" The
"2 plus Koo" show means two actors plus puppets
(kookla
in Russian). It is more than people and puppets. It is a
different world which builds up our inner life and fills
it with
wonder. "2 plus Koo" is more than a small
puppet-show which
travels all over the world, lock, stock and barrel and
for which
there is enough room in a car and in one`s heart. "2
plus Koo"
is a new cultural phenomenon. It is really so, as one
sees quite
a unique, puppetry technique and puppet-show. A new class
of
puppet is called now "Puppet-on-the Wrist".
Their designer is
Vladimir Zakharov is manphenomenon, he is an expert of
robotics,
actor, singer, writer, sculptor who created and developed
a new
line in root plastic art. Olga Kushkova is no less unique
a
wonan, a muse of the theatre. Olga and Vladimir do
everything
themselves, i.e. make puppets, write plays, act, etc.
Each of
their plays is an event in their life; they are so
complete,
bright and real. Once you saw their show you will be
their fan
forever.
"Two plus PU" Theatre (Tomsk)
Vladimir Zakharov professional robot
design engineer for some years worked
in Tomsk puppet theatre "Buffoon". The
puppets to well-known productions "The
Foundation Area" and "Master and
Margarite" were invented and embodied by
him. After Zakharov left "Buffoon" he
together with Olga Kushkova organized
his own puppet theatre. The only
performance of this theatre is "Jean
from the pod" after their own written
play.
When I came to the puppets (as a designer of professional
puppet-show) my previous occupation of robotics
interfered aaa
lot with my new job I did not trust the hands of an
actor, I was
indulging too much in mechanics. I lacked ideas for
puppet
design. But I managed it in due course.
My second "puppet invention" was a puppet on
hand. The body
of the puppet is fixed on the hand so that the fore
finger and
the middle finger would act as legs of the puppet. The
most
important moment was the control of the head. The hand
movement
is respectively to the forearm transferred to the head.
Appearance of this puppet stimulated establishment of our
own
puppet show. One of the tasks of the show was the design
of a
new puppet and exploration of space in which the puppet
could
work.
The first play after the continuous search was being
decided
to be staged after my own scenario mainly because of
professional dramatic composition for the puppet show
lived much
to be desired. Besides specific character of the show
puts
forward some demands such as: the show should be
interesting for
kids, adults and for those who composes and acts it.
At first we tried to make traditional puppets, which were
painted. But soon we have realized our mistake.
A very lively puppet did not correspond to a lifeless
painted
face of it in spite of lively eyes and mouth. Then I made
a
wooden head with black ball type eyes. The look has
become
rather intelligent the puppet itself has become more
gentle and
lively because the wood had been soaked with bees wax. It
has
become traditional to use cedar roots to make our puppet.
Cedar
has proved to be very good for rather compound puppets
with
working mouth and eyes. Also the simplicity of a
structure,
convenience and reliability of such puppet is higher than
the
same papier-mache ones.
The main thing while making a puppet is adjustment. The
puppet should be sensitive to any movement of the hand of
an
actor. Then the puppet will do everything itself. One
will have
only to watch it and to prompt where the puppet is
mistaken.
First puppet had the head motion transfer mechanism
placed
above the wrist which effected rather badly the
appearance under
the sleeves.
The next
design of a puppet solved several problems such as:
to hide control mechanism under the hand, to make the
bottom of
the puppet not grappling the wrist to make it possible to
work
with an open hand (without glove), to work through mouth
and
eyes control, to make puppet's hand with moving fingers
to make
it work with an object, to change the position of the
hand. The
new puppet made it possible to work side by side with an
actor
and to be inferior to him in liveliness. It goes without
saying
that the puppet requires a laborious task while being
under
construction and adjusting as well as at operating it.
But all
this is a great pleasure to reject which is a sin.
They say that such mechanics is not seen by a spectator.
I
object strongly. Still there is something to be noticed,
something may not be believed but assumed so that all
small
things would make the picture of an "alive
puppet". The closer
to the puppet the more is discoveries for the spectator.
It is
just like in "a live" theatre. Later after the
play a kid would
run to the puppet and would be astounded of the fact that
the
puppet would grasp his finger with its hand, and pull him
closer, would look into his eyes and smile happily.
To help to understand our show I should tell a little
about
it, about its structure. While acting there are two of
us. "Two
of us and puppets with us..." There are no
electricians, no
operators. Everything is being done by us, by our hands
and
legs. When preparing a play I write the script, invent
puppets,
make them and scenery. Equipment, electronics and
programming is
being done by Sergei Goorin. I only do bodies, simple
automatic
schemes, tape recording, mechanics... Another guy Volodia
Kozlov
comes and sits into the producer's chair when me start
rehearsing. He "sculpts" the play and actors of
us at the same
time. When we go to the festival our master of style
Larisa
Smakovskaya joins us. She invents and saws the suits for
us.
Slowly she is involved into the play with her small bits
of
fabrics. My task is to provide easiness of their creative
labour, to make instead of them things they do not want
to do,
things which prevents them to work creative. Then they
will do
things I can not do. I do not forget about myself.
Because I
shall have to install and to carry everything we make it
should
be light and compact. It should be also interesting for
me that
is why there are a lot of tricks and automatic stunts (I
call it
"grimaces of robototechnical past).
There is one more a very important man. His name is
Andrey
Ryumin - director of "Protey" company. He
picked us up a year
and a half ago and proposed his help. Now two of us have
salary.
We have confidence in the future. We have means to by
necessary
materials, details, equipment. Andrey's company helped to
buy us
PC, presented us with a digital tape recorder. Besides
there is
always a car to take us to act plays.
Thanks to these people we can create quietly and put
forward
before us incredible tasks.
Exploration of working a space for puppet was a rather
difficult because it got entangled wit our working space
which
developed somewhat according to the formula "two of
us and
puppet with us".
Working on our first play we were making at the same time
puppets scenery, rehearsals, music and lighting.
How I shall try to describe the equipment we have today
not
mentioning stages it has undergone during two previous
years. It
is difficult to do because of constant changes and
improvements.
It all happens spontaneously. As an example Kolya
Curtain. We
made show-booth with a curtain. One had to raise the
curtain.
For us it was not convenient. A driving gear was needed.
And why
should this gear rotate for nothing. We placed a puppet,
fixed
its hand to this gear and named the puppet Kolya Curtain.
And
why Kolya should keep silence. So we taught Kolya speak.
Sergei Goorin is a very talented programmer and system
technician. Long time ago when he suggested his help. He
wanted
to help very much. I proposed and not without fear to
make light
control... He answered it was too easy to make. He wanted
to
make something complicated, intricate. His idea was to
involve
PC into the process. It was an outrageous thought to us.
Now
NOTE-BOOK (NB-386SX) controls all the equipment during
the
play. Programming language is "2K". This is a
unique language of
parallel programming, which Sergei worked out for our
show.
Controller acts a link between PC and the rest of the
equipment
(through the parallel port). It has 64 logical outputs,
32
logical input and 6 analog outputs (to control lighting).
Power
module provides the equipment with required voltage.
Lighting
equipment has six controlled channels 1kwt each and
commutator
which provides switching 18 lamps to 6 channels. player
with an
amplifier (20 wt) and speakers (6 wt) provide phonogram
of the
play. It all also is controlled by PC. Six lamp (100 wt)
with
controlled light beam direction an filters changing
mechanism (30
color changes during a play). Two fans with controlled
speed (it
is our wind). Kolya Curtain is a stage operator.
The equipment, show-booth and puppets go in two boxes
(which
are the table at the same time). Overall dimensions of
which are:
70x60x17. All this weighs 35kg. It takes us to install
scenery
and show the play one hour and half. To dismantle it is
takes 30
minutes. There is a push-button by means of which (by leg
or a
hand) we switch on the code blocks.
The program is written in russian and looks like this:
waiting_of_button();
tape_recorder(564);
waiting_of_place_of_pphonogramm(87);
lamp_2(to the left 6_;
pause 5000;
change_of_brightness_2(255, 3000);
waiting_of_button();
It means that after the button is pushed the phonogram is
switched on for a definite period of time (564 impulses
constant
frequency pulse detector of photodetctor), and from 87-th
impulse of phonogram 2-nd lamp will turn to the left to
angle
6x4,5=27 and after 5s pause during following 3s will
increase its
brightness up to maximum (255).
The size of the program is limited only by our fantasy.
There are as many of changes of light as one wishes at
any speed
and frequency (three are 30 changes of color so far), as
many of
lamp position as possible, any wind we need. Everything
depends
only on us, on what we need.
Of course it is possible to install ten or more simple
lamps
instead of one but controlled lamp. But firstly one will
have to
carry all of them, and secondly we have puppet show. So
why not
to turn a lamp into a puppet? Let it live with all of us.
I can
talk to it as if I talk to an equal partner during the
play.
Then it will answer me, look into the auditorium, nod ins
assent
and wink. But it should not be out of measure. One should
not
overdo with equipment but just make it alive.
Well, it is a fairy-tale. One can watch it, touch. We
even
will let anyone to push buttons. But this is not for
professionals. We have nothing very complicate. All
technology
was carried out in the kitchen of the two room flat.
One must love it, take care of it and cherish it. And
then in
the middle of the play to feel suddenly that everything
around
you is alive, and everybody is equal to each other, and
Kolya
Curtain and lamp. Everything and everybody depend on each
other
and rely upon each other. We are like one organism. We
made each
other. We believe and trust each other. There are two of
us and
puppets with us...