Spring 2011 Marionette carving class

Hello Carousel Riders!

We're starting up our Spring 2011 Marionette Carving Class starting in March!

An Intermediate Carving Class

that will give you the skills to build a basic,
humanoid wooden marionette. You will
be supplied with a blank body with
prefabricated joints that you will resolve
into your own character from
your own imagination.

Learn techniques of, both traditional knife
carving and use of powered rotary tools,
even wood-burning details. You will take
your marionette puppet from the
conception and design phase all the way
to building a control and stringing the puppet.
By the end of this class you will have a
finished marionette you can perform with!

Saturday
Mar 5th
3pm-6pm
Introduction to tools and safety,
materials and initial carving techniques,
Practice and History. Character design.

Saturday
Mar 12th
3pm-6pm
Carving Techniques,
design approaches to
Character and Movement.

Saturday
Mar 19th
3pm-6pm
Begin carving the face.
Learn how to transfer
character design to parts

Saturday
Mar 26th
3pm-6pm
Begin carving hands, techniques for
detailing with a rotary tool.

Saturday
Apr 2nd
3pm-6pm
Begin carving trunk and limbs.
Learn how to pattern fabric tube transition.

Saturday
Apr 9th
3pm-6pm
Begin assembling puppet.
Attaching hands and head to trunk.
Shoulder and hip joints

Saturday
Apr 16th
3pm-6pm
Final assembly, weighting and counter balancing.
Building a control and theory behind control.
How control effects performance.

Saturday
Apr 23rd
3pm-6pm
Final: Stringing up and manipulating puppet.
Techniques for emoting with inanimate object.
Caring for your puppet.

About the Instructor

Geahk Burchill Has been building and performing with
marionettes for ten years. During that time he has been a part
of four marionette troupes and built dozens of marionettes.
Geahk is also the founder of
The CastIron Carousel Marionette Troupe
and a believer in an 'Open Source' approach to puppet building.

Many of the techniques taught in this class are standards across
carving and doll-making but many are the sole invention of this master builder.

Class pricing

Class is a eight week intensive carving course.

$225.00 per student plus $25.00 materials fee

Recommended tools:
basic knife carving set
small rotary tool with woodcutting bits
small “F” style wood clamp
carving glove

Loaner tools are available during class hours.

Please call for more information:
(503) 757- ARTS
or write to us at:
info@castironcarousel.org

Just off of the 75 & 44 bus lines

Here's a map to the studio!
Map to the Studio

CastIron Carousel Marionette Troupe is a nonprofit organization
whose mission is two-fold: First, to inspire and entertain adult and
family audiences with high-quality marionette theatre produced with
contemporary themes. Second, to provide educational and
performance opportunities for those individuals in the community
interested in learning the stagecraft of marionette theatre.

The CastIron Carousel is a small, Portland local marionette
troupe, with a dark flavor and a twisted sense of style.
Our focus is adult audiences, but our plays are suitable for
older children. The CastIron Carousel tells stories about
things that clang, steam, whistle and go bump in the night.
Tales to horrify and fascinate with beauty, tragedy and a
wry sense of humor. Our themes include: Victorian era
Science Fiction,  Steampunk, 1920’s horror, prison, gangsters,
Fairy tales and monster stories. We are inspired by Tom Waits,
William Dwiggins, H.P. Lovecraft, H.G. Wells, Jack tales
and Jules Verne. We work with Marionettes, Shadow puppets,
Rod puppets and a smattering of other things. We do small
beautifully strange plays with gorgeous sets and splendid puppets.

Thank you all for your interest and we hope to see YOU in the class!
--
The CastIron Carousel
Marionette Troupe, Inc.
St. Johns Portland Ore.
(503) 757-ARTS
www.castironcarousel.org
info@castironcarousel.org