Lessons Learned from Momotaro this Year

1. When you say you have sound stuff to sound guys, be sure to tell them if you like it or not. When you say “I’ve got a wireless headset mic.” They hear: “I must use my own mic, because I love it and you must make it happen.” When you really meant: “I’ve got a lousy cheep-o karaoke wireless headset mic that we can use if we don’t have the budget to get everyone the cool ones.” Communication…it’s key.
2. A thin cotton sheet for a rug…secured down…is the perfect medium to muffle rolling stools.
3. Duct-Tape is not adequate to secure said cotton sheet. Need to do something else…
4. If you are performing during the day by a bank of windows but holding your dress rehearsal at night…don’t turn off the lights in the room.
5. Dress rehearsal went to late again. Must start earlier if possible.
   
6. A blanket on a classroom floor for kids to sit on is a safety hazard—Near-Miss City, I tell you. No wonder they use those foamy interlocking things in pre-schools.
7. Never hang a rod puppet upside-down by the rod. Just…don’t do it.
8. We need speakers outside of the room so the people at the window can hear.
9. The classroom idea was golden but two stages up at the same time takes up a lot of room. Not sure what to do about that.Having us bother there was a double draw.
   
10. The show times this year were better than last year especially on Sunday
11. Never write a script that is 100% dependent on four puppeteers…make them more flexible in the future
12. Music between scenes = Major Plus
13. Lights + Dimmer = Another Major Plus (Thank you, National Puppetry Festival)
14. Really small props are unnecessary
15. Rod puppets are nice...but they always require two hands for realistic movement. I don't think I'll mix the two styles again.
16. Strapping the whizzer to the prop stick I'm holding at the time was a good idea.
17. The playboard skirt looked ever so much better.
18. Joan's comfortable puppet necks were a major improvement
19. Don't do hard hands in a puppet show requiring fight scenes and major prop manipulation. Unless I feel like making hands and repairing hands over and over again.

I'm sure I'll think of more later...