- "Puppetry is a form of theatre or performance that involves the manipulation of puppets – inanimate objects, often resembling some type of human or animal figure, that are animated or manipulated by a human called a puppeteer."
Learning how to move and manipulate a puppet, including controls, breath, and focus.
Puppet construction: Learning how to build puppets from various materials, such as foam, fabric, and wood.
Puppet manipulation techniques: Understanding the movements and gestures required to bring puppets to life, including lip-syncing, eye-focus, and body movement.
Puppet scriptwriting and storytelling: Learning how to craft engaging scripts and stories that utilize puppetry as a form of expression.
Voice acting for puppets: Understanding how to create distinct and effective voices for different puppet characters, and how to physically manipulate the puppet to convey the emotion of the voice.
Set and prop design: Learning how to create the right environment for puppets to perform in, and how to use props to enhance the story and visual impact of the performance.
Lighting and sound design: Learning how to use different types of lighting to create mood and atmosphere, as well as how to design soundscapes to enhance the story and setting.
Puppet manipulation for film and television: Understanding the unique challenges and techniques required for puppets to perform in front of a camera.
Puppet manipulation for live performance: Learning how to adapt the puppetry techniques for live performances, such as stage shows or street performances.
Puppetry history and styles: Understanding the various styles and traditions of puppetry, including finger puppets, marionettes, shadow puppets, and more.
Collaboration and team management: Learning how to work effectively with other puppeteers, directors, and technicians to create a cohesive and engaging performance.
Puppetry for therapeutic purposes: Understanding how puppetry can be used as a form of therapy, particularly for children or individuals with physical or emotional disabilities.
Marketing and business skills: Learning how to market a puppetry business or production, and how to manage the financial and logistical aspects of running a puppetry company or show.
Hand Puppetry: Puppeteer uses one or both hands to manipulate the puppet.
Glove Puppetry: A type of hand puppetry in which the puppeteer wears gloves that act as the puppets.
Rod Puppetry: Puppeteer manipulates puppets with rods attached to different parts of the puppet.
String Puppetry/Marionette: Puppet is controlled via strings attached to different parts.
Shadow Puppetry: Puppets cast shadows on a screen or wall, manipulated by using sticks.
Black Light Puppetry: Puppets glow in ultraviolet light, manipulating them with torches or sticks.
Foam Puppetry: Puppeteer manipulates a puppet made of foam.
Ventilation/Dummy Puppetry: Puppeteer manipulates a dummy with their hands and mouth.
Bunraku Puppetry: It's a traditional form of Japanese puppetry that consists of three puppeteers manipulating large, complex puppets through intricate teamwork.
Tabletop Puppetry: Puppeteers use a table as a stage, manipulating the puppets to perform in front of the audience.
Muppet-style Puppetry: Puppeteer's hand is inside the puppet, typically with hand-held controls to make the mouth and other parts move.
Hybrid Puppetry: Combines live actors and puppets, and performers manipulate their respective roles accordingly.
Masked Puppetry: The puppeteer wears a mask that represents the character, interacts with the puppet, and manipulates it.
Object Puppetry: Any object can become a puppet - puppets can be created using a variety of materials, including socks, towels, paper bags, and more.
Animatronic Puppetry: The use of electronically controlled puppets that mimic live actors' movements and expressions.
Digital Puppetry: Puppet's movements and expressions are created in a digital space using programs like Motion Capture or Stop Motion/Animation.
- "The script for a puppet production is called a puppet play."
- "Puppeteers use movements from hands and arms to control devices such as rods or strings to move the body, head, limbs, and in some cases the mouth and eyes of the puppet."
- "The puppeteer sometimes speaks in the voice of the character of the puppet, while at other times they perform to a recorded soundtrack."
- "There are many different varieties of puppets, and they are made of a wide range of materials, depending on their form and intended use."
- "The simplest puppets are finger puppets, which are tiny puppets that fit onto a single finger."
- "Sock puppets... operated by inserting one's hand inside the sock, with the opening and closing of the hand simulating the movement of the puppet's 'mouth'."
- "A hand puppet or glove puppet is controlled by one hand which occupies the interior of the puppet and moves the puppet around."
- "Punch and Judy puppets are familiar examples."
- "Japanese Bunraku puppets... require two puppeteers for each puppet."
- "Marionettes are suspended and controlled by a number of strings, plus sometimes a central rod attached to a control bar held from above by the puppeteer."
- "Rod puppets... have more movement possibilities as a consequence than a simple hand or glove puppet."
- "Puppetry is a very ancient form of theatre which was first recorded in the 5th century BC in Ancient Greece."
- "Some forms of puppetry may have originated as long ago as 3000 years BC."
- "Puppetry takes many forms, but they all share the process of animating inanimate performing objects to tell a story."
- "Puppetry occurs in almost all human societies..."
- "Puppets are used... as sacred objects in rituals."
- "Puppets are used... as symbolic effigies in celebrations such as carnivals."
- "Puppets are used... as a catalyst for social and psychological change in transformative arts."
- "Puppets are used... for the purpose of entertainment through performance, as sacred objects in rituals, as symbolic effigies in celebrations such as carnivals, and as a catalyst for social and psychological change in transformative arts."