Bruce Chesse

Son of Ralph Chesse, brother of Dion Chesse and Uncle of Matt Chesse He is the Artistic Director for the Oregon Puppet Theatre, Bruce Chesse is a second-generation puppeteer with more than 30 years experience. He is an internationally recognized puppet designer, manipulator, actor, director, teacher and author. Bruce's interest in puppetry is two-fold. He believes that puppetry is an inherently theatrical medium, and that persons of all ages and with a variety of skills can excel at this form of theater. Bruce has performed and taught puppetry (since he began his professional puppetry career at 13) in such varied places as Ethiopia, Scandinavia, Japan, Puerto Rico and throughout the United States including many year as a artist in schools for Alaska Arts Education. A professional actor-puppeteer and director for over 40 years. A former native of San Francisco, he performed in the San Francisco Bay Area from 1948 to 1983 in movies, television and theater with his father Ralph and brother Dion. Alumnai of The San Francisco Boy's Chorus 19448-49. Lived in Los Angeles 1968-69, working at the Melodyland theater in Anaheim and the Circle Star Theater in San Carlos, California. Moved to Portland, Oregon in 1980. Chesse's puppet creations have included commissioned works, giant parade puppets, (William Shakespeare for the Ashland Shakespeare Festival), puppet programs for video and TV. His last collaboration with Susan Barthel was 1999 when they helped produce and build puppets for a production called Frog line News, a media CD Rom on Water conservation produce by New Media Magic. In 2002 Bruce produced a series of vegetable promos for Odyssey Productions, Inc. Vegetables Want Your Vote, for the National Steinbeck Center. These are interactive videos now being shown in Monterey at the Steinbeck Science Center. In 2003 he was a puppeteer in The Big Sneeze, A Baroque Puppet Opera with The Carter Family Marionettes, the third in a yearly series presented at the Northwest Puppet Center in Seattle. Played King Lear for the Gallery Theater in McMinnville, Oregon in 2003. He still keeps busy doing Films and Theater in Portland, Oregon.