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Steve Whitmire: Perspectives
"The Sentient Puppet"
Lecture and Workshops

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Center for Puppetry Arts is proud to host Steve Whitmire, known for his work with the Muppets, as he presents Steve Whitmire: Perspectives "The Sentient Puppet," an exploration of the essential techniques and methodologies that have allowed hand-and-rod puppet manipulation as developed in the Muppet-style to become an exemplar in both the world of entertainment and the world of puppetry.

Admired, mimicked, and emulated the world over, this type of puppetry represents over a half century of refinement and evolution creating a distinct branch of puppetry specifically designed for viewing on a screen in place of a traditional puppet stage. Based on his experiences in the unique approach originated by Jim Henson, Whitmire seeks to offer insights for both the experienced puppet performer and the neophyte alike.

The Program is offered over four days in January and features two parts: a Lecture and a Class. Participants may attend just the Lecture; please note that the Lecture is a pre-requisite for the Class. The hour-and-a-half Lecture is offered once per day and looks objectively at the basics of Muppet-style performance technique. Special thanks are extended to The Jim Henson Legacy for their assistance with this portion of the program.

The hour-and-a-half Class is conducted three times per day, offering 12 participants per study group a subjective hands-on experience with puppets in the basics of video puppet manipulation.

No prior puppeteering experience is necessary. Lecture and Class are strongly recommended for ages 18 and older.

• Please note that content of the lectures and workshops is repeated each time. Participants need to only sign up for one lecture and/or workshop.

• Limited scholarships may be available for students, seniors, and theater artists. Please contact the Ticket Sales Office for more details.

• Book early; the Lecture and Class both require advance registration as space is limited.

• Plan to spend the day at the Center for Puppetry Arts so you can also view our exclusive Jim Henson exhibits, including Jim Henson: Wonders from His Workshop, which provides a glimpse of more than fifty years of creativity and innovation.

About Steve Whitmire
Born in Atlanta, Georgia, Whitmire developed an early passion for the Muppets and was making his own puppets by the sixth grade. He began his first professional job as a puppeteer at an Atlanta theme park prior to graduating high school. This initial job led to invaluable experience with his own puppets. Over 30 years later in his chosen profession, Whitmire has a dozen feature films, eight television series, multiple albums, television specials and home video works along with countless appearances, including a Presidential inauguration and several Royal Command performances, to his credit. Notable characters originally performed by Whitmire include Rizzo the Rat, Wembley Fraggle, and Sprocket the Dog. Since the deaths of Jim Henson and Richard Hunt, Whitmire performs their much beloved character creations of Kermit the Frog, Sesame Street's Ernie, and Beaker and Statler. These characters continue to be enjoyed by the viewing audience around the world. More details about Whitmire may be found at http://muppet.wikia.com/wiki/Steve_Whitmire

About The Jim Henson Legacy
Established in 1992, The Jim Henson Legacy was founded by Jane Henson and colleagues of Jim in response to the growing interest in the life and work of Jim Henson. The non-profit 501(c)(3) organization is dedicated to preserving and perpetuating Jim Henson's contributions to the worlds of puppetry, television and motion pictures, special effects and media technology. By making Jim's creative body of work available to the public through presentations and exhibits, the Legacy will share the power of his art, his imagination and his positive view of life with generations to come. More details about The Jim Henson Legacy may be found at www.jimhensonlegacy.org

About Center for Puppetry Arts^®
Center for Puppetry Arts^® is a non-profit, 501(c)(3) organization and is supported in part by contributions from corporations, foundations, government agencies, and individuals. Major funding is provided by the Fulton County Board of Commissioners under the guidance of the Fulton County Arts Council. Major support is provided by the City of Atlanta Office of Cultural Affairs. These programs are supported in part by the Georgia Council for the Arts (GCA) through the appropriations from the Georgia General Assembly. GCA is a Partner Agency of the National Endowment for the Arts. The Center is a Member of Theatre Communications Group (TCG), the national organization for the American Theatre, and the Atlanta Coalition of Performing Arts. The Center also serves as headquarters of UNIMA-USA, the American branch of Union Internationale de la Marionnette, the international puppetry organization.

JIM HENSON mark & logo are registered trademarks of The Jim Henson Company and are used here with permission of Henson Family Properties, LLC. © The Jim Henson Company. FRAGGLE ROCK characters and elements are registered trademarks of The Jim Henson Company. © The Jim Henson Company. MUPPET, MUPPETS, and the Muppet Characters are registered trademarks of The Muppets Studio, LLC. © 2009 The Muppets Studio, LLC. SESAME STREET ® and associated characters, trademarks, and design elements are owned and licensed by Sesame Workshop. © 2009 Sesame Workshop. STEVE WHITMIRE: PERSPECTIVES and elements are trademarks of Steve Whitmire. © 2009 Steve Whitmire. All Rights Reserved.

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