Puppetry is a very old, traditional art, still active in almost every culture. It has been and still is, used in many different contexts, for spiritual, cultural and educational teaching. Being primarily a visual art, it can communicate to people who are not literate and has been used in such a way for thousands of years. For example, in some parts of Asia, shadow theatre is a major cultural event which everyone, young and old, attends and it will go on all through the night telling great epic stories which combine traditions of ancestor worship with contemporary and historic political, cultural and religious influences.
The puppet is a visual metaphor, it represents real life but at the same time it is one step removed from the real world. It is therefore useful in communicating sensitive issues. Puppetry is being used in third world countries today, to enable people to understand important issues which affect the quality of their lives. One puppeteer, Gary Friedman from South Africa set up a Puppet Educational programme in his country after working with Jim Henson, the late creator of The Muppets. Their first programme was 'Puppets Against Aids', which travelled to townships all over the country, was seen on T.V. and toured abroad. It was highly effective in putting across a message which had so far not reached people. Previous awareness campaigns had been through leaflets and posters which many people could not read.
What is a Puppet? Puppetry begins with the first breath of life into an inanimate object. Any object can be given this life by a puppeteer. Puppetry holds a strong appeal for the young. Children love to both lose themselves in the world of make-believe, and model their play on adult life and behaviour. Among it's many qualities Puppetry provides an outlet for this expression and provides the teacher with a happy medium for educating children. When introducing puppetry to very young children I sometimes use soft toys, which they are familiar with. I look for the movement in the toy and improvise on it.
It is hard for a child to cross the bridge from play into drama and perform for an audience. I use games and exercises to encourage them to focus their attention on the puppet and to help them explore the puppet's movement. Although animation does not depend on the puppet having a visible face, children often want to put one on. The puppet does have to have recognisable qualities that they can identify with. e.g. I move, The puppet moves. It can feel happy or sad just like me. As soon as eyes are added to an object they give it intelligence and direction.
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In the main the methods should be simple and quick or there is never enough time to get on with the real job of working with the puppets. Puppetry is not just a craft activity, it is a performing art.
What is a puppet made from? Almost anything. They can be carved from wood or foam, cast in rubber or plastic, modelled in papier-mache, cut out of paper or leather or stitched out of cloth and stuffed with rags. Ordinary, everyday objects can also be brought to life in object theatre - umbrellas, dish mops, kitchenware and so on. A minimalist form was introduced by a Frenchman, Philip Genty who just used his hands.
The simplest kind of puppet to construct and manipulate is a rod puppet, which is basically a shape, two or three dimensional, fixed to a stick. The shape can be a cut out from a child's picture, a decorated paper plate, a stuffed paper bag, or stuffed ball of material. These puppets require simple staging. They can simply be held over the top of a cloth or board, although a backcloth will always add interest and focus. It is good to give lots of room backstage, and standing height is better so the puppeteers can move freely, dancing with their puppets. Rod puppets are good for dancing to music. Often they do not have working legs, but they may have arms and heads that move. They may be proud and graceful.
Table-top puppets are a variation of rod puppets and a technique that I use regularly. These are operated in full view of the audience and manipulated usually by a rod at the back, and short rods to the hands. An audience will watch where the movement is, so it is very important that the puppeteer focuses all her energy into the puppet. These kinds of puppets are good to use in therapy because they are easy to handle and can be used in an intimate way.
Shadow puppets have a magic like no other puppets. However rough the puppet may look, when seen through the shadow screen it is transformed and children's art is often exaggerated which is just what is wanted for the puppet form. They can be a very simple cut-out shape, or more intricate through the introduction of colour and jointing, so they can be useful throughout the whole school age range. The shadow puppet theatre can link into many topics, such as light, levers, other cultures and history etc. For older students it is more approachable being very different from the forms of puppetry associated with younger children.
A screen can be made easily with 4 pieces of 2" x1" wood, 4 corner brackets and white cotton sheeting. Staple the sheet tightly to the frame and this can then be fixed to a desk with G clamps. It can be put in front of a window for a light source, or into a dark corner and used with an angle-poise lamp or over-head projector.
With glove puppets the puppeteer can express herself directly without the complication of rods or strings. There are three different movements. - the arm gives locomotion, the wrist coincides with the puppet's waist, the fingers create the smaller movements of the head and arms. It is important to break these movements down. There should be a reason for any movement - make the actions tell the story. Puppetry is primarily concerned with animation, words are secondary. Working without speech encourages manipulation skills. One way to do this is to make cards which contain instructions for a mime skit - 'Puppet pops up, bows, pops down.' 'Puppet walks on looking for something, finds it, looks happy and leaves' 'Puppet is tired, walks on slowly, yawns, stretches, lies down and goes to sleep, snoring and gradually dropping out of sight.'
Props are useful where they are an important part of the plot. Do not scale them to the puppet, big is best, easier to handle and be seen.
Marionettes can be difficult for children unless they are made very simply with just one or two strings. (Look at traditional Indian marionettes). Strings give a softness to the movement. They are poetical and cannot perform slapstick like gloves. If you do choose this method you will need a raised platform for performance. Weight and balance and where to attach the strings are important considerations in making, dictating how the puppet will move.
If you have a project or play in mind, decide on the purpose of the puppet, its function and required movement. This will tell you what kind of puppet you need. Look at the size and dimensions - think of the final performance context and its relation to other puppets. If the puppet has joints, the main body must be strong and the joints very flexible. Features should be well defined and exaggerated. Clothes to be made loose, of light, thin material which does not impede movement. When made, find the qualities of the puppet - possible movements etc.
There are various approaches:-
1. Find a story and make the characters, then either rehearse from a prepared script or improvise the story to create the final script.
2. Make the puppets and develop plays through improvisation in pairs or small groups.
The basis of all good theatre is conflict, where two forces are in opposition to each other. To help the children to understand this, choose familiar examples i.e. heroine versus villain, dragon versus prince, then later extend - shy v bold, young v old. Puppets can easily represent an idea rather than a person, an archetype rather than an individual. (Dr. Faustus is one of the most well-produced plays for the puppet theatre.)
Choose a theme with plenty of action. - fantasy, legend, fairy tale, a journey etc.
Think in pictures not words.
Play with scale - a dominating character could be large, a humble character could grow in size as it gets more confident.
Most children will assume a squeaky, high voice for their puppet which is often hard to hear and understand. Encourage a voice appropriate to the character i.e. a caterpillar could be slow, steady, trailing off. A spider - quick, stopping and starting suddenly. Contrast provides interest. Practising can be fun. Divide into two groups, one high the other low, for example. Group one says hello in a high voice, group two replies in a low voice, etc.
Plot - does it develop in a manner which will hold audience attention?
Characters - are they strong and varied? How many can be operated and on stage at any one time? Imagine them - how they will look, what size they will be - make drawings. Imagine their movements.
Dialogue - It should be used sparingly and kept to the point: Puppet theatre is first and foremost about movement. (An exception to this would be a narrator with the shadow theatre). Do not tell the audience things that they can see happening. Avoid being banal. Idiosyncratic speech will help the characters to come to life.
Staging - pare down ideas to what is absolutely necessary. Simple set and props.
Appropriate themes and their presentation will vary according to the type of puppet:-
Glove
The simpler the story , the more effective the result. Familiar stories or situations work well. Include stories from other countries, there are always popular characters to identify with. Strong characters and plenty of conflict is needed. This method of manipulation allows for vigorous action and physical contact (i.e. Punch & Judy). Props add interest, and help to promote action though they do require practice.
Ideas:- Traditional fairy stories, folk tales, animal stories, ballads. Aesop's Tales, The Owl and the Pussy Cat, The Elves and the Shoemaker, The Bremmen Town Musicians, Brer Rabbit.
Shadow
Where the glove theatre needs action, shadow theatre needs movement. A continuous flow so the eye is not asked to rest on one character for too long. Narration works well, or a combination of narration and dialogue. Music adds a new dimension and can provide a strong rhythm to keep the pace going.
Ideas:- Myths and legends as well as those mentioned above. In particular a story where two characters meet, such as in a journey, or a destination or object to which the characters come. e.g. Sleeping Beauty, Dick Whittington, Pandora's Box, Icarus, The Highwayman. Stories from other countries relating how the world began, why we have night and day etc. Asian stories about Gods, Goddesses and Demons.
Alternatively an original play may be devised either through preparing a script or improvising. Plays should have:-
Beginnings - sets up the story and often has the ending built into it.
Middles - development consisting mainly of complications. Other influences come into the story, with other characters usually, to create conflict and complicate the original idea.
Ending - ideally this has an inevitability which no one saw coming.
Remember that the script is for playing, not reading so concentrate on action not words.
In the guidelines there are many opportunities to incorporate puppetry and there are references to it.