Puppetry Mishaps

It’s been about a week and a half since we received the finished Audrey II puppets. There are four of them that range in size from house plant size to gi-normous. Puppet #3 is perfectly Lee Ann sized and the most fun to manipulate, which is good since I really rock out in that one. Puppet #4 is humongous, hot, and quite heavy. The lower jaw is strapped to my waist to help me support it. This is the one that has had most of the mishaps.

1. Sue, Ben, and I went to Juise’s studio to visit the Audrey II puppets just before they were finished. I was excited to experiment with every imaginable chomping motion in all of the plants. In puppet #4 I also experimented with various positions for the long waits between the time I get strapped in and my first “song.” I stood. I kneeled. I sat. I laid down. That was very comfortable. It was also a big mistake. When I tried to stand back up again, I was pinned to the floor. Ben, Sue, and Juise were so busy discussing how great the plants looked that they didn’t notice me rolling around on the floor trapped in a giant foam plant until I yelled “Help!” Certainly Juise had not planned for this particular problem and was probably wondering why the hell I was rolling around on the floor in his wonderful creation. A Curly Stooge style spin did help me to get myself up while everyone wondered what was wrong with me.

2. Our first rehearsal with the completed plants was the first time we were able to practice with the plant eating the actors. There was a lot of scrambling to simply get out of the plant—it’s very dark, and very hot, not something that you choose to be inside of for long unless you are me. Bob was the first to be eaten and panicked a bit. He almost knocked off my feet in his mad dash to crawl out through the back of my stem.

3. In another rehearsal, the belt that helps me support the lower jaw of puppet #4 came undone. When Bob stepped into the trap in the bottom of my jaw his foot must have stepped on my stem's cloth tube and I fell on top of him. He actually screamed the way he is supposed to, but with an “Ow” at the end. Bob bonked his head a bit. I wasn't hurt, and neither was the puppet. It did take awhile to get us untangled and sorted out. This did not help with Bob’s qualms after the first experience with the plant.

4. During our 8 hour long rehearsal on Sat, there was yet another mishap with eating Bob. The poor man is going to have nightmares about me. I tried to make it as simple as possible for him and crouched down so it would be really easy for him to get in. Being the graceful creature that I am, I lost my balance once he got in and rolled backwards. Fortunately, we didn’t get tangled up in the stem this time.

5. Then there was the time I accidentally chomped Sarah’s head--she was filling in for “Audrey” (Kelly) who was at a conference. Sarah wasn't seriously hurt, which is good since the cast was laughing hysterically. I guess you can’t help but laugh when you see someone’s head get accidentally chomped by a giant foam plant.

6. In the same rehearsal, Matt (who has the most difficult entry into the mouth) knocked out one of my (the plant’s) teeth, dislodged the tongue, and got a bit disoriented and lost in the stem. However, after I chomped him, he did toss the machete he was carrying out of my mouth brilliantly. Bravo!


I’m sure there will be other mishaps, but hopefully not during the performances, which are May 7, 8, and 9, for those of you in Dhaka. Buy your tickets now!

I do have to say, it’s been a lot of fun. It’s also done a lot for my upper body strength. And I’ve certainly flushed out all toxins. On Sat I drank nearly 7 liters of water! Perhaps the Audrey II diet will be the next Hollywood diet and exercise fad.