics Department for the past several months to not only revise their iconic mascot Cavman, but to add new characters to their mascot family!

Meet Sabre, Cavman's newest co-hort! He's the coolest horse around, and he wears the UVa colors with pride! So keep your eye out for Cavman and Sabre, and go Hoos!

If you'd like more information on our custom character design services, please contact our workshop at workshop@greysealpuppets.com!

Reviews are In for Tangle of Tales!

Review from Arts a la Mode:

Puppeteer Drew Allison, founder of the Grey Seal Puppets, performs this friendly, low-key, 60 minute one-man show consisting of three folk tales from around the world. In between are swaying/jumping/bouncing characters called Blockheads and Wobblies who entertain by moving creatively to background music.

The first tale is “The Frog Prince” from Germany which is a familiar story. The lesson being: keep your promises. The second tale is from Scandinavia, “Three Billy Goats Gruff”, where a troll living under a bridge is outsmarted by three brother goats. The third and, by far, most popular folk tale is “The Three Little Pigs” from England where the industrious pig’s brick house survives the huffing and puffing of the wolf, who proves more popular than scary with the kids.

The simple set with traditional puppet stage has Mr. Allison hidden beneath holding up the various puppets. He uses a microphone and is quite a voice actor speaking the dialogue of all the characters in the show, as well as managing the sound effects. This non-threatening performance is well-paced and age-appropriate for younger children (ages 5 and up) who have no trouble listening attentively or accepting and relating to the puppets as real, even interacting with the stage characters. It is clever enough so it can also be appreciated by adults willing to sit back let the inanimate objects come to life.

After the performance Mr. Allison came out to meet the audience and explain the types of puppets used (rod, string, and hand puppets). The variety of puppet styles adds to the fun, and is even more impressive when the attention to detail becomes more evident. The Grey Seal Puppets perform nationally and Charlotte is fortunate to have these high-caliber puppet performances to appreciate. Review by Ann Marie Oliva

Ann Marie Oliva is an award-winning playwright. She is the producer/editor of ARTS à la Mode and a judge for the National Youth Theatre Awards. Ann Marie is a member of the Dramatists Guild.

http://www.artsalamode.com/AALM_TheatreReviewARCHIVE.html#tangletales