San Francisco Puppet Theater Project

Creation of the first permanent puppet theater in San Francisco in partnership with the Recreation and Parks Department. Introduction:

According to the U.S.

This page is intended for the creation of an indoor permanent puppet theater in San Francisco. As you should already know as parents, this theater will be the first professional venue of this kind in the City. The recommended location is Golden Gate Park, within Koret Children's Quarters; it is a crucial place that guarantees the theater's success. Because of its location in Golden Gate Park the

theater must be developed in partnership with the Recreation & Park Department. An initial proposal of the project was submitted to the department's commission in September 2016. It was received with concerns that momentarily prevent the project from going forward with the department. Following is an edited version of this initial proposal, for your own thoughts and now expected backup of the project. Census Bureau for the year 2015, 5.5% of the population of the County City of San Francisco were/are children aged 2 to 6. This translates into over 45.000 kids of that age range living in the City. If only for this pretty sizable group of young children, it is more than time to make a professional puppet theater available as a permanent indoor venue in the City By The Bay. Project Location:

The recommended location for this new venue is in the northeast corner of Golden Gate Park's Koret Children's Quarters, currently a game-deprived grass hillock covering approximately 6000-square foot used by less than 3% of the playground's users. In addition to superbly integrating it into Koret Children's Quarters (and make the enjoyment of this great playground even more total all the time), the advanced location will have the proposed puppet theater form a compelling triangle with the well known Carousel and Sharon Art Studio. Project Description:

The proposed project is the construction of a puppet theater, currently a T-shaped, 1450-square foot building on an overall maximum area of 2500-square foot. The imagined T design should be seen not only as the best way to limit the size of the building while optimizing its interior space, but also as a perfect symbol for what the building is to be, a Theater, making it at the same time easily, if not instantly identifiable from any aerial view. Collaterally, as the project's other special feature is to set an enlightening example in terms of renewable energy use, the combination of the T shape with the presence, for said example, of Building Integrated Photovoltaics on about 550-square foot of the building's roof should let the proposed venue be interestingly just called or nicknamed : (The) T-Heater. The auditorium's capacity of the proposed project ranges from 100 to 150, depending on number of children and of accompanying adults or on their own (135 for an estimated 66/34%). The intended room provides space for wheelchairs. It has two exits and easy access to toilets. Audience gets in through a lobby that can include space for puppet related merchandizing. Purpose of the Proposed Project:

The purpose of the project is to offer exciting and impeccable professional puppet shows to young children from San Francisco and anywhere else, as well as to anyone who enjoys puppets, their interesting stories, and the art of puppetry. Ranging from fables and fairy tales to educationally imaginative short plays, the shows, under the unifying planned name 'The Kids' First Real Show', will be produced and programmed at their previously described home, the T-Heater, all year long (min. 550 showtimes a year). Though what should be referred to as traditional glove puppetry is to preferably be the standard of said shows, with a selection of attractive and original recurrent characters that children can identify with, love, and just want to see and listen to, the T-Heater's schedule will also include special events introducing guest puppets of all kinds, including marionettes, from anywhere in the world. Obviously, the said T-Heater will also welcome private parties, kindergarten's groups, or others. To be sure, 'The Kids' First Real Show' at Koret Children Quarters' Puppet T- Heater is to present young children with a never to be forgotten experience uniting entertainment, education, magic, thrill, and beauty. Summary:

San Francisco Puppet Theater Project (Koret Children Quarters' Puppet T-Heater) is an undertaking that you and the Recreation and Parks Department should fully support the development and materialization of. Not only because 45.000 young kids in San Francisco alone deserve it and will be fascinated by the shows to be presented to them then thanks to it, but because nothing can decently or coherently oppose to such support (...?). With its perfect location in Golden Gate Park, inspired design, significant purpose, and uniqueness as the first (and only then) permanent puppet theater in the City, Koret Children's Quarters' Puppet T-Heater is something that San Francisco, you, and all other inhabitants of the City By The Bay will simply be proud of... forever.

04/07/2017

Floor Conceptual Plan by Thierry Filleaudeau

04/02/2017

Q & A from SFR&P's Partnership Pathway Pamphlet:

Does San Francisco Puppet Theater Project further the Recreation and Park Department's Mission?

The proposed puppet theater at Koret Children's Quarters will actually upgrade the playground's purpose. As the puppet shows (plays) presented in the theater will add a mental activity to the playground's current physical ones, Koret Children's Quarters will become the place of a complete experience thanks to it. The puppets will enticingly link the mental to the physical through classical and/or original plays which will near systematically emphasize environmental issues. The theater (T-Heater) will therefore further the Recreation and Park Department's Mission. The building will provide an enriching recreational activity in Koret Children's Quarters playground and in Golden Gate Park, its Integrated Building Photovoltaics being an immediate obvious statement in favor of the environment.

Does the project solve a park problem?

Considering the 45.000 children + aged 2 to 6 who live in San Francisco, the reported 13 million yearly visitors in Golden Gate Park, and the absence of any permanent puppet theater in the City/County, the project does answer a question that should be considered as a problem for San Francisco and its emblematic park's standard.

Does the project have support from neighbors, the community,
and park users across the city?

The process of gathering community support should be deferred until the Rec Park Partnership Department agrees with the feasibility of the project at the recommended location in Golden Gate Park. A first survey among Koret Children Quarters' users will be conducted in the case of no such basic agreement. This survey will take the form of a flyer handed out to the playground's users. Puppets will be the spokespersons for it. They will inform playground's users about the project and ask them for support through a page devoted to it.

Is your District Supervisor aware of the project?

The project was transmitted to District 5 Supervisor London Breed in October 2016.

Is there a plan and a budget for San Francisco Puppet Theater Project?

Conceptual plans of the project are an essential part of the initial proposal submitted to SFR&PD in August 2016. These plans define the concerned theater as a T-shaped building, simulate the way it will look at the recommended location, and make it be called the T-Heater by the combination of the building's shape, its purpose, and its incorporation of photovoltaics as one of its indissociable feature. Although no budget so far allows for architectural final renditions of these plans nor other necessary professional inputs, an estimate puts the overall cost of the project at under $1 million. This figure takes into account the leverage that the partnership with San Francisco Recreation and Parks Department should provide.

Is the initiator of the project committed to spending time and energy on working with Rec Park Partnership to develop it?

The answer is: Yes, at 200% or more. Rec Park Partnership must understand that providing San Francisco and Golden Gate Park with a permanent puppet theater is what the initiator of the project, Thierry Filleaudeau, is after first and foremost. From what has already been demonstrated about the project's interest for the city and its inhabitants, the question could actually be coherently reversed.

Is there a commitment to raising funds to complete the project?

Yes. But the commitment should also come from SF Rec and Park.

Does the project have the organizational and administrative capacity for it?

Yes. When submitted to SFR&P's Commission and the R&P's General Manager in September 2016, the project's initial proposal was the result of a reflection on how the business structure, and so the overall organizational and administrative aspects of the project could possibly best function. The initiator/creator of the project, Thierry Filleaudeau, is capable of and will be very glad to manage the proposed theater in the best possible way. Theaters, puppets, puppet theaters, and other corresponding stages and shows for children and families have been part of Thierry's life for more than 30 years, among which 12 for Disney shows at Disneyland Paris in different artistic and technical capacities but mainly as show stage manager. Thierry knows where to find the necessary puppeteers for Koret Children Quarters' Puppet 'T-Heater' to be fully operational and he certainly knows how to make a permanent puppet theater 100% successful; basically anywhere though knowing that the right location can't be anywhere, including in the city he loves, San Francisco, USA.

01/11/2017

To all of you friends: if you truly like the idea of a first ever constant puppet theater in San Francisco, PLEASE pass the word about the project to all your local friends. Without stronger local support than now (through simple posts/comments) the project will never convince Recreation & Parks Dept. that this theater is a MUST, not only for the 45.000 reported kids aged 2 to 6 who live in the City but also for the City itself, not to mention Golden Gate Park's standard. THANKS!

01/01/2017

A VERY HAPPY NEW YEAR TO YOU, FRIEND! LET'S FOCUS ON TURNING THE PROJECT INTO THE REAL THING ALL THROUGH IT!

12/03/2016

Thanks to all of you friends! Please pass the word around about the project and this page. Our theater needs a lot of local support. Comments are all welcome and good.

11/11/2016

The 5 Sense Quints.

11/11/2016

Q & A from SFR&P's Partnership Pathway Pamphlet for:

SAN FRANCISCO PUPPET THEATER PROJECT

Does the project further the Recreation and Park Department's Mission?

The proposed puppet theater at Koret Children's Quarters will actually upgrade the playground's purpose. As the puppet shows (plays) presented in the theater will add a mental activity to the playground's current physical ones, Koret Children's Quarters will become the place of a complete experience thanks to it. The puppets will enticingly link the mental to the physical through classical and/or original plays which will near systematically emphasize environmental issues. The theater (T-Heater) will therefore further the Recreation and Park Department's mission. The building will provide an enriching recreational activity in Koret Children's Quarters Playground and in Golden Gate Park, its Integrated Building Photovoltaics being an immediate obvious statement in favor of the environment.

Does Koret Children Quarters' Puppet 'T-Heater' solve a park problem?

Considering the 45.000 children aged 2 to 6 who live in San Francisco, the reported 13 million yearly visitors in Golden Gate Park, and the absence of any permanent puppet theater in the city/county, the project does answer a question that should be considered as a problem for San Francisco and its emblematic park's standard.

Does the project have support from neighbors, the community,
and park users across the city?

The process of gathering community support should be deferred until the Rec Park Partnership Department agrees with the feasibility of the project at the recommended location in Golden Gate Park. A first survey among Koret Children Quarters' users will be conducted in the case of no such basic agreement. This survey will take the form of a flyer handed out to the playground's users. Puppets will be the spokespersons for it. They will inform playground's users about the project and ask them for support through a page devoted to it.

Is your District Supervisor aware of the project?

The project was transmitted to District 5 Supervisor London Breed in October 2016.

Is there a plan and a budget for San Francisco Puppet Theater Project?

Conceptual plans of the project are an essential part of the initial proposal submitted to SFR&PD in August 2016. These plans define the concerned theater as a T-shaped building, simulate the way it will look at the recommended location, and make it be called the T-Heater by the combination of the building's shape, its purpose, and its incorporation of photovoltaics as one of its indissociable feature. Although no budget so far allows for architectural final renditions of these plans nor other necessary professional inputs, an estimate puts the overall cost of the project at under $1 million. This figure takes into account the leverage that the partnership with San Francisco Recreation and Parks Department should provide.

Is the initiator of the project committed to spending time and energy on working with Rec Park Partnership to develop it?

The answer is: Yes, at 200% or more. Rec Park Partnership must understand that providing San Francisco and Golden Gate Park with a permanent puppet theater is what the initiator of the project, Thierry Filleaudeau, is after first and foremost. From what has already been demonstrated about the project's interest for the city and its inhabitants, the question could actually be coherently reversed.

Is there a commitment to raising funds to complete the project?

Yes. But of course the commitment should also be San Francisco Recreation and Parks Department's.

Does the project have the organizational and administrative capacity for it?

Yes. When submitted to SFR&P's Commission and the R&P's General Manager in last August 2016, the project's initial proposal was the result of thoughts given to how the business structure, and so overall organizational and administrative aspects of the project could possibly best function. The initiator/creator of the project, Thierry Filleaudeau, is capable of and will be very glad to manage the proposed theater in the best possible way. Theaters, puppets, puppet theaters, and other corresponding stages and shows for children and families have been part of Thierry's life for more than 30 years, among which 12 for Disney shows at Disneyland Paris in different artistic and technical capacities, including stage manager. Thierry knows where to find the necessary puppeteers for Koret Children Quarters' Puppet 'T-Heater' to be fully operational and he certainly knows how to make a permanent puppet theater 100% successful; basically anywhere, including the city he loves, San Francisco, USA.