McManbun and the Cell Phone Witches

A very short and modern version of the witch scene in  „The Scottish Play“!

This Time performed by Barbies and Kens…

McManbun and the three cell phone witches:

McManbun 1

One dark and gloomy day, on their way to the big game battle, the noble McManbun and his second in command “BanQuette” find three cell phone witches, waiting for them in the deepest part of the ancient forest.

The beautiful witches call for McManbun and beg him to come closer. BanQuette feels as sudden fear and tries to make her friend continue on their way to the battle, but McManbun is numbed by their lovely faces and refuses to leave.

The witches invite him to stay for a while and  offer the keys to success. So he could crush down his competitors in the battle and be king of all  games.

McManbun 2

 

BanQuette does not trust them and keeps both hands on the dagger. But McManbuns mighty sword sleeps. He sees only the witches beauty and their sweet words are like music to his ears. So he takes the keys.

But BanQuette was right. (Of course!) The witches might have offered the keys, but secretly hold back the magic lock, that would have kept the success in McManbuns life.

MacManbun 3

 

When they finally walk away and the witches wave their goodbyes, BanQuette feels not well, turning her back to them. She knows, desaster stretches its claws out to get her friend! But McManbun only thinks about the success, he got promised. He holds the keys in his hand and it feels, like they´re burning his palm.McManbun 4

 

So he walks straight on to his doom. And there is nothing to be done, because “real men” will never listen to their “BanQuettes”, no matter how right they are!

MacManbun 5

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

But that´s not the end…

McManbun made it! He´s now king of all games and satisfied with his success…But Lady McBun has different planes…And a dagger. We all know, how that story ended…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It was fun, to play a bit with 12″ dolls. I didn´t for a long, long time. Mostly, because I found many Mattel dolls far to “Barbie-ish” for  my taste. Dull faces, non-articulated bodies. And the few ones, I found appealing, had those stiff bodies too…So I just pushed them in a box and forgot them. Not what I needed for my humble little plays.

But then the “made to move” entered the stage and that changed a lot for me.   But I still was not convinced, if I could play with them the way, the 16″ made it possible.

Until I stumbled accross the BMR 1959…

I really love them! They´re highly articulated and very well made with pretty faces. And my favorite is “BanQuette” (from Banquo)!

Please Mattel, give us more in that direction!

 

My “three witches” are actually Wicca Kaylas from some years ago. But I always loved their faces and when I got a chance, I swapped bodies and now, they´re “made to move” too….

The Humble Little Doll Theater Plays: Edwards Arrival!

This is a SATIRE.

Click on the pictures to enlarge them.

People always asked me, why I don´t have any male dolls…I never knew what to say, because the answer isn´t that easy.

First of all, some of the male dolls are not my style. Others have rather simple faces…At least that´s my private opinion.

Kinsman´s are out of the question for some reasons and Iplehouse boys don´t have the right size for my 16″ girls. I would like to have some Jamieshow guys, but they are expensive and seldom to find on the secondary market in Europe.

So I gave up and went on with my bunch of girls….But one day, the “man” subject suddenly turned up again and everything changed….But look for yourself…

The stage is empty, the theater closed. But a few actors are in.

A quiet day at the closed theater

 

 

 

Lunch 2 Others enjoy their lunch together

Some work on the settings, others enjoy  lunch together between rehearsals. It´s a quiet and normal day….But suddenly…

But suddenly

There is a man

“There´s a MAN!”

Hi, is this the humble little...

 

 

 

 

 

“Hi girls!”

Help, a man

“We need to build a barricade!”

Hide in panic

 

 

 

Be carefull, he might bite

 

 

 

 

“Helena, don´t get so close!  Be carefull! He might bite!”

yes, its the humble little...

“Sorry to disturb…But is this the “Humble Little Doll Theater”?

“Yes it is…But what are YOU doing here?”

I m a new member

 

 

“I´m the new member of the theater company!”

“WHAT”????

How could she do this to us

 

 

 

 

“How could our director do this to us?”

“We were totally happy without any men!”

“I don´t know, what came to her mind! Men ALWAYS bring lots of trouble!”

To bring a man in here

 

 

 

“But he´s here now…So what are we going to do”?

Don t you think its awkward just in underpants

 

 

 

 

 

Sorry to interrupt…I don´t know, how you usually welcome new members…But don´t you think, it´s a bit awkward for me to stand in front of you ladies with nothing but underpants? Shouldn´t I have some clothes?

still panic behind barricades

 

 

 

“Be glad for the pants! Some of US came NUDE !”

Do men need clothes....

 

 

 

“Do MEN need cloth”?

I go and fetch some

 

 

 

 

 

“I go and fetch some!”

But stay away

 

 

 

 

 

“But you over there- KEEP YOUR DISTANCE!”

Soon Midnight comes back….

I dont think thats what i meaned

 

 

 

 

“Well…Thanks! But that isn´t exactly, what I was thinking about, when I asked for cloth!”

But htats my best ballgown

 

 

 

 

“But that´my favourite ballgown!”

arentyou a vidious feller

“Say, aren´t you a vidious feller!”

You airhead he needs mans cloth

“O, Midnight! You´re such an airhead! What he needs is MENS CLOTH!”

Mens clothes...Oh

 

 

 

 

“Mens cl….? OH!”

But we havent any

 

 

 

“But we haven´t any!”

Our director must take the responsibility

 

 

 

 

 

“Then it´s up to our director!”

You brought him in, you take care

 

 

 

“If you think, it´s necessary, to bring a man in here, shouldn´t you take the responsibility for him”?

Clothes come in

Of course, a director should….So the cloth come in!

Much better now

 

 

 

 

 

“Much better now! Thank you!”

A bit too much chic for our...

 

 

 

 

“A bit unfamiliar for us girls, but it suits you! What´s your name?”

I m Edward

“I´m Edward….”

Edward, Edward, that reminds me

 

 

 

 

“Edward….Edward…Didn´t I use the name for a hero in one of my novels…If I could only remember, which one it was…”

Its hard to be over 200 years old

 

 

 

“Oh! What a burdon, to be over 200 years old!”

What was that

 

 

 

 

 

“…What was that….?”

“Oh, don´t give it to much attention. That was only Law, our “Jane”-impersonator. She does it quiet often. ”

Come with me

 

 

 

 

“Come with me, Edward. After your long journey, you should have some food and relaxation!”

While Helena takes care for Edward, the girls start to remove the barricades and clean up the mess.

Cleaning 2Cleaning 1

Cleaning up

 

 

Soon, all goes back to normal and Edward sits beside the girls…

Edward at the table

 

 

 

“What did you do, before you came here, Edward?”

“Well…..I played a Vampire.”

“A Vampire! that´s usefull! Our director thinks about a Halloween-special this year…Maybe that´s, why she hired you!” You would make a brillant “prince of darkness!”

And we could play your brides

“O Yes! And we could be your brides!”

How many work here

 

 

 

“…How many girls work here?”

“26, including our two Miss Ghastley.”

“26! That´s to much brides, even for a prince of darkness!”

“Don´t worry. Maybe we´re lucky and our director can´t manage to sew all the costumes and provide the scenes and the vampire play will be cancelled!”

“How´s our director”?

“She´s not only our director but also the theaters owner, manager, lighting technician and costume designer … She´s a bit crazy, but treats us good. We can get a lot of nice props and cloth and the work isn´t to hard. You will like it here!”

Directors voice from the off:

“I wasn´t sure, if it was a good idea to put a cat among the pidgeons. But in Edwards case, its more like I put a pidgeon among the cats….But he´s clever, he will do fine and maybe become a friend and mascot for the girls!

 

Cast:

The Man                                                  Edward Cullen

The sensible girl                                   Helena (actually Sidney)

The Airhead                                          Midnight

The whole bunch of actors :

Sidney, Law, Doku, Brenda Starr, Blue Inque, Mama Morton, Cross, Tulabelle, Velma Kelly, Esmé

Costumes by “The House of Eder” on the Humble Little Doll Theater

Wigs: Facetsbymarcia

I didn´t employ Edward for his Vampire-past. The truth is: He was availabel, affordable and I liked his face.

And of course I had many, many issues with my new play. Edward did a good job, he stood sound on his two big feet, but to make high-heeled girls pose without a stand…Well, I whined about that many times before. And the light was another problem. Sometimes too bright, sometimes too dark, but I did my best.

Midnight surprised me this time. She´s not my favourite doll. I employed her, because of her aggressive look and the fact, that she has a “gripping hand”. I don´t have the courage to change the hands on my other sybs, so Midnight was usefull on that matter. She is also versatile. She makes a good villain, excentric and the perfect airhead. I used her with different wigs in former plays, but was astonished, how soft and beautiful she looks with this long wig in a bright shade of hazelnut. But after all, her new beauty didn´t help her- She had to play the airhead again….

To cover the table with all the food items was fun. Thanks to the French and their tradtion of “Feves”, aka “Galettes des rois”, I could get some beautiful ceramic miniature goodies.

Those “feves” (the word means “beans”) were used to bake them into the cake for the day of the three holy kings on 6.  of january. The one who got the feve, was king or queen for a day.  Very simple pieces of ceramic in earlier days, they are now intricate, colorful subjects of collection and available in a wide range of variations .