Alan Cook - Internatonal Puppetry Museum

Work experience includes Sid and Marty Krofft Productions "Les Poupees de Paris" and TV special "Folderol" and on stage with Krofft' puppets and Raquel Welch. Worked with Rene' and his Artists for TV commercials and the Laguna Festival of Arts, Knot's Berry Farm and Magic Mountain. Manipulated puppets for Pillsbury Magic Circus TV specials with magician Mark Wilson. Operated Howdy Doody for 40th Anniversary Special and video with Pady Blackwood. Operated giant cat puppet at Universal Studios live show, "American Tale".

TV and film work includes Clockey Productions, "Davey and Goliath", "The Muppet Movie", George Pal's "Brothers Grimm" and others.

Curator and installer of puppet exhibits for three decades include museums, university galleries, local and national galleries. Curated touring exhibit at Corcoran Gallery, Cooper-Hewitt, Oakland Museum, Detroit Institute of Arts, and Puppeteers of America Inc. Participant in Peter Sellers' Los Angeles Festival mobile gallery exhibit. Consultant to similar project for San Diego Museum of Art.

Organizations: Puppeteer of America, serving as board member, artistic director, exhibitions director and in other capacities. Cofounder of Los Angeles Guild of Puppetry served as board member and newsletter editor.

Background: Art History major, Pomona College. Puppeteer, puppet collector, Puppet exhibit consultant, teacher of puppetry public and private schools, retirement homes, puppet festivals, art Center, museums, etc.

Lifelong interest in puppetry nurtured first by seeing numerous puppet shows in Los Angeles department stores. Took classes in making and manipulating marionettes in grammar school. Hand puppet productions in high school, including one for Spanish class. Performed at Christmas and birthday parties while in college.

Experience in following types of puppets: all major categories - foam puppets with animated mouths standard hand puppets, stop action puppets for films, marionettes, including trick puppets, Japanese style Bunraku puppets, rod puppets, shadow puppets from simple figures to complex shadows such as authentic Chinese leather puppets as well as Greek and Turkish figures.

Experience: worked with Sid and Marty Krofft Productions, Hollywood and other venues with adult oriented miniature Las Vegas revue "Les Poupees de Paris" and other productions. Krofft TV special, Folderol' Krofft puppets live with Raquel Welch in Las Vegas and Lake Tahoe. Worked with Rene' and his Artists for TV commercials and live performances at Laguna Festival of Arts, Knott's Berry Farm, Magic Mountain plus fair dates, Christmas shows, McDonald's hamburger commercials, Pillsbury Magic Circus TV specials with magician Mark Wilson. Assisted nightclub performer, Frank Paris, TV commercials for Spray and Wash. Operated Howdy Doody puppets for "40th Anniversary TV Special and video with Paddy Blackwood. Fantasy Fair Company, Tommy Neall Productions. Christmas shows with Doug Seymour Marionettes at the Enchanted Forest, Woodland Hills. Christmas show at Pearson's Playhouse with Jim Vititow. Operated 11' cat puppet in the Universal live production of American Tale".

Shop work with Rene' and with Krofft' Production line for "Knott's Berry Farm Knott's Berry Tales" ride for Tokyo Radio Tower Building, helped animate these life sized animatronic figures.

Developed basic shadow puppet workshops for teachers, puppeteers, children and adults .

Three decades of experience in creating puppet exhibits: Museums, university galleries, local and national galleries. Touring exhibits for Corcoran Gallery, Cooper-Hewitt Gallery, Oakland Museum, Detroit Institute of Arts and others. Mounted many exhibitions for national and regional puppet festivals for Puppeteers of America. Participated in Los Angeles Arts Festival, directed by Peter Sellers with mobile gallery puppet exhibit. Currently consultant for similar exhibit for San Diego Museum of Art

TV films: Clokey Productions "Davey and Goliath". Rainbow scene for Muppet Movie. Puppet related but non puppet work in George Pal's "The Brothers Grimm".

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