Interview With VonOrthal Puppets

Join our recent conversation with Cynthia VonOrthal and Tiffany Lange from VonOrthal Puppets. They are currently creating the life-size horse puppet that will be used in the world premiere of Don Quixote, choreographed by Yuri Possokhov for The Joffrey Ballet.

Question – Could you tell us a little about the creative process for the horse you are creating for Don Quixote?

Cynthia – We made a wooden base of a horse’s head—a stand that would be able to hold the necessary amount of clay. After sculpting it out of an oil-based clay, we then covered it in paper-mâché. The end result is a very sturdy and lightweight replica of the sculpture. The horse body will be made of metal, wood, fabric and mesh.

Tiffany – After concept development we did a lot of research on horses, built a cardboard model to scale, developed actual-size drawings and began the sculpting of the head, as Cynthia mentioned. The head and the body frame will be developed simultaneously; within each we will also create various animations to further bring the creation to life.

Question – How much do you anticipate the horse weighing once it is complete?

Tiffany – Our goal is 50 pounds.

Question – Have you ever worked on something, not only on this large of a scale, but also where dancers will be within the puppet itself?

Tiffany – We have not constructed a horse, but we have built many puppets in which the manipulator is part of the costume/puppet.

Question – How did the two of you get involved in making puppets?

Cynthia – I became interested in puppets probably about 20 years ago, and have been creating them ever since. I went to get my master’s degree in marionette making in Prague. I began building puppets for different theater companies, and decided to start teaching in order to build a base of people to build with me for various shows. Tiffany came to one of my first classes, and she has been with me ever since.

Tiffany – As Cynthia mentioned, I took her first class. She asked me to start collaborating with her on other projects, and then eventually, after taking perhaps 4 or 5 classes, I began co-teaching with her. Then, just last summer, we started working together on a full-time basis.

Question – How long will it take to create this horse?

Tiffany – We began discussions with Claude, the Director of Production, around mid-May. Then we started concepting preliminary ideas in advance of the production meeting that was held June 10. At that meeting, the design team decided to move forward with production of the puppet. They were enthusiastic about the options we presented and selected one of our design concepts. Since then, we’ve been full steam ahead.

Cynthia – We will have the body and the head assembled soon, without the fabric, so we can examine the movement of the structure. Then we’ll have about a month or so to fine tune things we discover in rehearsal. The fabric will be added for the final tech week.

Question – How do you think puppetry contributes to this ballet?

Cynthia – Puppetry, in general, is such a magical art form. We, as an audience, know that it’s a puppet, but there’s such a delight to see this entity move. For this particular show, I think it adds an exciting element because so much is in Don Quixote’s mind in terms of what he sees and hears and does. Having inanimate objects come to life fits perfectly within his delusional world.

Tiffany – This [ballet] is a bold approach to telling this story, and I think having another bold, out of the ordinary character pushes it one step further.

Question – Do you feel that there is something that sets your puppets apart from other people’s? What makes your puppet unique—either in process or end product?

Cynthia – Everyone’s creative process and results are so unique; we work well with color and movement. Even when making something magical or from another realm, we work hard to make sure the puppets move very well.

Tiffany – We are meticulous about the work we do and we really strive for a very high level of artistic quality, both in the foundation stages of what we do, as well as the finished product. I think that sets us apart from a lot of the other puppet/art work that is happening out there.

Question – Is there anything else you’d like to tell our audience?

Cynthia – In addition to creating puppets for theater companies as well as our own shows, we offer classes in puppetry, design and sculpture for adults and children. Puppetry is such a beautiful art form, and it can really add an intriguing dimension to a show.

VonOrthal Puppets is composed of a group of Chicago-based artists dedicated to bringing quality cultural experiences in the puppetry arts to children and adults. With a mission to travel the world telling the story of their hearts through the art of puppetry, VonOrthal Puppets has been captivating audiences for over a decade with a unique combination of traditional European, Japanese and American puppetry techniques. The VonOrthal Puppets style blends imagination, music and story with expressively alive characters and a refined artistic quality.

VonOrthal Puppets also offers a variety of classes and workshops for children and adults. For more information about VonOrthal Puppets, please click here: http://www.vonorthalpuppets.com/.