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Elizabeth Vitale Interview
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Written by Vance
Monday, 13 December 2010 20:30



Vance: You have been into puppetry your whole life; do you have a favorite all time puppet?
Elizabeth:Ollie from Kukla, Fran and Ollie. In personality,Ollie is not only the purest of sweetness mixed with gentle mischief, but his design,in my opinion, is brilliant. Burr Tillstrom, his creator and puppeteer, built him out of whatever objects he could find that were lying around; an old spotted coat, a scrap of fur, pieces of a peach crate and some scrap leather. He is not perfect and pristine and symmetrical like so many TV puppets of today; Ollie has that home-made, handcrafted look that feels more organic and,therefore, real. I have a troop of four puppets called The ModFops who are a direct tribute to the Ollie "look".

The ModFops

Vance:What was the first puppet you have created?
Elizabeth:The first puppet I ever made myself was a little surgical-sock puppet named Hap Hazard. I still have him; he’s a bit worn(he’s over 20 years old), but still very cute. He’s covered with red fake fur and has glass eyes that have become cloudy with age.
Vance:How long does it take you to make a puppet?
Elizabeth:It all depends on what type it is. A small glove-style puppet can take only a few hours, while more involved, larger hand puppets built out of foam and fabric can take up to six weeks.

Vance:I know you’re a puppeteer but do you also do ventriloquism?
Elizabeth:I am a terrible ventriloquist. I’ve tried, and I could possibly get better with practice, but it’s tough.

Vance:How did you learn it?
Elizabeth:Watching Shari Lewis.

Vance:I read on your site that you had performed in front of Jim Henson, which had to be extremely exciting. Would you have done anything different?
Elizabeth:I wish I’d had my shoes on; I was wearing a new pair of sandals that were cutting up my feet that day at the puppetry festival, so when I performed my little skit (and Jim was in the audience)I ditched them and came out on stage afterward completely barefooted.

Vance:Do you have any suggestions to anyone who is aspiring to become a puppeteer?
Elizabeth:Practice your manipulation. There is nothing worse in this business than a terrific puppet in the hands of a really rotten puppeteer who can’t make it look alive.

Vance:Now you run your own business, Puppatoons, Is there a challenge with kids in this day and age with everything being digital to get them to interact?
Elizabeth:I thought it would be, but so far, kids are still kids..they enjoy that close-up interaction when a puppet asks them about their cool shirt or did they have fun today.

Vance:The Halloween Season is there and you have your newly created Jed the zombie, he is absolutely fun. How long did it take you to create him?
Elizabeth:He took only about four hours. He is very simple, and I had everything right there and didn’t even have to shop for anything, so he was a breeze to complete.

Vance:Do you use him in your shows?
Elizabeth:He has only been to ZombieWalk Atlanta 2010.


Vance:What is your favorite thing about Jed?
Elizabeth:I love his crazy, mismatched eyes!

Vance:Vapor and Phantz is another awesome pair of puppets that fit the season. Can you tell me more about them?
Elizabeth:Unfortunately, Phantz is no more. He had an…”identity change” and became Misty, my southern belle ghost. She debuted at A Tour of Southern Ghosts at Stone Mountain Park this year and has gotten a warm reception. Vapor is…gosh…what can I say about Vapor? He’s a smart ass, he’s loud and obnoxious, and he rarely follows the rules. He can get away with a billion things I never could. He has appeared at events in which my husband, me, and my friends dress as Ghostbusters, and he has been in his own show, called “The Tale of the Screaming Skull”, this Halloween at the Southern Museum in Kennesaw.


Vance:What else do you like to do for fun?
Elizabeth:Although sometimes it isn’t exactly “fun”, I do pet rescue. But as far as genuine leisure time, I enjoy reading, drawing, watching educational shows on TV( in the small fragment of time I get to watch TV), charity costuming as Star Wars and Ghostbusters characters, and shopping at thrift stores.

Vance:What do you see in the future of Puppatoons? Any neat secrets that you can share?
Elizabeth:I truly hope to have several shows running all year, performing in schools, libraries and at special events. I want to have workshops going, and I’d love to do short TV spots. I have recently teamed up with a master storyteller, who has many connections for the type of things I want to do, so we may end up being quite the formidable force together!


Check her out!
Visit Puppatoons.com
Puppatoons on facebook!
Get some cool swag from her shops! Puppatoons shirts, on Etsy and Puppatoons on ebay

And for all you Star Wars fans out there check THIS out! Elizabeth makes these.
A wampa pencil cup!

You can get it here!

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Last Updated on Saturday, 12 March 2011 09:50
 

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