McCann & McNasty Through The Years

GOIN' UP (again!)

GOIN' UP is the special we created and produced for THIRTEEN/WNET. It was recently accepted into the KIDS FIRST! FILM FESTIVAL, and we were just told it was also nominated for a KIDS FIRST! Best Award! They said that:
"This award is given annually to films and screenplays that have been accepted and showcased at our various festivals and special screenings nationally and world-wide. Our Senior Jury, comprised of child development specialists, media professionals and film programmers will select the winners."
The whole FlexiTeam is honored!

FLEXITOON LIVE in ROMANIA!

Last October we were the only American puppet troupe to perform at the INTERNATIONAL THEATRE FOR YOUNG PEOPLE FESTIVAL in IASI, Romania. It's pronounced Yosh.
What an amazing facility they have - - a HUGE building with a big theatre upstairs and a smaller one downstairs. A full time repertory company with complete production capablity.

We travel with a lot of equipment for our live show, and it would not have been cost effective for our sponsor to fly it all over there. Luckily, our television partner Mike Campbell suggested we ask them if they would build our stage for us. They said YES! I sent them the specs and when we got there, BANG! We built it pronto. Shared language over mutual work.


The staff, the children, the audiences (two, sold out shows) the other puppeteers from France, Bucharest, Cyprus, all wonderful. A great, memorable, sharing time.

I just stumbled upon this: someone put up these pictures of our performance of HAMLIN on their BLOG.

The text was in Romanian. I translated using Google, and, well, you'll get the gist. . .

Hamlin ", puppets theatre" flexitoon ", New York, U. S. A.The design and the utility (direction) of show: Craig Marin
Coveted a hall small people, the show has benefited from brightly colored puppets, less encountered in this part of Europe. I gave the impression, rather, the Patimile television, I thought the shows puppets indeed: in a town invaded by rats, a Sheeana with disabilities are getting involved in solving this problem which tends to her father depositor, producer of cheese. It has undertaken a "cimpoier" (here for a cat), which, with spell Song or, to escape the city of rats. once completed the job (Very beautiful projection of inchipuind rats lined cards after "cimpoier"), oraselului mayor refused to pay service rendered. In May naratiune intervene and an IT, eventually finishing everything is okay. Although played in the English language, the show has taken the children in the audience, especially because, finally, the author or has offered a small bonus through or drawings based on a number preferred by children. antrenant, exciting, welcome!...

Flexitoon Pix Through The Years

Here's Olga and me in different puppet configurations. . .

(clickable pix)

With Rex & Didi from Shining Time Station

Early Postcard Print
Madam Tamara with "Tamara's News Tonight"

Molly O' Mole from PINWHEEL

HAND MAGIC for CITIBANK industrial

Olga's fingers do the walking

Workshop #1

Workshop #2

Captain BigBoot walks (on) the plank!

With Good Dog.

GROUCHO & ME. . .

. . . from back in the MARKO PUPPET THEATRE daze. . .

MAD MEN TONIGHT

KUKLA, BURR & OLLIE

I always loved BURR TILLSTROM. . .

. . . there was something about one man-out-of-view yet fully revealed. . .
. . . creating his own universe. . .

. . . to which all were invited.

Even DON SAHLIN worked with Burr.

BIL BAIRD was the Olympus of Puppetry, SANDY BECKER was an inspiration, and CHUCK McCANN was my idol. But I always thought of Burr Tillstrom, the creator of the Kuklapolitan Players. . .

. . . as my brother.

AUTOMATIC DOODLES

Some Once & Future Flexitoon Characters. . .

(clickable)

Weird Old Puppet Commercial

Our friend, puppet-maker, stop-motion afficianado and all around mensch SAL DENARO, sent us this very very piece of puppet weirdness:

Sal thinks Lou Bunin (Alice In Wonderland) may have created it, but I don't know. Any ideas?