TRIP DETAILS

JULY 22, 2007

SUNDAY FOLLOWING THE FESTIVAL

(The bus leaves Concordia at 9:00 AM)

Space is limited. Book now!

COST: $45

(Includes lunch)

 Last day of the festival and you haven't had enough? Take a short trip with some of your new best friends to Mason City, Iowa to see the Macnidler Museum's permanent display of Bil Baird's marionettes. Bil called Mason City one of his home towns and arranged for the Museum to house more than 300 of his marionettes, including the original puppets used in the
SOUND OF MUSIC.

Steven Widerman, who once worked for Bil Baird, will be going along to talk and answer questions about his experiences, both on the bus and at the Museum.

Travel will be by chartered bus (about 2.5 hours each way), including lunch in Mason City, exhibit and transportation. This event is open to Festival registrants and is limited so register early. The bus is expected to be back to Concordia by 6 p.m. but may arrive later. If you wish to take the day trip you will be able to extend your dorm or hotel stay over Sunday night.

How to sign up: Registrants will receive a pre-registration packet for workshops and special events. Be sure to register then to guarantee a space.

(If, for some reason, you did not receive a pre-registration form, click HERE to download a PDF version that you can print out.)

The Trip will include lunch at the delightful Marjorie's Tea House.
On the menu:

Mixed Green Salad
Marjorie's Chicken Salad Sandwich on a Bun
Dessert of Chocolate Chip Pecan Angel Pie with Ice Cream
Coffee, Tea or Iced Tea
BIL BAIRD,
MASTER PUPPETEER

Bil Baird (1904-1987) grew up in Mason City, Iowa and went on to become one of the world's foremost puppeteers of the 20th century. Bil Baird was born in Grand Island, Nebraska. His parents moved around the country, following his father's job as a chemical engineer. His interest in puppets began at age eight, when his father made him a simple string puppet. By the age of fourteen, Baird was making his own puppets and giving performances of "Treasure Island" in the attic of his parent's Mason City home.

What exactly is a puppet? According to Bil Baird, as defined in his book "The Art of the Puppet," a puppet is "an inanimate figure that is made to move by human effort (not mechanized) before an audience." Puppets are figures constructed so that various parts can be moved to imitate imaginary or actual characters. They may or may not resemble human beings but are generally given exaggerated human characteristics.

During a career spanning 60 years, Baird and his "little friends", as he called them, touched the lives of millions of people as they worked the nightclubs, city streets, Broadway stages, World's Fairs, television, Hollywood Films, his own New York City puppet theater and other venues. His creative legacy and accomplishments are recognized and preserved at the Charles H. MacNider Art Museum in Mason City, Iowa where the largest holdings of the artists/performer's work, to be found anywhere, are regularly exhibited in the "Bil Baird: World of Puppets" exhibit.

BIOGRAPHICAL TIMELINE
 1904
Bil Baird was born in Grand Island, Nebraska.  His father was a chemical engineer and his mother was an Oberlin graduate and pianist.

1918
The Baird family moved to Mason City, Iowa

1921
Baird saw Tony Sarg’s “Rip Van Winkle” performed in Mason City and became interested in puppetry.

1922
Graduated from Mason City High School, Mason City, Iowa

1926
Graduated from the University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa

1926-1927
Bil Baird studied theater arts, interior decorating and life sketching at the Chicago Academy of Fine Arts

1927
Baird moved to Paris and played accordion in cafés at night and sketched during the day.

1928
He moved to New York City and began working with Tony Sarg, the leading puppeteer of that time.

1934
Baird formed his own company located at 50 Barrow St. in New York City and had his first performance at Chicago’s World’s Fair.

1937
Bil Baird married Cory Burlur and began a family and successful career together. 

1940’s & 50’s
The Baird Marionettes gained international acclaim performing in nightclubs, on Broadway, in Hollywood, on television and for audiences all over the country.

1958
Baird was nominated for an Emmy for the television special “Art Carney Meets Peter and the Wolf”.

1962
The United States State Department sent Bil Baird and Company on a seventeen-week tour of India, Nepal and Afghanistan performing "Davy Jones’ Locker” and a series of Bil Baird variety shows.

1962
As a result of the successful 1962 tour, the Company was sent on a ten-week tour of Russian cities.

1964-1965
Bil Baird’s marionettes performed in the World’s Fair in New York City.

1964-1965
Bil Baird’s puppets appear in the “goatherd scene” in the film, “The Sound of Music”.

1965
The first prints of Baird’s book, “The Art of the Puppet” was released which drew inspiration from his travels and contacts with leading puppeteers of the world.

1967
Cora Baird died.

1967
Baird’s six-story puppet theater and workshop opened at 59 Barrow St. in New York’s Greenwich Village.  It became the center of his many puppet activities and won an Outer Circle Award.

1970
The exhibit, “Retrospective of Baird’s Work” opened at Lincoln Center Library in New York City.

1975
The fifth float designed by Bil Baird appeared in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City.

1976
The first exhibit of Bil Baird’s work was displayed at the Charles H. MacNider Art Museum in Mason City, Iowa.

1977-1978
Baird created the music and lyrics for “Once Upon a Dragon” which opened in the 1500 seat house at Busch Gardens, Williamsburg, Virginia.

1980
Baird received the Medal of Achievement given by the LOTOS Club of New York City.

1980
“Bill Baird and Friends Exhibit,” highlighting the life and career of Bil Baird opens at the Theater Collection, Museum of the City of New York City.

1980
UNIMA (Union International de la Marionette) and puppeteers of America honor Baird, Burr Tillstom, Shari Lewis and Jim Hensen at the 13th World Puppetry Festival in a performance at Kennedy Center, Washington, D.C.

1981
“Bil Baird: World of Puppets” a permanent collection gallery opened at the Charles H. MacNider Art Museum.

1983
Bil Baird and Margo Rose, another noted puppeteer (native of Storm Lake, Iowa) was honored at the Brunnier Gallery, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa on the occasion of the 44th National Festival of the Puppeteers of America.

1985
Baird received the Distinguished Alumni Award for the University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa.

1986
An exhibit of Bil Baird’s Puppets from the Charles H. MacNider Art Museum in Mason City, Iowa was featured in the Cultural Center at the Iowa State Fair in Des Moines, Iowa.

1987
Bil Baird died in March of this year in New York City.

1988
“The Bil Baird Memorial Exhibit” opened at the Charles H. MacNider Art Museum, Mason City, Iowa.