PUPPET-SLAM artist interview: Joshua Holden

La MaMa Puppet Slam 2013

November 15, 2013 @ 7pm

First Floor Theatre

Curator: Jane Catherine Shaw

A one-night only puppet slam featuring contemporary short-form puppet and object theatre. These super short works make their point fast and furious, and bring artists and audiences together for an evening of puppetry mash up fun.

Tickets: https://web.ovationtix.com/trs/pe.c/9821585

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We asked La MaMa Puppet Slam participant Joshua Holden to take on The Proust Questionnaire, the basis for James Lipton's '10 questions' on Inside the Actors Studio. Call this Inside the Puppet Studio -or- The Puppet Questionnaire.

Joshua Holden - Photo by Chadwick Ford

Joshua Holden is an award winning puppeteer who combines his dance training, musical skills, and love for classic vaudeville physical humor to create a style that is truly unique and radiates pure joy. Before creating his own show, The Joshua Show, he was seen on the Broadway national tour of AVENUE Q, and was the Lead Puppeteer in Peter Pan 360, the world’s first production to use brand new 360-CGI technology from London-Based ThreeSixty Entertainment. In August 2013, Joshua was one of 24 puppeteers representing American puppetry at Puppet (r)Evolution: The Puppeteers of America’s National Festival with The Joshua Show, and was awarded “Best Performance” and was voted “Audience Favorite.” This proud Massachusetts native is an alumni of the Walnut Hill School for the Arts, and has a B.F.A. in Acting from The Chicago College of Performing Arts, Roosevelt University.


Q: What is your favorite virtue?

Kindness.


Q: What do you regard as the lowest depth of misery?

Eating raw onions while spinning in circles.


Q: What is your idea of earthly happiness?

I wish the world always felt like Halloween night: you can be whatever you want, without judgement, and strangers are friendly to one another.


Q: Where would you like to live?

In a castle decorated by Punky Brewster & Wayne White.


Q: To what faults do you feel most indulgent?

I eat a half pound of feta every week.  By itself.  With a fork and a HUGE smile on my face.  


Q: What are you favorite names?

I had a great great aunt named Ruby Pearl.  She use to wear tiny top hats to fancy events.  I love that name.


Q: What is the natural talent you’d most like to be gifted with?

I wish I could sing like Freddy Mercury.


Q: What is the quality you most admire in a man?

Vulnerability.


Q: What is the quality you most admire in a woman?

Confidence.


Q: What is your favorite occupation?

I don't know that it gets any better than being a puppeteer.


Q: Who would you have liked to be?

Jane Goodall.


Q: Your most marked characteristic?

My desire to spread joy to others.


Q: What do you most value in your friends?

Sense of humor & unconditional love.


Q: What is your principle defect?

Procrastination.


Q: What would you like to be?

I want to be the next Mr. Rogers.


Q: Who are your favorite poets?

Shel Silverstein


Q: What is it you most dislike?

Cruelty & disrespect


Q: What natural gift would you most like to possess?

Patience.


Q: How would you like to die?

I expect to live forever, so this doesn't apply to me.


Q: What is your present state of mind?

Nostalgic for fall.


Q: What is your motto?

There is no one in the entire universe who is quite like you. So don't try to be somebody else.  Just be you!  After all, no one can do that better.