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Rob Fowler on his ebird site survey. 839-3493.
SPOKEN WORD
Storyteller Dan O’Gara. 2-3 p.m. Humboldt Coastal Nature Center, 220 Stamps Lane, Manila. Sharing captivating journey of animal tales from many lands. Come prepared to explore the trails after the storytelling. 444-1397.
BOOKS
PROFESSO R L.V. W (AND DAV ILLIKERS ID PHOTO BY FERNEY) BO
Book Sale. 10 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Humboldt County Library, 1313 Third St., Eureka. See Feb. 10 listing.
FOR KIDS
B DORAN
Puppets: Not Just For Kids Professor L.V. Willikers Grand Puppet Slam
Anyone who caught last year’s Arcata Playhouse sideshow play, Crawdaddy’s Odditorium, will remember the wild-eyed puppet Professor L.V. (Little Varmit) Willikers. “He was part of a freak show family,” said Playhouse founder David Ferney, the man behind the professorial puppet. “He’s the indestructible man — he tries repeatedly to kill himself, but he can’t.” While he manipulated the puppet he created, Ferney was dressed in black but still visible to the audience. “It’s like bunraku, [a Japanese] style where you can see the puppeteers instead of having them hiding behind a stage,” Ferney explained. “I don’t interact with the audience myself, I just play through the puppet.” Not that the audience paid him much attention, since L.V. is quite frenetic. Ferney subjected him to an electric chair, drowning (in an onstage tank), dismemberment and other typically deadly fates. And now — drumroll — the death-defying professor returns to the Playhouse as host of this weekend’s Professor L.V. Willikers Grand Puppet Slam. “‘Puppet slam’ is short-form adult puppetry in a cabaret format,” said Ferney, “with all the acts around five to 10 minutes. We’ll have a wide variety including local puppeteers James Hildebrant, Mark Dupre, Isaac Bluefoot and Sean Powers’ shadow puppets — Sean is also co-hosting the show with his puppet Bobby Burns.” Playful resident Playhouse artist Lush Newton designed the set with Hildebrandt. Another Playhouse regular, Tim Gray, is supplying music along with Jill Petricca on woodwinds. Joining the locals: Sebastopol-based duo Conrad Bishop and Elizabeth Fuller, aka Independent Eye, and the San Francisco-based “vaudeville nouveau” duo, New Eccentrics. The latter is led by the eccentric Jasper Patterson, whose act involves something he calls “pop-up cabaret,” borrowing from the tradition of kids’ pop-up books, but with “weird, scary, surreal, accordion-playing clowns and visuals lifted from the likes of Georges Méliès and Terry Gilliam.”
Slam funding comes from the National Puppet Slam Network, which is, in turn, funded by IBEX Puppetry, an organization founded by Muppet master Jim Henson’s daughter, Heather Henson, “dedicated to promoting the fine art of puppetry in all its forms.” There are scores of NPSN puppet slams all over the U.S. and in Canada funded, at least in part, by Muppet money. “The Puppet Slam is a great opportunity for local puppet people to flex their creativity,” said Ferney. “Since they’re only doing a short slot, they don’t have to worry about creating and producing a whole show. There’s also a freedom that comes with creating for an ‘adult’ audience, so you don’t have to aim your content at young kids.” That’s also part of the direction that comes with the National Puppet Slam funding, said Ferney. “They want it to be short-form adult puppetry. They really want to promote the experimentation of this alternate puppet world.” He explained further, “That’s ‘adult’ in that it’s not for kids, but it’s not adult like X-rated, crazy content.” The initial idea for the slam came from a Canadian puppet festival, Calgary International Animated Objects Festival, where Playhouse Arts (and Professor Willikers) performed. “We’re hoping it’s something we can do annually,” Ferney concluded, “to support the local puppet scene, and to be able to bring touring acts in from places like Portland and San Francisco to help build a circuit. It’s almost like the new vaudeville, but for puppetry.” Professor L.V. Willikers Grand Puppet Slam runs two nights, Friday and Saturday, Feb. 10 and 11, at 8 p.m. at the Arcata Playhouse, 1251 Ninth St. Tickets are $10, $8 for students, seniors and Playhouse members, and are available at Wildwood Music, Wildberries Market and The Works. For reservations or further information call 822-1575. For more on the National Puppet Slam Network go to www.puppetslam.com. — Bob Doran
32 NORTH COAST JOURNAL • THURSDAY, FEB. 9, 2012 •
northcoastjournal.com
Toddler Storytime. 11 a.m. Humboldt County Library, 1313 Third St., Eureka. Songs, fingerplays, short stories and brief puppet show to celebrate friendship and Valentine’s Day. 269-1910. Second Saturday Family Arts Day. 2-4 p.m. Morris Graves Museum of Art, 636 F St., Eureka. Listen to love stories and drumming with Anita Punla and Big Lagoon Union Elementary School and then create artful valentines. 442-0278.
ETC.
Nonviolence Action Camp. 10 a.m. Chinmaya Mission near Piercy. Weekend-long direct action orientation features workshops, role playing, seminars, ceremonies and field trips. Bring food, bedding, warm clothes, signs, banners, bikes, drums, acoustic instruments. Preregister. saverichardsongrove.org. 932-5898. Humboldt Bonsai Society. 1-3 p.m. Freshwater Elementary School, 75 Greenwood Heights Drive. Monthly meeting. Attendees can bring their trees needing help.
12
sunday
EVENTS
Inked Hearts Valentine’s Tattoo Expo. 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Blue Lake Casino. See Feb. 10 listing.
THEATER
Venus. 2 p.m. Gist Hall Theater. See Feb. 9 listing. Laughter On The 23rd Floor. 2 p.m. North Coast Rep. See Feb. 10 listing. Look Back in Anger. 2 p.m. Ferndale Rep. See Feb. 10 listing.
MUSIC
Open Celtic Music Session. 3 p.m. Cafe Veritas/Mosgo’s, 180 Westwood Center, Arcata. Informal monthly gathering of musicians playing Irish and other Celtic music. Hosted by Seabury Gould. seaburygould.com. 845-8167. ArMack Valentunes. See Feb. 11 listing. 822-5453
OUTDOORS
Audubon Society Fieldtrip. 9 a.m. Humboldt Bay National Wildlife Refuge, 1020 Ranch Road, Loleta. Meet at Refuge Visitor Center off Hookton Road. Leisurely, two- to three-hour trip intended for people wanting to learn birds of Humboldt Bay area. 822-3613.
FOOD
Mad River Grange Breakfast. 8-11 a.m. Mad River Grange, 110 Hatchery Road, Blue Lake. Pancake breakfast. Proceeds benefit local nonprofits. $4. 668-1906.
Humboldt Educare Valentine’s Spaghetti Dinner and Auction. 3-6 p.m. Portuguese Hall, 1185 11th St., Arcata. Humboldt Educare preschool benefit dinner (vegetarian and meat), bake sale, silent auction, cash-only wine bar. Arts, crafts and games for children. Bringing own dishes to reduce waste. $10/$5 children. alg2@humboldt. edu. 822-6447.
SPORTS
Winter Classic Table Tennis Tournament. 11:30 a.m. Arcata Community Center, 321 Community Parkway. Compete in 12 and under, beginners, intermediate, advanced or seniors groupings. Prizes for winners. $10/$5 kids 12 and under. 601-5447.
ETC.
Label GMOs Signature Gathering. 4 p.m. Sun Yi’s Academy of Tae Kwon Do, 1215 Giuntoli Lane, Arcata. Help gather signatures to get California Right to Know Genetically Engineered Food Act on 2012 ballot. northernhumboldtlabelgmos@hotmail.com. 223-0424. Nonviolence Action Camp. 10 a.m. See Feb. 11 listing.
13 monday DANCE
Friendship Circle Dance. 7-10 p.m. Moose Lodge, 4328 Campton Road, Eureka. Dancers 50 and older enjoy dancing with live music from the 1930s-50s. $4. 725-5323.
MUSIC
ArMack Valentunes. See Feb. 11 listing. 822-5453.
SPOKEN WORD
Poets on the Plaza. 7:30 p.m. Plaza View Room, Eighth and H streets, Arcata. Read/perform your original poetry. $1.
14 tuesday EVENTS
Valentine’s Day Massacre. 9 p.m. Jambalaya, 915 H St., Arcata. Variety show of bellydancing, hoop dancing, burlesque, comedy, mischief and all around strangeness. $7. jambalayaarcata.com. 822-4766.
MUSIC
ArMack Valentunes. See Feb. 11 listing. 822-5453.
15 wednesday ETC.
Kindergarten Readiness. 6-7:30 a.m. Pine Hill Elemantary School, 5230 Vance Ave, Eureka. Discussion panel of teachers, parents and principals for parents with children entering kindergarten in fall. Soup and salad