A place to research, share and discover different modes of puppetry as part of Introduction to Puppetry (F13 THTREMUS 399.010)
Monday, December 16, 2013
What Is Puppetry?
I believe puppetry is a unique art form that involves taking inanimate objects and giving them life. Puppetry can be something as simple as attaching eyes to your index finger to create a hand puppet, or something as complex as constructing a life size animal out of wood, plastic and leather as we see in War Horse. What I find so unique about puppetry is that it can be created using virtually any object, as we saw over various projects this semester. Puppets can be assembled using a conglomeration of felts, fabrics, plastics and wires, but can also be portrayed using cardboard cutouts placed against a back-lit screen. I would say that there is no strict definition to puppetry, because it could be something totally different depending on who you ask. A Bunraku puppeteer's definition may be completely different than a Sesame Street puppeteer's definition. Really, a puppet can be whatever you want it to be.
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I think Puppetry is much more than an object or a story; I believe it is an external expression of inward human convictions. Puppetry is a reflective art form; whatever is present onstage is often an echo of the person (or people) who made it. It is visible in how it is made, how it is performed with, and how an audience perceives it. There are three different groups (at least) that are animating a puppet, and in the matter that they do that is extremely showing of the individuals around. Puppetry is a tool for humanity to look back upon itself and consider.
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