TEARS OF JOY PUPPET THEATRE
Tears of Joy brings amazing puppet theatre to audiences throughout the U.S. and abroad. Founded in 1971, the theatre is recognized nationall for its commitment to excellence and innovation. Three of the theatre’s productions have received American puppetry’s highest honor, the Citation of Excellence in the Art of Puppetry. www.tojt.com
The Shoemaker and the Elves
Originally produced by the Center for Puppetry Arts, Atlanta, GASynopsis
Our story begins in Mel and Tootsie Footmeyer’s cobbler shop in New York City. After 42 years in business the Footmeyers are on the verge of closing due to a decline in business. One night, two wacky elves named Frankie and Gino happen upon the Footmeyer’s shop. The curious elves arrive in search of meaningful work. They secretly work through the night and produce a beautiful pair of shoes that are "chic, but not too ostentatious". The next day, a well-known socialite purchases the shoes and the fashionable footwear becomes a tremendous hit at one of her society balls. Mel is delighted by his sudden good fortune, but puzzled. Where on earth did the shoes come from? The proceeds from the elves’creation allow the Footmeyers to restock their supplies and treat themselves to a cheesecake—a delicacy that turns out to be a favorite of the elves. Mel discovers Frankie and Gino in his shop and the elves agree to continue working for Mel as new associates in his company since their shoes are now in great demand. Set in New York in the 1940s, the sights and sounds of the era provide a new and exciting backdrop for this timeless and heartwarming tale from the Brothers Grimm.
Style of Puppetry
The Shoemaker & the Elves is performed with three different styles of puppets: rod puppets (Frankie and Gino), hand-and-rod puppets (Mel and Tootsie), and several shadow puppets.
The elves in the play are rod puppets. Each elf has three rods: one small rod inside his body that turns the head from side to side and one rod connected to each hand. The puppeteers us a trigger control attached to the rod inside the body to open and close the character’s mouth. Throughout the show, the puppeteers are seated on low rolling carts. They hold the puppets up into the lighting playing area, using their feet to maneuver themselves around behind the set.
Mel and Tootsie are hand-and-rod puppets that are larger than the elves. To bring them to life, the puppeteer places one of his hands inside the head of the puppet. His hand turns the character’s head and opens and closes the mouth. In his other hand, the puppeteer holds the rods that control the puppet’s arms.
The shadow puppets in our show are flat, jointed figures manipulated in front of a light source. Backstage, the puppeteers use an overhead projector to project the silhouette images of the puppets onto a shadow screen. This way, the puppets appear much larger on stage than they actually are.
About the Authors
Folk tales have been around for centuries. They are part of the shared cultural history of all people on Earth. While it is impossible to trace a folk tale to a single author, those who first took on the task of recording such stories and publishing them in books often receive credit for the stories. Two brothers from Germany, Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm, are credited with first publishing the story of The Shoemaker & the Elves. The Grimm Brothers were born in the late 1700s. Jacob and Wilhelm were interested in German history and language and especially loved folklore. They traveled throughout Germany from village to village recording traditional stories told around the hearths of cottages. The Grimm Brothers felt that it was very important to preserve these stories so they would not be forgotten.
The story of The Shoemaker & the Elves is one of three elf stories originally published in German as "Die Wichtelmanner" (The Elves). The stories first appeared in the Grimm’s 1812 collection of fairy tales titles "Children’s and Household Tales".
Characters in the Play
Gino_Elf
Before the Play
Read the traditional story of The Shoemaker and the Elves.
What does it mean that this story was a folktale?
Who first wrote this story?
In what country did the Grimm brothers live?
What other stories did they write?
During the Play
2. Listen to the music. Do you think the music fits the story?
After the Play
Objective: Students will write their own stories about elves using the writing process (prewriting, drafting, revising, editing and publishing)
Materials: Chart paper, lined writing paper, pencils (or computers with word processing software and printers if available)
Procedure:
After seeing The Shoemaker & the Elves, explain to students that they will be creating
their own stories about elves
Prewriting: On chart paper, brainstorm story ideas with your class. Who are elves? What do
elves look like? What are some character traits of elves from different stories they have
heard? What type of adventures might an elf have?
a first draft of their story.
punctuation.
Assessment:
Review students’ work to see if objectives were met. Keep writing samples for Language Arts portfolios.