Puppetry

Puppetry is a form of theatre involving the manipulation of an artificial character by an actor. Throughout its long history, puppetry has been used in children's theatre, dramatic performances, religious and spiritual rites, and educational presentations.

Evidence has been found that puppetry was practiced in ancient Egypt, China, and Greece. Rudimentary wooden toys with a system of strings and pulleys to simulate movement were created as early as 2000 BCE. During the same period, shadow puppetry was developed in China. Shadow puppets are figures made from paper or animal hide that are silhouetted against a backlit screen.

In most cultures, puppetry has been integrated into local folk rituals and religion. Puppetry was one of the first forms of theatrical performance, and remains an important educational and religious practice around the world.

Chinese travelers introduced puppetry to Japan, where it developed into "bunkaru," one of the earliest types of dramatic puppetry. Bunkaru usually focuses on historical or dramatic episodes, which can last for hours and are often accompanied by dramatic music and singing. Bunkaru reached its peak in the 1600s, when it was performed at hundreds of theatres across Japan.

In ancient Greek and Roman societies, puppetry was largely used as a form of folk entertainment. Puppetry was introduced to France and was used in churches beginning in the fifteenth century. During this period, the use of stringed wooden puppets to display reenactments of biblical scenes from the life of Jesus gave rise to the term "marionette," meaning "little Mary."

The famous puppet act known as "Punch and Judy" began in France in the 1400s with a puppet named Puchinella, and soon spread to the rest of Europe. Punch and Judy was one of the world's most famous puppet acts through the nineteenth century.

By the early twentieth century, many puppeteers had achieved international fame. Russian puppeteer Sergey Obraztsov is considered one of the pioneers of modern puppetry. Obraztsov performed across Europe from the 1920s to the 1990s, and established one of the world's largest puppet theatres in Moscow.

In 1939, puppeteer and writer Bob Baker became the first puppeteer to appear on television, and later became famous for using puppets as special effects on popular British television series such as Doctor Who.

In the 1950s, ventriloquist and puppeteer Edgar Bergen and his puppet Charlie McCarthy performed on a weekly television show, making Charlie McCarthy one of the most recognizable puppets in history. Bergen's success increased the global popularity of both ventriloquism and puppetry.

In the United States, puppets have been featured in a variety of television programs and films for both children and adults. In 1970, American television producer Jim Henson created the Muppets, a group of rod and wire puppets that have appeared on The Muppet Show, Sesame Street, and other popular programs. Henson worked with puppeteer and voice artist Frank Oz, who became famous as the voice of Miss Piggy and other Muppet characters; Oz also performed the role of Yoda in the Star Wars films. Henson and Oz continued to collaborate in film and television until Henson's death in 1994.

Interest in dramatic puppetry declined in the 1970s and 80s, but experienced a renaissance in the 1990s with the establishment of puppetry companies across the United States. In China, traditional puppet theatre has experienced similar growth after the establishment of new puppet theatres in Beijing.

Types of Puppets

Finger and sock puppets: Finger puppets or sock puppets are made to fit over the arm or finger of the puppeteer. This type of puppet is not articulated other than by the movement of the puppeteer's finger or hand.

Hand or glove puppet: The puppeteer inserts his or her hand into the underside of a glove puppet, the inside of which may contain a series of levers to control the movement of the puppet's features and limbs, or simple pouches to move the puppets arms, mouth, etc.

Rod or stick puppet: A rod or stick puppet has attached rods that are used to move the puppet's body and limbs. The puppeteer usually controls the puppet from below the stage. When combined with a hand puppet, rods allow for simultaneous control of the facial features and the limbs, as popularized by Jim Henson's Muppets.

Shadow puppet: A shadow puppet is a flat puppet that creates a silhouette when placed against a translucent screen. Shadow puppets are sometimes controlled by rods or wires from above or below the viewing area.

Marionette (string puppet): A marionette is a puppet controlled by a series of wires from above the stage. The number of strings may vary from four to several dozen depending on the complexity of the puppet and the puppeteer's desired level of control.

Humanette: A "humanette" is a life-sized puppet that is attached to the performer's body. The performer, usually dressed to blend in with the background, manipulates the puppet so that it mimics the movements of the puppeteer's body.

Animatronic: Animatronic puppets are controlled by a mechanical or computerized means, usually involving servo controls set to imitate the movements of the performer. This type of puppet is common in film and television productions.

Trends

In recent years, dramatic marionette theatre has been gaining popularity in the United States and Europe. Some performers re-enact dramatic plays while others have created original dramatic and adult-themed performances using puppets or marionettes.

With the advent of computer modeling, the use of puppets in the film effects industry has declined. Some filmmakers use "virtual puppets" to map out special effects sequences. The programming required for many modern visual effects was developed by filming and manipulating puppets. At the same time, popular Broadway productions continued to use puppets in the theater, including for shows such as Avenue Q and The Lion King.

As the art of puppetry has continued to get more sophisticated, many audiences have been drawn to puppetry performances as a reprieve from other forms of entertainment that have become immersed in technology.

Puppetry for Fun vs. Profit

Professional puppeteers can find work in motion pictures, television and in theatrical productions. Some puppeteers specialize in performing for private functions or for children, while others perform in open public venues as street performers. Professional puppeteers can create a profitable business by developing a versatile repertoire, and learning to perform comedic and dramatic types of puppetry. Additionally, puppeteers can display their abilities and advertise their acts through online platforms such as YouTube.

The novice wishing to become a professional puppeteer should consider joining with a puppetry organization or club. Working with other puppeteers is an excellent way to develop and perfect techniques, and may also be helpful in learning how to market puppet productions.

Learning More

Organizations

Puppeteers of America (PofA) <www.pupeteers.org>

Union Internationale De La Marionnette (UNIMA-USA) <www.unima-usa.org>

Books

Kennedy, John. Puppet Mania. North Light Books, 2004.

Blumenthal, Eileen. Puppetry: A World History. Harry N. Abrams, 2005.

Latshaw, George. The Complete Book of Puppetry. Dover Publications, 2000.