Rhett Wickham: Crawling Around in the Cortex of Creativity
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There are rarely seen storyboards from Henson�s Academy Award nominated live-action short �Time Piece�, a Dadaesque delight that ranges from cerebral to silly. We�re treated to secrets of the origins of Muppetdom, and dozens of historical gems like the hand-rendered presentation cover for the �Muppet Show� proposal which looks for all the world like something Henson might have done for a high-school term paper. This all serves as evidence of Henson�s legendary lack of pretense. The further we delve into the labyrinth of Henson�s imagination, the more complicated and fascinating things we learn.
One of the most striking things to come to light about the shy, Mississippi born artist is his progressive socio-political point of view. While no point is made to label him left-leaning or otherwise, there is sufficient evidence of a more evolved outlook on some fairly turbulent times in American history. When combined with his fascination for the moving image and the power of visual story-telling, Henson�s work appears surprisingly more relevant than Disney�s work from the same period. This serves to make his untimely death at the age of 53, and the absence of his unique point of view these past two decades, all the sadder. How might Henson have elevated the information age, and changed the quality of content to present-day consumers� device of choice? Sadly, we are left to dream, and hold our breath that the companies that control Henson�s various creations will be more mindful of the creator�s intent than the net present value of the franchise. Knock on felt.
The exhibit includes a handful of more mundane artifacts, like intricate, jewel-like props from the feature �Dark Crystal�, a collaboration with noted English artist Brian Froud. There are also appearances by ubiquitous personalities, including an inseparable pair of Sesame Street favorites (identified backwards, in the exhibit�s one curatorial stumble.) A visitor can easily spend an hour or more wandering through the small second floor gallery that houses the exhibit, and then step into the light of day � a new world where anything seems possible, and every shape and color is suddenly inspirational fodder that had gone unnoticed on the way in. Hardly the same as the sometimes cynical tram ride back to your car after a twelve hour visit to the Magic Kingdom.
The Orange County Regional History Center is also offering a supplemental and fairly comprehensive film festival, called Muppets, Music and Magic: Jim Henson�s Legacy, produced by the Brooklyn Academy of Music and the Jim Henson Legacy, running five consecutive weekends starting March 7th. The film festival includes early experimental videos and the better known Muppet features, and everything in between. History Center members may still be able to get one of the few remaining tickets to the Film Festival�s kick-off event on March 6, with guest speaker Heather Henson, Jim and Jane�s youngest daughter, and a local Central Florida artist. Non-member tickets to this event are sold out, but there are plenty of tickets to over a dozen equally as fact-filled and fun screenings still to be had.
If you live in the area, or are staying in or around Walt Disney World between now and May 3rd of this year, then do yourself a favor and get up, get out, and make the short and easy trip to Downtown Orlando to see JIM HENSON�S FANTASTIC WORLD at the ORANGE COUNTY REGIONAL HISTORY CENTER. It�s more than worth your time, and if you�re just visiting then ask your hotel or resort concierge to give you driving directions or arrange for transportation. The History Center is located at 65 E. Central Blvd. in downtown Orlando, approximately 15 minutes from Downtown Disney. The exhibit is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday and Noon to 5 p.m. on Sunday. Admission is $12 for adults, $7 for children ages 5 to 12. $9 for Seniors and students with valid I.D., and children 4 and under are free. Paid admission entitles you to two hours of free covered parking in the Orlando Public Library garage less than a block from the museum. For more information you can call (407) 836-8500 or visit the on the web at http://www.thehistorycenter.org [Ed Note: Click here for other tour dates around the country]
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Header Photos by John E. Barrett and John Lawrence Jones. Muppet,
Muppets and the Muppet Characters are registered trademarks of Muppets Holding
Company, LLC. All Rights Reserved. � Muppets Holding Company, LLC. Jim
Henson�s mark and logo are trademarks of The Jim Henson Company. All
Rights Reserved. Special thanks to Jen Cipolla and the staff of the Orange
County Regional History Center for access to images. Discuss It Related Links -- Rhett Wickham The writer, RHETT
WICKHAM, is an occasional contributor to LaughingPlace.com. and the
publication Tales From The Laughing Place. He works as creative consultant
in film, television, themed entertainment and video games. He lives with
his husband, artist Peter Narus, and their adopted �son�, Cooper � a
retriever-spaniel rescue who believes squirrels come from UFO�s. Mr.
Wickham was a stage director in New York for twenty years, and is an alumnus of
the Directors Project of the Drama League of New York. He was previously
honored with the Nine Old Men Award from Laughing Place readers, �for reminding
us why Disney Feature Animation is the heart and soul of Disney.� The opinions
expressed by our Rhett Wickham, and all of our columnists, do not necessarily
represent the feelings of LaughingPlace.com or any of its employees or
advertisers. All speculation and rumors about the future plans of the Walt
Disney Company are just that - speculation and rumors - and should be treated as
such. -- Posted February 27, 2009