SHUFFLE! SHUFFLE! SHUFFLE! SHIFT!! SHIFT!! SHIFT!!!
NO, it's not "Dancing with the Stars" or "Live to Dance", it's just us in the stacks finally filling HUGE holes and gaps left to us by our predecessors not having put things back where they live. This has generated TONS of bookkeeping work for Beth and our new volunteer Heather (we love them both). They have been joined in this daunting task by Nicole who is re-writing TONS of index cards and i.d. tags for EACH puppet as it finds its' new home.
Many puppets went out to exhibits through the years, only to return home to strange boxes they didn't recognize. Well, some, are now finding a new life with the Carters in Seattle, while the others are being reunited with their long estranged family groups in the new uniform boxes near each other. Goodness, that sounds like those new reality shows or an episode on Oprah! Believe me though that this is causing just as much happiness in our staff. When we walk in the stacks now we can actually see the TREMENDOUS change this tireless effort from all of us has brought about.
Oh yes, let's not forget that Alan, Mary D., and Steve G., and many kind donors, keep finding MORE to add to the fold practically every day. That's right, YOU too can be an important part of the new development here at I.P.M. We just can't seem to get enough of a good thing. Keep your eyes and ears open for things that might be of interest, or even people who may want to help in some way(either physically or financially).
Just the other night, Steve G.(on his way home from his mundane job) met Mary D. and Alan at I.P.M., it was about 8:45pm, to welcome 18 wonderful Chinese marionettes(c. 1935-1940?) along with some props , set pieces, a complete script and misc. hand-written notes to our family. It never gets old.
Enough of this idle chat. It's time to get moving on the tasks at hand(a puppet metaphor?)and the errands they generate: getting more tags,sharpies, index cards, masking tapes of varying widths and colors,etc.,etc.!
I'll leave you with this thought:
If YOU work in the puppet arts or enjoy them, shouldn't there be a place to share that creativity with others? So much has been created here, by so many, in the past that just CAN'T be forgotten. And the public should be made aware of this! I.P.M. can be a cornerstone for an art-form that has flourished in the entertainment industry for ages. Puppeteers form a diverse family of creativity. We thrive on seeing people enjoy our talents. We may be at odds over that bid for an "industry" project, but we support the end result by becoming the support base for the end result. Also wouldn't it be nice to know that what YOU have "sweated blood" over in creating could be shared with many others for time to come. Let's see what we can get together and build for the future of puppetry.
BACK TO THE STACKS!!!!
SEE YA!....Steve G.
