The Adventures Of Peer Gynt; Carnival Of The Animals; Introduction To Puppet Making

Master puppeteer Jim Gamble is the creative force behind three new programs. The Adventures of Peer Gynt, which features Edvard Grieg's timeless music built around a classic story by Henrik Ibsen, is an excellent marionette production. The story of a young Norwegian boy who enters the forest on a quest to "see the world" but finds Green Hilda--a very persistent troll hag type--instead, Peer Gynt escapes the potential shotgun marriage by taking a magic carpet ride to Persia. Before his travels are over, Peer must face Green Hilda on the Serengeti Plain in Africa and on the ocean as he tries to get back home. The Adventures of Peer Gynt is a gripping production for a couple of reasons: first, the story is not merely a device for the music, it's a strong narrative; and, second, because Green Hilda takes various forms, the audience is surprised when a puppet suddenly jumps up, flips and lands to reveal Green Hilda (a nifty and quite effective slow-motion effect). Carnival of the Animals, on the other hand, is a very one-dimensional tale: boy composer Camille Saint-Saens writes a musical for an animal carnival, and each animal does a little dance for its part. Unlike the similar introduction-to-the-orchestra piece Peter and the Wolf (reviewed in the July-August, 1991 issue), Carnival of the Animals has no compelling story to tell. There are some imaginative sequences (an aunt's tea set becomes a turtle, and a frog becomes the dreaded piano teacher Madame Zucchini), but the program overall lacks narrative drive. In An Introduction to Puppet Making, the puppeteer Jim Gamble steps out from the shadows to offer viewers an introductory guide to the various types of puppets (finger, glove, hand, shadow, rod, and marionette). Although the concepts behind creating the puppets are presented more as general suggestions rather than step-by-step, viewers will be able to pick up the basic ideas pretty quickly. A suggestion which probably would have been better left unsaid was the last on a list of possible materials for making hair: "your own hair," a notion that might make a few mom's and dad's hair stand on end. The Adventures of Peer Gynt is highly recommended. Carnival of the Animals is an optional purchase. An Introduction to Puppet Making is recommended. All are inexpensive and handsomely produced. (Available from: Bogner Entertainment, Inc., 14900 Ventura Blvd., Suite 330, Sherman Oaks, CA 91403; (818) 784-3781.)