Best Puppets & Puppetry

This easy guide to designing and building your own polyfoam puppets will take you step-by-step through the creative process. The Foam Book is not just a guide to puppet construction but a useful resource of suppliers of hard to find puppet- making materials.

In 1994 Drew was awarded the President's Award by The Puppeteers of America for outstanding achievement in the art of puppetry.

This book delves into the making of a RANKIN/BASS TV Classic: The ANIMAGIC animation process, the music by Maury Laws and Johnny Marks, the great Canadian voice actors, the script by Romeo Muller and the complete world of Arthur Rankin, Jr. and Jules Bass. He has been a creative consultant with almost all of the companies that have Produced merchandise based on the RANKIN/BASS Holiday specials including ENESCO CORP., GOLDEN BOOKS, PLAYING MANTIS, etc. Rick lives in the Chicago area with his wife of 11 years Jennifer and his Daughter Sara and son Joshua.

They perform in Broadway Plays, Film Festivals, Music Videos, TV Commercials, (including the Department of Homeland Security), Educational Videos, Church, School and Library performances, Mission trips that provide free puppets for children and their communities, Las Vegas Shows, Comedian, Comic and Clown skits plus much more! After collecting and studying dozens of books on how to make stuffed toys, dolls and puppets, I began designing and building my own popular lines of puppets which now total nearly 4000 custom made puppets for myself and others around the world.

Spanning several decades and three continents, Modoc is one of the most amazing true animal stories ever told. They triumphed against the odds and thrilled American circus audiences with Modoc's dazzling solo performances, only to be torn apart with brutal suddenness, seemingly never to meet again. --Wendy Smith Grade 3-5–From her early days in Germany to a starring role in Americas Ringling Brothers Circus by way of shipwreck and months of teak hauling in India, Modocs story matches her larger-than-life size. The large picture-book format is the typical choice for Lewins fine watercolors, boldly portraying the dramatic episodes of the elephants life and the story of friendship, separation, and reunion.

Follies was created by Stephen Sondheim, Hal Prince, Michael Bennett, and James Goldman giants in the evolution of the Broadway musical and geniuses at the top of their game. The author, son of arts impresario Schuyler Chapin, was one of Follies's few youngsters, a Connecticut College student observing the production as independent study but becoming the crew's gofer. He also charts Boris Aronson's multileveled sets, the dress that transformed Alexis Smith into the show's star, the inestimable uses of previews in Boston, the Broadway opening and the surrounding national interest in the play. In 1971 Chapin worked as a gofer for the producing team, including directors Hal Prince and Michael Bennett, book writer William Goldman, and Sondheim, involved in the premiere production of the soon-to-be landmark musical; and he kept a detailed, daily journal of the show's progress. Here is Sondheim obsessing over lyrics, Prince fretting over his nervous stomach, and the cast of older actors struggling to learn difficult parts.

Miranda, along with Jeremy McCarter, a cultural critic and theater artist who was involved in the project from its earliest stages--"since before this was even a show," according to Miranda--traces its development from an improbable perfor­mance at the White House to its landmark opening night on Broadway six years later. This glorious, oversize testament to the multiple Tony Award-winning musical Hamilton is a joy to anyone who loves the sound track or who has been lucky enough to score tickets to the show.

The playscript for Harry Potter and the Cursed Child was originally released as a 'special rehearsal edition' alongside the opening of Jack Thorne's play in London's West End in summer 2016. When Albus hatches a plot to go back in time to save the life of Cedric Diggory—what Albus views as the biggest mistake his father made—time becomes distorted and Harry is left to examine his own life, his relationship with his son, and how love can sometimes be much more complicated than it seems. This is an interesting extension of the "Harry Potter" universe, but readers should go into it knowing that it's its own beast. Rowling didn't write it (much to the fury and vitriol of many fans), and it is in script form, so it loses some of the magic that won over millions of readers back when it all began.

In How to Get Dressed , Alison distills her secrets into a fun, comprehensive style guide focused on rethinking your wardrobe like a fashion expert and making what’s in your closet work for you. A New York Times Best Seller "Professional costume designer Freer spills all her secrets for transforming your closet into a truly functional wardrobe. "[Freer is] refreshingly down-to-earth in her first book, which is packed full of helpful tips for building and maintaining a stylish wardrobe . Most of all, her writing constantly reminds me of what fashion is really supposed to be: fun for everyone.” --Jane Pratt, founder of xoJane.com "Years in the trenches of Hollywood have made Alison Freer an authority on every single clothing problem that could befall a person. With more than 150 TV shows, films, commercials, and music videos under her belt, she has reams of hard-won, practical wardrobe expertise at her fingertips. Alison is also the clothes editor at xoJane.com, where her unique take on how to solve common fashion and style conundrums has won her a dedicated following.

When the Iroquois Theatre opened in Chicago on November 23, 1903, it was considered one of the grandest structures of its day, a monument to modern design and technology, as well as "absolutely fireproof." Tony Hatch, former CBS reporter and Emmy Award winner, tells the grisly story in meticulous, riveting detail, based on more than forty years of research, including many exclusive interviews with eyewitnesses. In a rush to open the theatre on time, corners were cut, and the Iroquois lacked the most basic fire-fighting equipment: sprinklers, fire alarm boxes, backstage telephone, exit signs and functioning asbestos curtain. It is often said that history repeats itself as farce; events of this year have proven that it can also repeat itself as tragedy. One hundred years after fire in Chicago's Iroquois Theatre killed 602 people in a matter of minutes, we have seen massive loss of life at nightspots in Chicago and West Warwick, Rhode Island.

He guides us through his discoveries, showing how communication can be improved through learning to relate to the other person: listening with our eyes, looking for clues in another’s face, using the power of a compelling story, avoiding jargon, and reading another person so well that you become “in sync” with them, and know what they are thinking and feeling—especially when you’re talking about the hard stuff. Exploring empathy-boosting games and exercises, If I Understood You is a funny, thought-provoking guide that can be used by all of us, in every aspect of our lives—with our friends, lovers, and families, with our doctors, in business settings, and beyond. And that is who will find his book invaluable: everyone.” —Deborah Tannen, #1 New York Times bestselling author of You’re the Only One I Can Tell and You Just Don’t Understand “Alda’s curiosity, intelligence and desire to wipe out baffled and bewildered faces make a compelling case for clarity, communication and, always, empathy.” —Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. “Alda uses his trademark humor and a well-honed ability to get to the point, to help us all learn how to leverage the better communicator inside each of us.” — Forbes. Aided by his warm, conversational style, Alda’s message shows that the lessons also apply to the rest of us—and at a time when we could really use it.” — Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Alda developed this compelling conversation technique to help scientists distill down complex scientific principles for a general audience.” — Entrepreneur Magazine. “A distinguished actor and communication expert shows how to avoid ‘the snags of misunderstanding’ that plague verbal interactions between human beings. “In this charming, witty, and thought-provoking book, full of rich anecdotes, Alan Alda describes some of the tools of communication that he teaches in his work with the Alan Alda Center for Communicating Science and shows how everyone—from lovers to politicians to scientists—can benefit from being better communicators.” —Lawrence M. Krauss, author of The Greatest Story Ever Told . Alda played Hawkeye Pierce on the classic television series M*A*S*H, and his many films include Crimes and Misdemeanors,Everyone Says I Love You,Manhattan Murder Mystery, and Bridge of Spies .

The need is greater than ever to find a simple system that travels anywhere you do, doesn’t take a lot of time, and meets your health and wellness goals. Calisthenics, also known as Body Weight Training, has been the backbone of strength and conditioning workouts for more centuries than you can count on both hands. Whether it was ancient Chinese warriors, the Greek Spartans, or even your fourth-grade gym class, there probably is not a generation in history that hasn’t found strength and wellness simply by working against one’s own body weight. While other diet plans make you feel deprived or have rules that are hard to follow, this one is simple and can easily fit into your daily life. The importance of thinking positively How getting enough sleep can help with your health journey Bulletproof Diet approved cooking methods.