PATRICIA ALBERTI

Jim Gamble has been a major contributor to the art of puppetry for many years. During his years as a USAF & airline pilot he spent considerable time visiting puppeteers around the world. His unique background combining puppetry studies and engineering with the performing arts has resulted in puppetry programs that are innovative and entertaining. Gamble’s formal studies in sculpture and other supportive puppetry disciplines indicate the depth of his commitment to puppetry as a performing art.

Gamble’s company has also produced 10 videos based on the puppet productions performed live for theatre venues and schools. They have earned a number of awards and excellent reviews across the country and are distributed nationally. International distribution rights have been sold to ten countries. Additional videos have been produced for the Ministry of Education of Korea as part of their elementary education curriculum materials.

Jim Gamble is well respected by puppetry peers around the world. He is in frequent demand as workshop leader, performer, lecturer, and curator of exhibits for festivals, conventions and museums. His unique style of performance has inspired many young puppeteers, and his beautifully crafted marionettes are true works of art. His creations have been exhibited at the Corcoran Galley, Smithsonian, and in many exhibits around the country. His exhibit on trick marionettes for the Center for Puppetry Arts in Atlanta toured nation-wide. His technically superior designs for marionette controllers have been studied and used by many other professional puppeteers. He is frequently quoted and photographs of his marionettes included in more than a dozen books on puppetry. The Puppeteers of America awarded him the “President’s Award” for outstanding contributions to the art of puppetry.

As Artistic Director of his company, Gamble combines his skills of performing with the technical requirements of Puppet Theater. Well-schooled in European tradition, but with an enthusiasm for contemporary treatments, he brings to his company a unique understanding of audience needs. A graduate degree in Management contributes to his business skills and organizational capabilities with his staff of talented artists. Some staff members perform consulting work for special effects for movies, bringing specialized information on new materials applicable to puppetry arts to JGPP.

Jim Gamble recently performed for puppetry and theatre festivals in Israel, Belarus, Russia, Bulgaria, Italy, Japan, Korea, Bolivia, Singapore Hong Kong and Yugoslavia. For two years he taught puppetry for the Institute Burattini di Como, Italy.