ABOUT PUPPETRY

 WHAT IS PUPPETRY?
- Puppetry is the making and manipulation of puppets for use in some kind of theatrical
show.
- Puppetry is an ancient form of artistic expression that is a variation on storytelling
or human theatrical productions.
- In puppetry, a drama unfolds that is entirely or primarily acted out by specialized
representational objects, which are manipulated by a puppeteer.

 PUPPETEER
- A person who manipulates puppets, in a puppet show.
- A puppeteer may or may not be visible to the audience.

 A PUPPET IS A FIGURE
- Can be human, animal, or abstract in form
- A puppet is moved by human, and not mechanical.

 Cultural variations of puppetry developed independently in many parts of

the world with distinctive types
- This includes Japan, China, Germany, Indonesia, and the United States, among other
places.

Japan

China
Germany

Indonesia

United States
Throughout the history of puppetry, some specific puppets became international icons in
the age of television, including:
Howdy Doody

Lamp Chop
And Jim Henson’s Muppets.
Now, let’s talk about:
The rise and use of different types of puppetry

1. Human-arm Puppets

Human-arm puppets or two-person puppets are

large puppets controlled by two puppeteers –
one for
the head and mouth, another for the arms.

2. Marotte

Marotte is a simple puppet featuring only a head or

body placed on a stick, with some examples
featuring one moving arm or a mouth that can
open. This feature enables dialogue to be presented
realistically as being spoken by the character. It also
avoids the puppeteer having to make additional
movements to highlight speech.

3. Marionette

A marionette is a puppet controlled from above,

using strings.
4. Body puppets

Body puppets, also known as carnival

puppets, this type of puppetry
are gigantic puppets used for street
spectacles or large-scale
theatre.

If you’re familiar with the live production

of The Lion King, they used body
puppets.

5. Bunraku puppetry

Bunraku puppetry is performed with a

nearly life-sized wooden puppet
illuminated with focused
light.
The puppeteers dress in dark colors but
can be indistinctly seen by the
audience, lending a shadowy presence to
the production.

6. Shadow puppetry

In shadow puppetry, the puppeteer is

not seen. Instead, a silhouetted
figure is illuminated with a light
source, producing shadows that the audience
can see and from which they follow a
performance and story.

One of the famous shadow puppetry is,

Wayang Kulit: Indonesia's
Extraordinary Shadow
Puppetry Tradition. Wayang
Kulit, an Indonesian form of shadow puppetry, holds the audience’s attention with
riveting storylines executed masterfully by the dhalang, or puppeteer. The dhalang tells
the stories of kings, princesses, ogres, and knights, using deft hand movement and
narration.

7. Socks puppetry

Another type of puppetry is the sock puppet.

Sock puppet is a puppet made from a sock or
garment. The puppeteer wears the sock
on a hand and lower arm as if it were a glove,
with the puppet's mouth being formed by the
region between the sock's heel and toe,
and the puppeteer's thumb acting as the
jaw. Often, the puppeteer hides behind a stand
and raise the hand above it so that only
the puppet is visible. 

8. Paper bag puppetry

This next type of puppetry has been around for

years. Paper bag puppets are easy to make
and really fun for kids to play with.
Whether it’s just markers you can create your
puppets with or you decorate it with yarn,
paper and buttons.
Paper bag puppets are perfect for pretend
play. Kids can play by themselves, with a friend or
sibling or even with a group of friends.
9. Paper plate puppetry

Another fun and engaging craft that is easy to

make is the Paper plate puppetry. This
type of puppetry is also suitable for kids.
Pre-schoolers
and young children loves to paint. All they need
is a paper plate, child friendly paints, markers,
crayons, glue stick, and construction
paper.

Exploring the history of puppetry

- The first known use of puppetry came in Ancient Greece, sometime around the 5 th
century BC.
- Puppetry started life in rituals and carnivals before becoming an integral part of
shows and performances provided explicitly for entertainment purposes.
- In many locations, puppetry played a crucial role in the social and psychological
development of populations.

Hieroglyphs have also been discovered describing the use of “walking statues” in early
Ancient Egyptian dramas
Puppetry in Southeast Asia & China

- It is believed the traditions of Chinese shadow theatre stretch back at least 3,000
years.

Advancements in the use of puppetry would also be seen in cinema

- The character of Yoda in the Star Wars franchise is one of the earliest uses of puppets
in movie production.

Puppetry in the 21st century

- A performance might combine actors and puppets or use actors as if they were
puppets.
- The use of puppetry has even evolved to the point where we now have actors dressed
as puppets in movies and popular TV shows. Technology also continues to aid the use
of puppetry, making them fit seamlessly into productions while looking more realistic
and at one with their surroundings than ever before.
- Puppets are also used in play therapy as a safe way for traumatized children to
explore their fears. Whether the focus is on adult or child enjoyment of puppets, there
are regional puppet guilds and societies through the United States, Europe, and other
parts of the world.