Puppeteers, students adjust to Zoom
Magical Moonshine takes ‘Forbidden’ online
Watching a puppet show — no matter how good — online instead of in person is, well, not the same. There’s the group energy, the laughing, the social aspect of kids together.
Or, when it comes to Magical Moonshine Theatre’s “Forbidden Puppet Cabaret,” adults together.
Sill, Michael and Valerie Nelson are confident they can pull off their first “Forbidden” show strictly on social media platforms Saturday, Nov. 21, at 7 p.m.
“Forbidden Puppet Cabaret online has some learning aspects,” said Michael Nelson. “It’s our first attempt to put something like this online. But we’ve had a lot of experience with online teaching.”
T he couple’s Vallejo home? That’s changed to accommodate the pandemic business model.
“We’ve installed whole TV studio software on our computer and converted our spare bedroom into a studio,” he said. “That’s where we work now.”
“Forbidden Puppet Cabaret” will be a mix of live and recorded puppetry by Magical Moonshine, the Fratello Marionettes, Independent Eye, and Brian Narelle and his K9 Poet, Warren Peace.
“For the people who have been (in person) to these events, we’re sharing information and educating people on how this ( livestreamed event) works,” Nelson said. “It’s more complicated than just buying a ticket and showing up. There are links and streaming and getting that all right.”
When all is said and done, “we’re doing the best we can,” Nelson said. “We’re hoping it will be fun. We’ve watched some of the ( livestreamed) events and you get delays and jumps ahead. It’s not perfect. We have a really good tech guy, so I feel very confident. We have to still explain to people that they have choices.”
What’s really taken its toll on Nelson during the pandemic is “my level of enthusiasm,” he said.
With two previous dates postponed, just setting a date for “Forbidden” was challenging.
“It’s been a little daunting,” Nelson said. “My spirits have gone back and forth, from ‘ we ought to do this’ to ‘ what’s the point?’ We’re all experiencing various degrees of enthusiasm and despair mixed.”
“Forbidden Puppet Cabaret” is a chance for the Nelsons to allow other puppetry companies to shine with short pieces from silly to serious to social issues.
“It can go in any direction,” Nelson said.
Though most of the material is fine for all ages, Nelson said this one is earmarked for “mature audiences” because kids might not understand or care about the topic.
“We want to allow for our puppeteers to not have the constraint of ‘appropriate for all ages.’ It’s not that it would harm a child. They wouldn’t have interest or wouldn’t get it,” Nelson said.
The pandemic set a figurative blaze to the Magical Moonshine’s puppets workload.
“We’ve lost half our income. We still have our teaching half,” Nelson said, grateful he and his wife remain employed by the Napa Unified School District at the arts magnate Willow Elementary School.
The Nelsons have taught various aspects of drama and puppetry at Willow two or three days a week for 15 years. This year, it’s around 500 students, Michael said.
“We get into the visual arts where they’re making things, performing arts, so many different arts. It’s a blast,” he said, incorporating the arts into various curriculum subjects as revolutionary war to space exploration and microscopic plant life.
“It’s really fun and works well with puppetry,” Nelson said.
Yes, since March, it’s all on Zoom.
“When it started, it was really hard,” Nelson said. “None of us — the kids, the teachers, nobody — knew how to do any of this online. We probably jumped in and did better than some of the teachers just because they’re really used to being in the classroom The trick is to adapt. You have to when you’re puppeteers working in drama. You have to be ready. Still, it’s had its definite challenges.”
Normally, Nelson continued, “we’d be putting on big shows with 30 to 60 in the cast putting it on for parents and the school community. Now, they don’t get to be together.”
Though Napa classes reconvened two weeks ago, the Nelsons must continue to do their program by Zoom.
“You can’t do drama within six feet of each other. We’d be the connecting spread of COVID,” said Nelson.
The young students, he added, “were picking up the technology pretty quickly. Now they’re pretty good at it.”
When — crossing fingers — the pandemic runs its course, a vaccine is distributed, and whatever else it takes to “return to normal,” occurs, the transition back won’t be difficult, Nelson believes.
“Everyone will be happy to be back. I don’t think it’ll be a big adjustment,” he said. “The big part is if there’s still a contagion and things have to be done differently. I’m hoping something brings us back to life the way it was. I am entertaining the possibility we’ll never get back to the way it was. Luckily, I’m not a doctor.”
“Forbidden Puppet Cabaret presents Puppet Love in the Time of Covid,” Saturday, Nov. 21, 7 p.m. Tickets for Zoom portion available now until 5 p.m. show day at pupptlove.bpt.me/ with an “after-hours” adults-only act by Little Blue Moon Theatre. Viewing also on the Forbidden Puppet Cabaret Facebook page or Magical Moonshine Theatre’s live stream on YouTube. For more, call (707) 563-1986 or mail@ magicalmoonshine.org.