Creativity, Humour, Just for fun, Puppets Up!

the hound meets harper’s

 

Harper’s Magazine was my favourite read when I was in my twenties. And the Harper’s Index was my favourite part of my favourite magazine. This quote from a 2009 NPR article sums up the Index nicely :

“First published in March 1984, Harper’s Magazine’s monthly Index is, in the words of editor Roger Hodge, “a statistical poem.” Each month, the Index presents a single page of meticulously researched statistics and figures — sometimes linked thematically to one another, sometimes standing on their own.”

“A statistical poem.” I love that. The Index format looks like this:

Year Harper’s magazine made its debut: 1850

Year in which the Hound of the Basketballs is set: 1893

Number of times the Harper’s Index has been published: 456

Number of times the Hound Index has been published: 1

I have borrowed this format to share some statistics (researched late into the night by our assistant in the photograph) about Sherlock Holmes and the Hound of the Basketballs, the pre-festival Puppets Up! show I’m co-producing. It will be performed May 12 – 15 at the Almonte Old Town Hall.

The Harper’s Index normally comprises 40 items; the Hound’s has half that number (but is twice as relevant to Puppets Up! lovers) I hope you enjoy the index and support the Hound and Puppets Up! by coming to the show.

The Hound of the Basketballs Index

Number of locations worldwide at which the Hound will be performed: 1

Number of times the show will be performed: 4

Number of puppeteers in the show: 9

Number of puppet characters in the show: 26

Number of hound puppets in the Hound show: 1

Number of other animal puppets in the Hound show: 8

Total number of Hound volunteers including cast, crew, front of house and producers: 33

Age of youngest volunteer in years: 16

Age of eldest volunteer, also in years: 83

Overall ratio of female to male volunteers involved in the production including cast, crew, front of house and producers: 1 : 1

Total Hound performance time in front of an audience in hours: 8

Estimated direct volunteer time required to put on the show in hours: 3,200

Ratio of total direct volunteer hours to performance hours: 400 : 1

Estimated value of direct volunteer contribution at an average of $25/hour: $80,000

Approximate direct hard costs to mount the show: $10,000

Sponsorship contributions in dollars: $3,500

Tickets available per performance: 150

Cost per Hound ticket before April 24: $25

Cost per Hound ticket after April 24: $30

Value of being in the audience at one of the four Hound shows: priceless

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Tickets to Sherlock Holmes and the Hound of the Basketballs (and Puppets Up!) may be purchased here: ticketsplease.ca

 

© 2022 Susan Macaulay. I invite you to share my poetry and posts widely, but please do not reprint, reblog or copy and paste them in their entirety without my permission. Thank you.

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