The Amazing Gnip Gnop Circus
Step right up and allow us to astound you with our magnificent glow-in-the-dark Ping Pong ball circus!
The Amazing Gnip Gnop Circus
Basic Info
"The Amazing Gnip Gnop Circus" is a glow-in-the-dark, ping pong ball spectacular. Kids and their grown ups will delight in the acrobatic daring, dizzying stunts and dazzling charms of our miniature marvels.
Yes! Acrobats! Tightrope Walkers! Clowns! Wild Animals! All 100% Ping Pong Balls guaranteed to glow in the dark! This modern entertainment rich in Old-Time tradition will enchant you with thrills, grace and marvels of nature.
Allow Z Puppets to astound you with this blacklight extravaganza and you will never look at table tennis the same way again.
Recommended for ages 2 and up.
The Amazing Gnip Gnop Circus
video promo
The Amazing Gnip Gnop Circus
brochure
The Amazing Gnip Gnop Circus
Performance history
Walker Arts Center; Minneapolis, MN
Long Island Children's Museum; Garden City, NY
Schauer Arts Center; Hartford, WI
Puppet Showplace Theatre; Brookline, MA
Southwest Regional Puppetry Festival; Asheville, NC
Connor's Cove Theatre; Tulsa, OK
Mill City Museum; Minneapolis, MN
In the Heart of the Beast Puppet & Mask Theatre; Minneapolis, MN
Caffe Lena; Saratoga Springs, NY
New London Little Theater; New London, MN
Old Gem Theatre; New Richmond, WI
Open Hand Theater; Syracuse, NY
Duluth Children's Museum; Duluth, MN
Children's Museum of Southern Minnesota; Mankato, MN
Public Libraries in MN, WI and IN
The Amazing Gnip Gnop Circus
Study guide
The Amazing Gnip Gnop Circus
Media kit
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Sample Press Release
presents
The Amazing Gnip Gnop Circus
a glow-in-the-dark, ping-pong ball spectacular
“Bursts at the seams with wild energy, creative genius and sheer fun!”
—Minnesota History Center
[CITY]—Step right up to the world’s only glow-in-the-dark, ping-pong ball puppet circus! Award-winning Minneapolis artists Z Puppets Rosenschnoz will perform The Amazing Gnip Gnop Circus for local families [Date] at [Time & Location].
The Amazing Gnip Gnop Circus features acrobats, tightrope walkers, clowns and wild animals in a blacklight puppet extravaganza. Kids and their grown-ups will thrill at the Gnip Gnops’ unparalleled acrobatic daring, dizzying dives and high-speed entertainment, and giggle along with the a cappella score. Allow Z Puppets to astound you with these magnificent glow-in-the-dark marvels and you will never look at table tennis the same way again! Recommended for ages 2 & up.
The Amazing Gnip Gnop Circus
tech specs
The Amazing Gnip Gnop Circus is a 30-minute glow-in-the-dark circus of ping pong balls. The show travels in a van with two performers who will also load-in and set up. The performers begin in front of the booth singing a song, then travel behind and into the booth for the show, returning out front at the end.
Set-up can be accomplished in most venues within an hour. Gnip Gnop Circus is designed to be flexible, and can be performed on a proscenium or thrust stage, or black box.
SET: The set includes one 4’ x 4’ x 8’ tall puppet booth (downstage center). The minimal playing area is 12’ x 12.’
LIGHTS: Gnip Gnop Circus requires only a general lighting wash downstage covering 8-10’ from the front apron. Special Lighting (blacklight) travels with the show and is attached to the booth and controlled by puppeteers. There is one blackout cue in the beginning of the show (after the intro song) and lights up again at the end.
SOUND: GnipGnop Circus uses two wireless headset mics (XLR) that travel with the show, and a wireless pickup for ukulele during the intro and conclusion of the show. We may also bring an iPod with pre-show and post-show music to be operated from the sound booth.
HOSPITALITY: The Company requests the following to be backstage in between events on days in which more than one activity has been scheduled (times will be advanced by Tour Manager):
Filtered water
Fruit tray (e.g. grapes, apples, oranges)
Vegetarian snack tray (e.g. pita bread, hummus, carrots)
MINIMUM STAGE DIMENSIONS:
Depth: 12’ (back wall to lip of stage)
Width – 12’ at proscenium
Height – 8’ mandatory
DRESSING ROOMS: At least one dressing room with adequate heating and cooling, hot water and toilets separate from public must be provided.
PARKING: Parking for one van is required.
FRONT OF HOUSE: Late seating is allowed. We will require a minimum of 2’ x 5’ x 8’ tall to set up our Merchandise booth.
SAMPLE WORK SCHEDULE: Production requires exclusive use of Theater for duration of load-in and performance.
Below is typical for a small to mid-sized theater space. Outdoor or unusual space can also be accommodated.
The schedule below is a sample assuming performances at 1:00 and 5:00 pm. Your schedule may vary, and will be forwarded by our Tour Manager.
4:00 pm: Call, warm up
4:30 pm: Puppeteer call onstage, house opens
5:00 pm: Presenter introduction, show begins
5:45 pm: Show ends, Company returns for Q&A with audience, greet children.
6:00 pm: Clean up and pack props
6:30 pm: Company load out, departs
11:00 am: Company arrives, load-in and set up
12:00 pm: Sound check, warm-up
12:30 pm: Puppeteer call onstage, house opens
1:00 pm: Presenter introduction, show begins
1:45 pm: Show ends, Company returns for Q&A with audience, greet children.
2:00 pm: Clean up and re-set props
2:30 pm: Company lunch and break
The Amazing Gnip Gnop Circus
Quotes
“This is one of the most unique and unusual shows I have ever seen. These performers captivated an audience of more than one hundred preschoolers, primary grade children and their families. This visual glow-in-the-dark program was full of humor, thrills and human-made sound effects.”
“Your Gnip Gnop show was awesome, imaginative, unique and truly loved by my 5 year old. It was a great show which we both enjoyed. I was especially impressed with the time you spent with the children after the show.”
“I have been programming for 16 years and this is one of the most unique and entertaining programs so far in our library! It must be seen to be believed. Children love things small and animated and their faces showed their delight as ping pong balls came to life with color, light and personality. . . This performance will have a long life in the memories of our families.”
“It was so great to see my son laughing his big belly laugh, clapping, cheering, and of course singing “gnip, gnop!”. Thanks!”
“Z Puppets gave the best presentation ever! This was the most imaginative, innovative, entertaining performance I have ever booked for the library.”
“Our entire family really enjoyed the performance and our son buzzed all about it that evening and the next day, calling is “great” and saying “I liked it so much.” Keep up the fantastic family programming!”
“I was greatly impressed by the life, vitality and communication they were able to give to simple ping pong balls. Their use of black light, was very well accomplished ... and the work is a fine example of object manipulation.”