Confessions of a Circus Composer

Huge Carrot

People and puppets are more willing to work with you if they know you, or they know people who know you, or you have a huge carrot (money or fame). You can bug them to the breaking point, but when they finally agree to meet with you it’s just to get rid of you. Cold calling or emailing is a long road, and only worth it if the talent is irreplaceable, cheap, and easy on the eyes. These puppets don’t know me from the inside of a mailbox. And they’re all hiding in their trunks during the pandemic, which has complicated everything. Now I have to get out a flashlight and peek in peoples’ windows and pull out my … wallet. I know it’s creepy but worth it.

Confessions of a Circus Composer

Plan B

I emailed a new puppet today. We’ve yet to discuss price, but after reading my work description I see there are four acts that need original choreography. I don’t know if puppets work by the act or by the show, but if it’s by the act I’m sunk. If it’s by the show there’s a chance it could work. And I’ve yet to tell her she needs to wear a witch's hat. That could break everything. She could turn me into a crow. Plan B, if the puppet gives me the finger, we perform the tunes as musicians with multiple camera angles and bring in Renée Sedliar as a guest performer at the end to reenact her POISON CIRCUS mime performance of “A SSShow of Hand(s)” and no. Plan B is cheating. I need a puppet.

Confessions of a Circus Composer

Save the Scary

Deep discussions with puppets can go on for weeks, and this one did. Back and forth we went daily with emails. We talked about everything: wardrobe, physicality, hinge points, unicycles, feet/no feet, and then I explained the story and musical score to him and … crickets. Either he is still running for the hills or he is locked in a closet with piles of someone’s dirty clothes on his face. Saving the scary only makes people more afraid for whatever else could be looming around the next corner. I’ll give him until Friday and then I’ll smoke him out.