Lately I've been working with my set/prop construction class to make an oversized
donkey mask for our upcoming school production of A Midsummer Night's Dream.
If you're familiar with the story, you know that one character, Nick Bottom, is partially
transformed into a man with a donkey's head for the middle third of the play.
I don't know if you've ever tried to make an oversized mask of any sort out of styrofoam
and paper mache, but even with red duct tape it ain't easy. The more we work on it, the
more our maskmaking endeavors put me in mind of the fabulous Jim Henson and his
magnificent muppets.
Below is the song clip from the original Muppet Show that not only made me a believer
in Jim Henson's magical abilities, but caught my attention simply with his approach to what
I call "living masks." Call it inspiration, or homage - either way, this clip somehow figures into
a formative moment in my creative process that I am only just now realizing.
Also: Harry Belafonte is superb in this song as well.
Enjoy!
"Turn the World Around" by Harry Belafonte and the Muppets
Link courtesy of YouTube
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