Project Budget

Grant Request

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Artists:

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Mesner Puppet Theater

Kansas City MO

Mike Horner

Hola!“Hola!” is a English/Spanish bilingual production that will be mostly non-verbal and told through pantomime.Our story is about a little granny who loves to cook a jealous chef who tries to steal her recipes. When Grannytravels to Mexico, she takes her recipes with her, and the meddlesome Chef and a helpful bilingual pigeon followin pursuit.

$26,250

$4,000

Hola! 9/8/2016

Puppeteer, Mike Horner; Story & Design, Mike Horner and Paul Mesner

The video demonstrates the way in which pantomime, a typing bilingual pigeon and music will be usedto tell the story of the granny as she travels through Mexico.

816-756-3500

1006 East Linwood Blvd. 64109

mike@mesnerpuppets.orgmesnerpuppets.org

VIDEO SAMPLE

CONTACT

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Paul Mesner Puppets501 (c)(3):

2014 Family - Ragtime to Bebop: theStory of Kansas City Jazz (PaulMesner)2008 Project - Hansel and Gretel (PaulMesner)2005 Seed - Songs of Mayhem (PaulMesner)2003 Project (4k) - Chupacabra (PaulMesner)1990 Project (2.5k) - Sidewalk Poems(Paul Mesner)

PAST GRANTS AWARDED

FAMILY

Hola!ByMesnerPuppetTheater

HensonFamilyGrantApplication

ConceptWith“Hola!,”wewantedtoexploreanewapproachtoanEnglish/Spanishbilingualproduction.Theshowwillbemostlynon-verbalandtoldthroughpantomime.Throughouttheshow,Spanishwords(andtheirEnglishequivalents)willbeprojectedontotheset,identifyingobjectsandactionsintegraltotheactionandplotofthestory.Afriendlypigeonwithatypewriteristhesourceofthesewords,peckingawayatherkeyswhilethewordsappearaboveherhead.StoryOurstoryisaboutalittleoldgrannywholovestocookandbake.Granny’smostbelovedrecipeisforhersignaturecookies.AprofessionalchefwholivesnextdoordesirestolearnthesecretingredientinGranny’scookies.HetriestostealtherecipebutisrepeatedlythwartedbyhisownbumblingorbythetypingpigeonthatlivesonGranny’sbalcony.WhenGrannyleavesforavacationtoMexico,shetakesherrecipeswithher,andthemeddlesomeChef(andhelpfulpigeon)followsinpursuit.InMexico,Grannyenjoyshervacation,snorkelingintheocean,loungingonthebeach,andhikingthroughthejungle.Shealsoexplorestheculturethroughthemusicshehears,thepeopleshemeets,andthenewfoodsandflavorssheencounters.Allthewhile,thejealousCheftrailsbehindGranny,alwaystryingtosnatchherrecipeinabsurdlyridiculousways,muchlikeWileE.CoyotechasingtheRoadRunner.ThepigeonhelpsGrannyalongthewayinevadingherpursuer.GrannyeventuallymeetsayoungLatinawomanwhosharesherloveofcookingandbaking.Aftertheyexchangerecipes,theChefcatchesuptothemandlearnstheuniversalingredientthatmakestheirrecipessosuccessful:love.Grannyreturnshomewithnewrecipesandanewappreciationforothercultures.ProductionWewillcombinerodpuppetrywithprojectionstotellthisstory.FrontandrearprojectionwillbeutilizedtocreatethesceneryandvariedlocalesthatGrannyvisits.Wewillcreateanimationandvideosequencesforcertainsegments(suchasunderwaterscenes)andfindwaystocombinepuppetrywithanimation/videotoachievecertaineffects(likehavingavideopigeonflyintoasceneandbereplacedbyapuppetpigeonasitlands).WehavepartneredwithaMexicansculptorbasedinPuertoVallartatocreateheadsforourcharacters.

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Mesner Puppet Theater, Founded in 1987 MikeHorner,ArtisticDirector,wasacreativeforcewithMesnerPuppetsfortenyearsbeforebeingnamedArtisticDirectorin2016.Heistheprinciplepuppeteerforthecompanyaswellastheleadpuppetbuilderanddesigner.HornerperformsinMesnerPuppets'annualseasonofshowsatthecompany'stheaterandtoursnationallyandinternationally.Hornerhasbuiltpuppetsforothertheaters'productionsinKansasCity,including"ShrektheMusical"attheJewishCommunityCenterand"TheOldestBoy"and“HandToGod”attheUnicornTheatre.

PaulMesner,puppeteer,authorandperformerbecameinterestedinpuppetryatanearlyage.AsateenagerhestudiedwithLeeRidgeinLincoln,NebraskabeforestartinghisownpuppettheaterinOmaha.HetouredhisshowsthroughoutMinnesotabeforestudyingattheprestigiousInternationalInstituteofPuppetryinCharleville-Mezier,France.HemovedtoKansasCitywherein1987hefoundedPaulMesnerPuppets.

HisawardsincludetwoUNIMA-USACitationsforExcellenceinPuppetryforSleepingBeautyandWiley&theHairyMan,theDistinguishedServicetoEducationAwardfromtheUniversityofMissouri-KansasCityand2015IndividualArtistoftheYearfromMissouriArtsCouncil.AlbertoTrejoGarcía,puppetsculptor,graduatedfromtheCualeRiverIslandSculptureWorkshopunderthetutelageofFranciscoQuintero.HispapiermacheandclaysculpturescanbeseeningroupexhibitionsinPuertoVallarta,Mexicoaswellasincollectionsallaroundtheworld.Mostofhispiecesareinpapiermache,dedicatingtheirdesignstoacreativestreamofimaginarybeingsvergingonsurrealism,dottedwithmotifsandcolorstypicalofMexicanhandicrafts.MesnerPuppetTheaterisagloballyknownprofessionalpuppettheatercompanywhoselocalseasonattractsaround12,000.Nationalandinternationaltoursentertainanadditional30,000+childrenandadultsatperformingartscenters,schoolsandlibrariesacrossthecountryand,lastyear,GermanyandIndia.Thecompanybelieveswholeheartedlyinentertainingaudiencesanddoesn’tmindincludingdeepermeaningswhennooneislooking.MesnerPuppetscollaborateswithlocalandnationalartists,musicians,fashiondesignersandcraftspeopletocreatepuppetrywithanengagingsenseofhumor.Thecompanyusesavarietyofpuppetstyles,fromfingerpuppetstorodandstickpuppets,marionettes,shadowpuppets,andbiggerthanlife-sizedpuppetswornbyperformers.OurMission:Innovativestorytellingthatcapturesimaginationsandinspirescommunities.OurVision:Collaborativeculturalambassadorstellingstoriesthroughtheaterwithpuppetstoeducateandenhancecommunities.CommunityImpactStatement:Theatricalexperiencesthatencourageasenseofcommunityandcreatesaplacetoexplorefeelings,thoughts,andideasthroughartisticmeans.Wepresentnearly200performancesperyearattractinganaverageof30,000audiencemembers.Manyofourattendeesareexperiencingtheaterforthefirsttime.

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¡Hola! Show Budget

¡Hola!

Show dates: Nov 9 - 20

2016 Production

Music Director $2,000 Puppet Design $750 Puppet Construction $5,000 Set Design/construction $1,500 Projection $750 Lighting Design $750 Lighting/Sound Operator

Sound Design $1,500 CostumeDesign/construction $500 Stage Director $2,500 Production Manager $750 Stage Manager

Assistant Stage Manager Staff Puppeteer (s) $2,500

Contracted Puppeteers/Actors $2,000 Other musicians $4,000

Script consultant/permissions Construction materials & supplies $1,000

House manager $750 Total Production $26,250

Company Managment Program Printing & Graphics $220 Office rent

Staff cost $520 Postcard printing $482 Brochure design $188 Brochure printing $1,265 Brochure/ postcard mailing $1,261 Advertising $1,181 Kansas City Star

KCUR Radio $275 Total Company Management Expenses $5,392

Projected Income Ticket Sales $6,221 Grants received $1,379 Other local funders

Total Income $7,600

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