NIGHT VISION PUPPETS (TM): History

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History, Archives, and Photo Gallery

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NIGHT VISION PUPPETS organized in 1974 as "The Puppets of Lothlorien" in Dayton, Ohio, USA.

Upon the discovery that most people (back in those days) had never read JRR Tolkien and the rest could not pronounce the name, the cast decided to go with "NIGHT VISION PUPPETS" in 1977.

Much of the rationale behind the new name was based on experiences encountered in the Mayan ruins of Chichen Itza during a non-paid but fun-filled tour of Mexico and the U.S. in 1977. As Dayton's official "Ambassadors of Goodwill," the puppets performed in English and Spanish, primarily in small, remote villages and low-income areas.

For 3 years the puppets appeared weekly on WKEF TV's (Dayton) "Shock Theatre," a late night horror movie show with local sketches and parodies. The troupe has spent time living in various parts of Ohio, South Carolina, and the Eastern Mediterranean island of Cyprus. They have performed in much of the U.S, as well as in Mexico, Nicaragua, Cuba, and Cyprus. They currently reside in San Francisco, USA.

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Creator/ director/ puppeteer John Higgins has conducted workshops and seminars for museums, recreation departments, art councils, universities, and schools. He holds a PhD in communication, specializing in electronic media.

(According to his friends and family, he is quite talented and undoubtedly schizophrenic.)

SELECTED CREDITS:

Fulbright Scholar, Cyprus Fulbright Commission, Nicosia, Cyprus (August-December 2010);
Residency with Digital Storytelling at "Sidestreets," Nicosia, Cyprus (October-November 2008);
30 Year Anniversary Festival, "Summary of Love" (Golden Gate Park, San Francisco, October 1997).
United Nations's 50th Anniversary Bicommunal Celebration (Ledra Palace, Nicosia, Cyprus, 1995);
Wexner Center for the Arts (Columbus, Ohio, 1991);
Dayton (Ohio) Art Institute (1987, 1988);
Residency at Evansville (Indiana) Museum of Arts and Science (1979).
Appeared weekly on Dayton late night TV show, Shock Theatre with Dr. Creep (1977-1980);
Toured internationally as Dayton, Ohio's "Ambassadors of Goodwill" (1977).

Archives and Photo Gallery are available on

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