Up Close with Puppeteer Heather Henson
Tracey Minkin, Features Editor
Up Close with Puppeteer Heather Henson
Handmade Puppet Dreams is Henson's festival of independent artists films that explore puppetry, specially for the camera. It's a creative subgenre, and her selection for Providence this year is Junk Palace, featuring the work of Lyon Hill, who will join Henson onstage for a talk and demonstration.
"There are lots of interesting puppet films that get lost in the cracks," she said. "They don't make it into animation festivals because they're live action. They don't make it into live action festivals because they're quirky and they look a bit too much like animation. I put them all together and we have our own little festival."
A father who pioneered puppets for the small screen
Henson is not only a RISD alum but also the daughter of legendary puppeteer Jim Henson, who himself created puppetry intended for film and television. "This process has made me appreciate my father's work even more," she said. "I think my father was a master of puppetry on film. He really did hone it.
"He made puppets that were specifically made to be seen close up on television or film. Their faces have so much articulation, so much emotion. I think Sesame Street and The Muppet Show are some of the best examples of puppetry on TV or film. But with Handmade Puppet Dreams, I'm trying to show that there are other things out there besides the Muppet style, so I tend to show other styles that don't have as much exposure."
Creative audiences in Providence
Henson said she loves coming to Providence with puppetry, whether live or on film. "The audiences are very artistic," she said. "Puppet makers, filmmakers... we always get a lot of working artists, and that's always great. And the audience in Providence tends to stay afterward and really get engaged with the artist. Plus, the students are always fabulous."
For Henson, her RISD experiences have fueled the mission of Handmade Puppet Dreams. "When I went to RISD, I loved when artists came in," she said. "We're trying to help those artists now get to talk to audiences. It's important to me to get that artist out there."
Watch this Junk Palace trailer...
Heather Henson's Handmade Puppet Dreams will screen Junk Palace on Monday, May 2, at 7pm. RISD Chace Center, 20 North Main St, Providence. FREE and open to the public. Reservations recommended. Call 421-4278, www.first-works.org. Note: the film includes language and themes that may not be appropriate for viewers under 13.