Guild Meetings and Events

Join us for a Zoom meeting on Tuesday, February 6th at 7:00 PM to discuss the pros and cons. We’ll explain the benefits, responsibilities, and what this means for the guild’s future. Bring your questions and thoughts!

Zoom meeting link in newsletter.

Join us Friday, February 28th via zoom at 6pm pacific for another Guild Show-and-Tell!  There are 15 slots available for presenters. Each gets 3 minutes to share their project at any stage of completion. No project to share?  No problem!  Sign up to support your fellow guild members, ask questions and cheer as an audience member. There will be 10 minutes after all presenters for Q&A as well as a live chat available throughout.

Looking forward to seeing what you’re working on!

Sunday, October 27th, from 1:00 PM to 4:30 PM.

Fairyland, 699 Bellevue Avenue, Oakland.

Free for Guild members; non-members must purchase tickets ($19 for adults).Members need to sign up for tickets by October 24th at https://www.signupgenius.com/go/20F0A44ACAE2AA7F49-51892280-free. Click on Sign Up, then Save & Continue to enter your name and email. Additional tickets for non-members can be purchased on-line or at the gate. Attendees must arrive between 12:40-12:55 PM to check in and receive nametags for the group entry at 1 PM. It’s very important to be on time.

Performances:

• 1:30 PM “Rumplestiltskin” (Dia de los Muertos version) by The Puppet Company
• 4:00 PM “Tricks & Treats – A Halloween Spooktacular” by Nick Barone & performed by the Storybook puppeteers

Additional Activities:

• 2:20 PM Puppet Parade & Meet & Greet
• 2:30 PM. in-person Show ‘N Tell featuring puppet projects
• Guild Social time with treats and library access after the Show ‘N Tell.

Arrival & Parking Instructions
Parking on Bellevue Avenue is $10 per car; consider carpooling or public transit. Due to special events parking may be challenging.
Remember, we all enter together at 1 PM!

More Details

Admission: Fairyland has graciously offered to host our Oct Guild meeting. We value their long-term relationship with our Guild and the many years they have hosted Day of Puppetry at Fairyland. Admission to Fairyland (normally $19 for an adult ticket) will be free to Guild members, but we hope that you will consider volunteering during their Halloween Jam. There are volunteer opportunities Oct. 19-20 and 25-27. For more info, please read “Volunteers Needed at Fairyland.”  

Important Information

• We will all be entering Fairyland as a group at 1 pm. Do not be late! Arrive at the front entrance between 12:40-12:55 to get your nametag.
• Signup for a free (members only) fairyland ticket at (signup link) on or before Thurs. Oct 24. If your membership is not current, please renew your membership before Oct 20 so you are on the Guild Roster. If you are not a Guild member, but would like to be, signup now and get the last months of 2024 free with your 2025 membership.
• Members who want to bring a friend, spouse, or child will need to buy tickets for them.Tickets are available online at: https://brushfire.com/childrensfairyland/fairyland/583935 if they’d like to have their ticket in advance. Otherwise, tickets can be purchased at the gate. Please come early to do this, so you’ll be ready to enter at 1 pm.
• Getting there & Parking: Carpooling or public transit are wonderful options. Bart & AC Transit bus can take you to Fairyland. Additional info on directions, parking, etc. is at https://www.fairyland.org/visit-us/directions/  Fairyland is having a special event that day and parking may be extra challenging. The city of Oakland charges $10 per car to park on Bellevue Ave.
• Allow enough time to park, etc. Please don’t be late, as it requires 2 people to get you in. If you are late because of an emergency, you can call or text Lee at 707-738-5906, and ask any of the front gate staff to call Maria on the radio. We’ll come out to get you. But please note, no one will reply while a puppet show is in progress

IMPORTANT: This is an outdoor event. Please wear layers and check the weather. In case of rain, this meeting will be canceled.

HALLOWEEN GUILD PROGRAM

While waiting for the show, or at any break, you are welcome to stroll around Fairyland. If you or your puppet want to wear a non-scary costume, you are welcome to do so.

• 1:30 Show at the Emerald Stage
  • “Rumplestiltskin” the Dia de los Muertos version by The Puppet Company
  • This is the story of a little spirit that does not wish to be remembered. The classic Grimms Brothers tale comes to life with a Mexican twist. Isabella’s father has told the King that his daughter can spin straw into gold.! And if she doesn’t, her father will suffer. Along comes a little sugar skeleton that does the job for her…if she gives him her little baby girl. But, to be fair, he gives her three days to guess his name. Will she succeed in time for the Day of the Dead celebration? Filled with colorful scenery and authentic Mexican music.
  • The Puppet Company was created by Randal Metz and has been producing imaginative family entertainment for close to 50 years. It strives to present quality children’s productions that appeal to all ages. Each tale or well known “puppet classic” is told with humor and delights the eyes with well-crafted puppets and colorful scenic effects. Randal has been the Director of the Storybook Puppet Theater since 1991.
• Walk over to Aesop’s Playhouse (This pavilion is open air with canopy)
• 2 PM Welcome by Talib Huff Guild President. Brief Board meeting to keep you current on Puppet Happenings in the Bay Area
• 2:20 Halloween Parade! If you have a Halloween Puppet or puppet decked out for Halloween, bring it on up to the stage.
• 2:30 In Person Show & Tell. We have had many successful Zoom Show ‘n Tells, where people have presented a wide range of puppet creations. However, people have asked for an “in person” opportunity, so here it is! Our Master of Ceremonies will be Talib Huff. He’ll do the introductions and keep the ball rolling. You can have up to 5 minutes to show off anything puppet related. There will be one 6” table available, if you want to use it during your presentation (setup and removal might be part of your 5 minutes if we have a lot of signups.) In up to 5 minutes, you can also ask members for advice. Come be a part of this experience and share your work!
• Show off a puppet that you’ve made, or one that’s a work-in-progress
• Got a puppet design and wondering best approaches, or a query about best materials and where to find them?
• Want to share a bit of dialogue from a show you’re working on and get input.
• Have you discovered a great tool, or fabric, or method that you can demo?

Here are our first two “Show ‘n Tell” participants.

• Lisa Zagone, https://lisazagone.com who did 2 successful workshops at the Northern CA Puppet Festival in Aug. will be teaching at Guild meeting in the future. She’ll show two possible workshops, her popular Eyes & Eye Mechanisms and How to Build a Portable Shadow Stage. Which one intrigues you most? Come see and vote!
• Lee Armstrong of Images in Motion, www.imagesmedia.com will demo some quick tips and tricks in mocking up a quick foam puppet, to help you, or a client visualize the final puppet.
  • Only 10 spots left. Sign up soon by emailing Talib at president@sfbapg.org!
  • The sky’s the limit on what you may see, learn and/or share at Fairyland!
  • Any time after the Show ‘n Tell will be used for a Guild Social. Meet other puppeteers, learn who is doing what and where. Bring your own (non-alcoholic) beverage. There is also a canteen at Fairyland, but lines may be long. Hospitality will provide some Halloween treats. Also, the Guild library will be available for checkout.
  • Guild Library will be at Fairyland
  • The Guild library has hundreds of books covering a variety of topics. Books & DVD’s will be available for checkout for people that have been members for at least 6 months.If you have a book checked out, please return it at Fairyland. If you can’t make Fairyland, please mail it to…Guild Librarian, Lee Armstrong, 720 Ladera Dr., Sonoma, CA 95476.
• 3:45 We will walk over to the Storybook Puppet Theater
  • We ask that you allow children and parents to be seated first. If you have mobility issues, please email larmstrong@sfbapg.org by 10/24 and she’ll have a seat reserved for you. However, the show is 20 minutes and if seats are full and you can stand for that amount of time, we hope that you will let others sit first.
  • This is a special show, as Nick Barone was a beloved Guild member, the Nick Barone Memorial Scholarship is in his honor, and some will remember seeing this show performed by Nick.
• 4 pm show Tricks & Treats – A Halloween Spooktacular
  • Master puppeteer Nick Barone brings his special brand of Halloween magic to the Storybook Puppet Theater. Nick, a popular Bay Area performer who passed away in 2014, has left this gift for the children of the Bay Area. The Storybook Puppet Theater is happy and proud to recreate this original tale for our theater’s 68th anniversary. What do you do when a group of monsters meet and greet in Fairyland? Put on a variety show, of course! Filled with lovable and friendly monsters, this comical show is designed to delight. Puppets, story, and songs by Nick Barone, performed by the Storybook puppeteers. Additional scenery by Warren Moten III.

Join us Friday, June 14th at 6:30pm Pacific for our next Open Studio Show-and-Tell! Signup now to receive the link to this virtual event.  You are welcome to present or simply join the audience and offer feedback.  Presenters may share their project (at any stage of completion) for three minutes.  After all presentations, we will open it up for questions, comments, and additional feedback.  We’d love to see what you’ve got cookin’!

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/8050E4BAEAB2AA7FC1-49931615-open

Guild Meeting & Public Opening Program & Reception
Saturday, May 18, 1-4:30 p.m.
San Francisco Main Library,
Koret Auditorium, Lower Level,  
100 Larkin Street, SF

• 1 pm SFBAPG meeting
• 1:30 Tour of the Ralph Chesse exhibit
• 2 pm Puppet Demo by Fred Reilly lll
• 2:30 Break
• 2:45 Bruce Chesse sharing highlights of Ralph’s work.
• Reception to follow, ending at 4:30.  

Ralph Chesse, Early Children’s Television Pioneer

Born of Creole heritage in New Orleans in 1900, Chessé spent the bulk of his life as a working artist in San Francisco, contributing to and representing Bay Area culture. His work is prominently featured amongst the murals in Coit Tower placing him in the midst of Depression-era public works; he staged puppet shows at the 1939 Golden Gate International Exposition on Treasure Island; and starting in the early 1950s, was the main creator of Brother Buzz, a long-running and beloved animal-themed educational children’s show still fondly remembered by Bay Area residents. All the while, Chessé made a wide variety of works, including paintings depicting the 1960s rock and roll scene. Ralph Chessé: A San Francisco Century offers an overview of the artist’s work, including rare puppets, paintings, woodcuts, photographs and documents that highlight his unique and under-recognized place in the City’s history. 

The exhibition opens with a snapshot of Chessé’s artistic range. This section features works dating back to the early 20th century, including the 1927 painting, The Black Madonna, which won the prestigious Anne Bremer Prize in the San Francisco Art Association’s Annual Art Exhibition in 1928, along with self-portraits, documents and family photographs, including a portrait by noted photographer Imogen Cunningham. 

Following is a section devoted to Chessé’s Coit Tower fresco and his activities during the WPA era. During this period, he served as the State Director of Puppetry for the State of California, and staged puppet shows for the Federal Theater Project, with some rare footage of his Snow White and the Seven Dwarves on Treasure Island during the 1939 Golden Gate International Exposition.

Chessé’s puppets are a key part of his legacy, it is a form that he used to create theatrical experiences for adults and children.  The show includes puppets created for his productions of Shakespeare, Eugene O’Neil’s The Emperor Jones, which he staged numerous times, and works by Moliere. A selection of linocut posters, printed with an old-fashioned washing machine ringer, attest to the range of material and the San Francisco addresses where Chessé set up his stage, many of them now lost to history. As part of the exhibition, the SFPL produced a facsimile of a puppet theater based on the artist’s sketch.

Brother Buzz may be Chessé’s best-known achievement. The children’s show ran on KPIX from 1952 until 1966 with the Brother Buzz character serving as a guide through the animal kingdom. Chessé created new puppets weekly for the show, doing extensive research into his subjects. A video reel, compiled by the artist’s grandson, Matt Chessé, an Academy Award-nominated film editor, introduces the TV show to new audiences while bringing back fond memories to those whose Bay Area childhoods were enriched by the show. 

In the 1960s, Ralph Chessé was introduced to San Francisco’s youth culture—hippie and rock and roll—through his nephew, Peter Albin, the guitarist for Big Brother and the Holding company. While he was more stately in disposition, Chessé observed the cultural shift with interest.  The show includes a stylized painting of the band, including lead singer Janis Joplin, full of life and color. Chessé’s paintings engage a number of aesthetics and styles, attesting to his continued creativity and curiosity. 

Audio commentary from family members provides unique personal insight into the works in the exhibition. 

Fred C Riley III (Founder/Artistic Director) of Odd Savvy, Oakland CA to Give Demo at Event

Fred Reilly has graciously offered to give a puppet demonstration as part of the Ralph Chesse Exhibit, showing the versatility and expressiveness of a variety of puppet styles.

Jon Ludwig, Ping Chong, Janie Geiser, Yeng Feng, Josef Krofta, Larry Reed … These are just a few of the iconic directors that Fred worked with and learned from over many years in puppet theater. He has performed marionettes from 9 foot to 7 inches tall. He has performed rod, moving mouth, Czech black, tabletop, mask, and every combination thereof. He has performed shadow with press screen, overhead, and 30 foot wide cinematic. He has directed and written for the Center for Puppetry Arts and many others. He choreographed for Ping Chong and Company. He has taught movement and puppet theory. He voiced many puppets and has done voice over work for many companies. He has recorded and done sound design. He is so grateful for all he has been able to do and accomplish.

This year, Fred received a Henson Foundation Production Grant for The Ground. The Ground is a sonic/visual poem exploring the intersection of nature and technology through the journey of a lone tabula rasa.
Web: Odd Savvy

Come out and learn about 3 different styles of puppetry. Puppet artist Fred C Riley III will do a demonstration of shadow puppet, tabletop puppets and marionettes. He and Jessica Nguyen will perform a short excerpt from Fred’s upcoming production, “The Ground”. The will also demonstrate tabletop puppets from the same show. Then Fred will show a short piece from Larry Schmidt’s “Driveway Follies”. Come out and bring the family. This talk is intended for adults and older kids. It probably won’t hold the attention of the little ones. See you there!

Our Guild Library at the May 18th Meeting in SF

The Guild Library is a treasure trove of hundreds of books on puppetry. History of puppets, construction, stages, puppets in education, etc. It’s now easy to see what books are available by going to https://sfbapg.org/library-online/. Or if at www.sfbapg.org select Resources, then Library.

The Librarian will bring a selection of books to the May 18th meetings. You can select from the offerings or can request a book in advance.

To Request a Book: Peruse the online catalog then request books by emailing library@sfbapg.org. They will be brought to the next “in person” event. If you have a library book to return, please bring it to the May 18th meeting, or mail it back to Guild Librarian Lee Armstrong at 720 Ladera Dr., Sonoma, CA 95476.

Note: The Library is a free service, but borrowers need to have been members for 6 months. If not, and you’d like to borrow, you can leave a check with the librarian for the amount of the book. When you return the book, you get the check back.