BLOOMFIELD — The Leo Building, in Bloomfield Center, has a new tenant. And strange as things might sometimes get, this tenant has multiple heads, eyes by the bushel and appendages, not counting legs – dozens of ’em.
But there is more to this than meets the eye, because the new tenant is Puppet Heap, an independent entertainment company specializing in story-telling through puppetry. Its clients include The Walt Disney Co., Nickelodeon and Sesame Street. Established in Hoboken and still headed by its founder, Paul Andrejco, it moved into the Leo Building in March.
According to Cindy Alves, its director of business development, the idea to name the company Puppet Heap came, once upon a time, from the condition of Andrejco’s Hoboken apartment, which was overrun with the work he was creating.
“There were puppet heads, failed prototypes, pieces, materials and characters in various stages of development,” she said. “Paul was working as an artist and designer, including work with the Jim Henson Company, and the accumulation of all those projects, eventually became the literal heap that inspired the name Puppet Heap.”
What was interesting, she said, was that this assortment of tatters collectively became “The Heap,” a distinct puppet character symbolizing Puppet Heap’s world of storytelling.
In a published article, Andrejco referenced a theory that suggested the purpose of storytelling is the storyteller’s selfish possession of an idea, but ultimately, he said, “The Heap’s story will be one about forgetting, losing, letting go. Something that’s very hard on us. It’s a voice that speaks through every project I’ve done, every puppet, every drawing, every film.”
Continuing, Alves said that, through the years, “Paul kept experimenting by designing characters, building puppets, making small films, writing and developing ideas. His background gave him a strong foundation in character design and fabrication, but he was also interested in what happened to characters after they were created, their personalities, stories and worlds. Over time, that work grew into a studio and eventually a company. Puppet Heap became a place where all of those disciplines could come together: character design, fabrication, puppetry, writing, filmmaking and production.”
In the Leo Building, the company occupies a space of a few thousand square feet. Alves characterized it as a creative studio.
“We’re currently setting up as a working artist studio where we can design, develop, build and work on projects,” she said. “We’re still evolving the space, so we’re excited about what it can become.”
Puppet Heap currently employs three people in Bloomfield. Depending on the project, another five to 10 artists and crafts people would be hired.
“Puppet work is highly specialized, so we bring in the right people for the particular needs of each production,” Alves said. “The people we work with have highly specialized skills: puppet design, sculpture, sewing and costume work, puppetry, production and related crafts. We work with a combination of core people and independent contractors.”
One thing she loved, Alves said, was how the work brought together traditional handcraft with design, storytelling and technology.
And now a question, Dear Reader: Do you require your very own puppet?
Alves said clients come to Puppet Heap with a specific design or nothing more than an idea, a character, a sketch or just a problem they are trying to solve.
“We can help develop the concept, design and build the character, and provide the puppetry or production support needed to bring it to life,” she said.
The work is often for film and television, where a custom-designed character can be a significant investment because of the amount of effort involved.
“We’re very comfortable working at that level,” Alves said, “but we’re also interested in finding ways to make puppetry more accessible to a broader audience. We also offer consulting services for anyone who wants to develop a project and needs a better understanding of how to incorporate puppetry into their storytelling.”
Puppet Heap, she said, is most excited about developing outreach programs in Bloomfield and has penciled-in an appearance at the Bloomfield HarvestFest, sponsored by the Bloomfield Center Alliance, to be Saturday, Oct. 10, from noon to 6 p.m, on Washington Street.
“We’d love to see Puppet Heap become a place where people can experience puppetry, storytelling and the creative process behind it,” Alves said. “That could include artist talks, demonstrations, workshops, screenings, storytelling, collaborations with schools and libraries, and exhibits or projects with local artists. But we also go offsite with workshops, keynote speeches and school assemblies. There are so many ways these characters can connect with people.”
Photo Courtesy of Puppet Heap
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