| Hi! Here are some details about myself: |
| My name is: |
Neil Hansen |
| I have a home page at: |
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| My occupation (when I'm not doing puppets!) is: |
Student |
| My approximate age is: |
12 - 18 |
| I live in the state of: |
Ontario |
| ... in the country of: |
Canada |
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| Here's some information about my church or puppetry organisation: |
| My organisation's name is: |
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| My organisation's website is at: |
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| Some of My Puppetry Background |
| Q: Why do you write puppet scripts? What motivates you? |
| I write scripts in hope that I can perform them. I love to hear people laugh, and I think that it's a great power tha comedians have to make people happy. I also think that scripts that have a meaning are important. |
| Q: Tell us about your church or puppet organisation. |
| I'm only a teenager, and am not in any kind of orginization yet. I've performed in a school talent show and in mini-performances for my family. |
| Q: How did you get started in puppets and what attracted you to this area? |
| I'm a ventriloquist. When I was twelve, I really wanted to learn how to throw my voice. I got a book from the library, and became absorb into the magic of ventriloquism. I read many more books on the subject, and finally bought my very own Charlie McCarthy doll. |
| Q: Where does your inspiration come from to write puppet scripts? |
| I believe in making people laugh. Whenever I hear a person (or animal) cry, I feel so sorry for them. I can connect to them. I put myself in their position, and I know how they feel. Therefore, I love to hear the soung of laughter. Making people happy, it has to be one of greatest powers on Earth. |
| Q: What advice would you give to someone just starting out in puppetry? |
| I'm not very experienced myself, but I would tell someone that puppetry's a great thing to do, but it's not an easy thing to learn. You are creating the illusion of life. Never give up. Many times, I've just wanted to forget about puppetry completly, but I just have to think about how much fun I'm having to get myself back on track. |
| Q: Who are your favourite puppet characters and what do you like about them? |
| My favourite puppet characters are Charlie McCarthy and Mortimer Snerd. Edger Bergen did an amazing job of making these two come to life. Charlie with his cunning and wit, and Mortimer with his, er... non-cunning and wit. These two were absolutely hilarious with the one brand of humour that I think is best:non-swearing and non-vulgar routines. |
| Q: What are the most important qualities in great puppet scripts? |
| I think that the most important qualities in a script are, of course, that it's funny, but also that it somewhat teaches the audience something, even if it's just little facts. And also, a great script should be appropriate for all ages with no swearing and no mature themes. It's important that humour can be enjoyed by all ages. |
| Q: What would you do if you were a puppet? |
| If I were a puppet, I would constantly remind my partner what we perform for-humour. I would remind my partner to exclude any swearing and mature themes from routines, and to add educational, and for young Christians, religious lessons. If I were ever told that I'm just a puppet, I don't really exist, I would just laugh and think that, even though I 'm a puppet, I'm well treated and am enjoying the great life that I have. |
