Puppet 56570 224565822 2008-07-09T13:09:17Z 204.52.215.107 /* Americas */ {{for|the configuration managment tool|Puppet (tool)}} [[Image:Puppettheatre.JPG|right|thumb|300px|Vietnamese Water Puppets]] A '''puppet''' is a representational figure manipulated by a [[puppeteer]]. It is usually but by no means always a depiction of a human character and is used in (a) play or a presentation. The puppet undergoes a process of transformation through being animated, and is normally manipulated by one, or sometimes more than one, puppeteer. There are many different varieties of puppets, and they are made of a wide range of materials, depending on their form and the usage intended. They can be extremely complex or very simple in their construction. [[Oscar Wilde]] wrote about puppetry, "There are many advantages in puppets. They never argue. They have no crude views about art. They have no private lives." == Puppeteers on puppets and puppetry == "A puppet is not an actor and a puppet theatre is not human theatre in miniature, because when an actor 'represents', a puppet 'is'." David Currell <ref> An Introduction to Puppets and Puppetmaking by David Currell, p.6 </ref> . "Through puppetry we accept the outrageous, the absurd or even the impossible, and will permit puppets to say and do things no human could. We allow a puppet to talk to us when no one else can get us to speak. We allow a puppet to smile at us even when we have not been introduced. We also allow a puppet to touch us when a person would lose an arm for the same offence." Anita Sinclair <ref> The Puppetry Handbook by Anita Sinclair, p.3 </ref> "Puppetry is a highly effective and dynamically creative means of exploring the richness of interpersonal communication. By its very nature, puppetry concentrates on the puppet rather than the puppeteer. This provides a safety zone for the puppeteer and allows for exploration of unlimited themes through a safe and non-threatening environment for communication." <ref> Puppetry by David Logan, p.2</ref> He adds, "Designing a puppet involves the same processes that a performer uses in building a character. A puppet must always have a valid reason for being. The marvellous thrill of puppetry is that puppets by their very nature do things that are not humanly possible. This allows for the imagination to explore countless different possibilities." [[David Logan]]<ref> Puppetry by David Logan, p.3</ref> ==History of the puppet== [[Puppetry]] is a very ancient art form, probably first originating about 30,000 years ago <ref name="blumenthal">Puppetry and Puppets/Eileen Blumenthal/Thames & Hudson/2005/ISBN-13 978-0-500-51226-5</ref>. Puppets have been used since the earliest times to animate and communicate the ideas and needs of human societies.<ref> Emotions in Motion by E.A. Dugan </ref> Some historians claim that they pre-date actors in theatre. There is evidence that they were used in [[Egypt]] as early as 2000 BC when string-operated figures of wood were manipulated to perform the action of kneading bread. Wire controlled, articulated puppets made of clay and ivory have also been found in Egyptian tombs. Hieroglyphs also describe 'walking statues' being used in Ancient Egyptian religious dramas.<ref name="blumenthal"/> The oldest written record of puppetry can be found in the written records of Xenophon dating from around 422 B.C. <ref>Puppetry by David Logan, p.7</ref> ===Asia=== [[Image:osonowiki.jpg|thumb|The character Osono, from the play ''Hade Sugata Onna Maiginu'', in a performance by the Tonda Traditional Puppet Troupe of Nagahama, Shiga Prefecture, Japan - an example of Japanese Bunraku puppetry]] Some scholars trace the origin of puppets to India 4000 years ago, where the main character in Sanskrit plays was known as ''sutradhara'' 'the holder of strings'.<ref>Emotions in Motion by E.A. Dugan </ref> [[China]] has had a flourishing history of puppetry for 2000 years, originally in ''pi-ying xi'', the "theatre of the lantern shadows", or, as it is more commonly known today, [[Shadow theatre|Chinese shadow theatre]]. By the [[Song Dynasty]] (960-1279 AD), puppets played to all social classes including the courts, yet puppeteers (as in Europe) were considered from a lower social strata.<ref name="blumenthal"/> In [[Taiwan]], [[budaixi]] puppet shows, somewhat similar to the Japanese Bunraku, occur with puppeteers manipulating in the background or underground. Some very experienced puppeteers can manipulate their puppets to perform various stunts (e.g. somersaults in the air). [[Japan]] has many forms of puppetry. Perhaps the most famous is the [[bunraku]]. This developed out of Shinto temple rites, gradually becoming a highly sophisticated form of puppetry. Bunraku owes much to the two great puppeteers, Gidayu Takemoto and Monzaemon Chikamatsu.<ref>Puppetry by David Logan, p.60</ref> By 1730 it required three puppeteers to operate each puppet in full view of the audience.<ref name="blumenthal"/> Originally, the puppeteers dressed all in black would become invisible when standing against a black background, while the torches illuminated only the carved wooden, beautifully painted and costumed puppets. In [[Korea]], the tradition of puppetry is thought to have come from China. The oldest record about puppetry comes from a letter written in 982 A.D. by Choe Seung-roe to the King.<ref name="sangsu">A Study of the Korean Puppet Play by Choe Sang-su, p.43</ref> In Korean, the word for puppet is "ggogdu gagsi"<ref name="sangsu"/> Gagsi means a bride or a young woman, the most common model of dolls. A ggogdu gagsi puppet play has eight scenes.<ref name="sangsu"/> [[Thailand]] has [[Hun Krabok]], a rod puppet theatre which is the most popular form of puppetry. [[Vietnam]] developed the art form of [[Rối nước|mua roi nuoc]], a water puppetry unique to that country. The puppets are built out of wood and the shows are performed in a waist high pool. A large rod supports the puppet under the water and is used by the puppeteers to control them. The appearance is of various puppets moving over water. The origin of this form dates back seven hundred years when the rice field would flood and the villagers would entertain each other. Eventually villages would compete against each other with their puppet shows. This lead puppet societies to be secretive and exclusive, including an initiation ceremony involving drinking rooster blood. Only recently were women allowed to join the puppet troupes. [[India]] has a great tradition of puppetry. In the great Indian epic [[Mahabharata]], there are references to puppets. The Rajasthani Katpuli from India is famous. There are many Indian ventriloquists and puppeteers. Prof Y.K. Padhye is the first Indian Ventriloquist. He introduced this form of puppetry in India in the 1920s. His son, [[Ramdas Padhye]], popularised ventriloquism and puppetry. [[Satyajit Padhye]], son of Ramdas, is a third generation ventriloquist who continues this form of puppetry.{{Fact|date=May 2008}} [[Indonesia]] has a strong tradition of puppetry. In [[Java]], [[wayang kulit]], an elaborate form of shadow puppetry is very popular.<ref>Puppetry by David Logan, p.40</ref> Javanese rod puppets are also particularly beautiful and have a long history. They are elaborately carved and painted and used to tell fables from Javanese history. <gallery> Image:B-Schattenpuppe-Zhongkui (Peking).JPG|Chinese Shadow Puppet (Beijing Style) Image:B-Stockpuppen-Abt+WeißeSchlange+SchwarzeSchlange.JPG|Chinese Stick Puppets Image:Sanbasopuppet.jpg|Sanbaso Bunraku Puppet, Tonda Puppet Troupe, Japan Image:Indonesian puppets and puppeteer.jpg|Traditional Indonesian puppets and puppeteer Image:Wayang Bali.jpg|Wayang puppet from Bali, Indonesia </gallery> ===Middle East=== [[Image:Karagoez davulcu.jpg|110px|thumb|left|Karagoz, Turkish shadow puppetry]] Middle Eastern puppetry, like its other theatre forms, should be seen in the context of its Islamic culture. [[Karagoz]], the Turkish Shadow Theatre has influenced puppetry widely in the region. It is thought to have passed from [[China]] by way of [[India]]. Later it was taken by the [[Mongols]] from the Chinese and transmitted to the Turkish peoples of Central Asia. Thus the art of Shadow Theater was brought to [[Anatolia]] by the Turkish people emigrating from Central Asia. Other scholars claim that shadow theater came to Anatolia in the 16th century from [[Egypt]]. The advocates of this view claim that when Yavuz Sultan Selim conquered Egypt in 1517, he saw shadow theatre performed during a party put on in his honour. [[Yavuz Sultan Selim]] was so impressed with it that he took the puppeteer back to his palace in Istanbul. There his 21 year old son, later Sultan [[Suleyman the Magnificent]], developed an interest in the plays and watched them a great deal. Thus shadow theatre found its way into the Ottoman palaces.<ref>Tradition Folk The Site by Hayali Mustafa Mutlu</ref> In other areas the style of shadow puppetry known as ''khayal al-zill'' – an intentionally metaphorical term whose meaning is best translated as ‘shadows of the imagination’ or ‘shadow of fancy' survives. This is a shadow play with live music ..”the accompaniment of drums, tambourines and flutes...also...“special effects” – smoke, fire, thunder, rattles, squeaks, thumps, and whatever else might elicit a laugh or a shudder from his audience”<ref>Article Saudi Aramco World 1999/John Feeney</ref> In [[Iran]] puppets are known to have existed much earlier than 1000 CE, but initially only glove and string puppets were popular in Iran.<ref> The History of Theater in Iran: Willem Floor:ISBN 0-934211-29-9: Mage 2005</ref> Other genres of puppetry emerged during the [[Qajar]] era (18th-19th century BCE) as influences from Turkey spead to the region. ''Kheimeh Shab-Bazi'' is a Persian traditional puppet show which is performed in a small chamber by a musical performer and a [[storyteller]] called a ''morshed'' or ''naghal''. These shows often take place alongside storytelling in traditional tea and coffee-houses (''Ghahve-Khave''). The dialogue takes place between the morshed and the puppets.<ref> Mehr News Agency 7.7.07 http://www.mehrnews </ref> Puppetry remains very popular in Iran, the touring opera [[Rostam and Sohrab (opera)|Rostam and Sohrab puppet opera]] being a recent example. <ref> Iran Daily 1.3.06 http://www.iran-daily.com </ref> ===Europe=== ====Ancient Greece and Rome==== There are few remaining examples of puppets from ancient Greece. History reveals through literature that puppetry was important. The Greek word usually translated as "puppets" is neurospasta, which literally means "string-pulling", from nervus, meaning either sinew, tendon, muscle, string, or wire, and span, to pull. [[Aristotle]] referenced pulling strings to control heads, hands and eyes, shoulders and legs.<ref>Practical Puppetry/John Mulholland,p.9</ref> [[Archimedes]] is known to have worked with marionettes. [[Plato]]'s work is full of references to puppeteering. The 'Iliad' and the 'Odyssey' were presented using puppetry. The roots of European puppetry probably extend back to the Greek plays with puppets played to the 'common people' in the 5th Century BC. By the third century BC these plays would appear in the Theatre of [[Dionysus]] at the [[Acropolis]].<ref name="blumenthal"/> In ancient [[Greece]] and [[Rome]] clay dolls (and a few of ivory), dated from around 500 BC, were found in children's tombs. These dolls had articulated arms and legs, some of which had an iron rod extending up from the tops of their heads. This rod was used to manipulate the doll from above, exactly as is done today in Sicily puppetry. A few of these dolls had strings in place of the rods. Some authorities believe these ancient figures were mere toys and not puppets due to their small size.<ref>[http://www.sagecraft.com/puppetry/definitions/historical/chapter1.html Observations - Chapter One<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> ====Italy - Middle Ages and Renaissance==== [[Italy]] is considered by many to be the early home of the marionette thanks to the influence of Roman puppetry. [[Xenophon]] and [[Plutarch]] refer to them.<ref name="Binyon">Puppetry Today by Helen Binyon, p.11</ref> The Christian church used marionettes to perform [[morality plays]].<ref name="Binyon"/> It is believed that the word '''marionette''' actually originates from the little figures of the [[Virgin Mary]], hence the word 'marionette' or 'Mary doll'.<ref>Marionettes: A Hobby for Everyone by Mabel & Les Beaton</ref> Comedy snuck into the plays as time went by and ultimately led to an edict banning puppetry from the church. Puppeteers responded by setting up stages outside cathedrals and became ever more ribald and slapstick. Out of this grew the Italian comedy called [[Commedia dell'Arte]]. Puppets were used at times in this form of theatre. Sometimes Shakespeare's plays were performed using marionettes instead of actors.<ref>Marionettes Onstage! by Leonard Suib and Muriel Broadman, p.ix</ref> In [[Sicily]], the sides of donkey carts are decorated with intricate, painted scenes from the Frankish romantic poems, such as [[The Song of Roland]]; these same tales are enacted in traditional puppet theatres featuring hand-made marionettes of wood, this art is called Opira dî pupi (Opera of the puppets) in Sicilian. The opera of the puppets and the Sicilian tradition of cantastorî (sing stories) are rooted in the Provençal troubadour tradition in [[Sicily]] during the reign of [[Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor|Frederick II]], [[Holy Roman Emperor]], in the first half of the 13th century. A great place to see this marionette art is the puppet theatres of [[Palermo]], Sicily. ====Italy - 18th and 19th century==== The strong Italian tradition of marionettes flourished in the 18th century, producing many skillful performances, including the tragedy ''[[Dr. Faust]]''. Many of these marionettes survive to this day, and allow students of the art to marvel at their highly defined controls. In the 19th century, the marionettes of the master [[Pietro Radillo]] became even more complex. Instead of just the rod and two strings, Radillo's marionettes were controlled by as many as eight strings, thus increasing the control over the individual body parts of the marionettes.{{Fact|date=May 2008}} <gallery> Image:Burattini ca 1770.jpg|British Puppet theatre (Punch and Judy style), c. 1770 Image:Teatro dei burattini.jpg|Gioppino and Brighella, Bergamo, Italy Image:Alcamo-Pupi-bjs2007-01.jpg|Sicilian Puppet Theatre </gallery> ====Great Britain==== The traditional British [[Punch and Judy]] puppetry traces its roots to the [[16th century]] to the Italian [[commedia dell'arte]].<ref name="binyon">Puppetry Today by Helen Binyon, p.36</ref> The figure of Punch derives from the stock character of [[Pulcinella]], which was Anglicized to ''Punchinello''. He is a manifestation of the [[Lord of Misrule]] and [[Trickster]] figures of deep-rooted mythologies. Punch's wife was originally "Joan". In the late 18th and early 19th Century the familiar Punch and Judy hand puppet show that existed in Britain was performed in an easily-transportable [[booth]]. A resurgence in Puppetry was pioneered by The British Puppet and Model Theatre Guild in the early 20th century, Two of the founders H. W. Whanslaw and Waldo Lanchester both pushed puppetry to the forefront of British consciousness with publications of books and literature mainly focussing on the art of the marionette, Lanchester had a touring theatre and a permanent venue in Malvern, Worcestershire regularly taking part in the Malvern Festival attracting the attention of [[George Bernard Shaw]]. One of Shaw's last plays Shakes Vs Shav was written for and first performed in 1949 by the company.{{Fact|date=May 2008}} Current centres of British Puppetry include The [[Little Angel Theatre]] in [[Islington]], London; [[Norwich Puppet Theatre]]; The Harlequin Puppet Theatre, Rhos on Sea, Wales; and the Biggar Puppet Theatre, Biggar, Lanarkshire, Scotland. British puppetry now covers a wide range of styles and approaches. [[Don Austen]] is one of many British puppeteers who have extended British puppetry, and a number of theatre companies including [[Horse and Bamboo Theatre]], Green Ginger, and Impossible integrate puppetry in their highly visual productions. Political satire was covered through the medium of the puppet in the ground breaking British television series ''[[Spitting Image]]'' from 1984 to 1996. Puppetry has also been influencing mainstream theatre. Several recent productions combine puppetry and live action; including 'Warhorse' [[National Theatre]], 'Madam Butterfly' [[English National Opera]].{{Fact|date=May 2008}} <gallery> Image:PereDuchesneIllustre6 1 0.png|Polichinelle caricature, France Image:Guignol.jpg|Guignol Theatre, Paris, France Image:Tchantches.jpg|Traditional puppets from Liège, Belgium </gallery> ====Netherlands, Denmark, Romania, Russia and France==== Many regional variants of Pulcinella were developed as the character spread across Europe. In the Netherlands it is ''Jan Klaassen'' (and Judy is ''Katrijn''); in Denmark ''Mester Jackel''; in Russia ''Petrushka''; in Romania ''Vasilache''; and in France ''Polichinelle''.{{Fact|date=May 2008}} Only during the French revolution were puppet booths closed. Those puppeteers who dared to take part in political criticism were imprisoned.<ref>Remo Bufano's Book of Puppetry/Arthur Richmond, p.5</ref> In Russia, the Central Puppet Theatre in Moscow and its branches in every part of the country enhanced the reputation of the puppeteer and puppetry in general.<ref>Practical Puppetry/John Mullholland, p.10</ref> *{{ru icon}} [http://www.gtkrm.info Official website of the State Puppet Theater of the Republic of Mordovia]. ====Germany and Austria==== There is a long tradition of puppetry in Germany and Austria. Much of it derives from the 16th century tradition of the Italian [[commedia dell'arte]].<ref name="binyon"/> The German version of the British character of 'Punch' is called [[Kasperle]] of [[Kaspar]] while Judy is called [[Grete]].<ref name="binyon"/> In the eighteenth century, operas were specifically composed for marionette puppets. [[Gluck]], [[Haydn]],<ref>Practical Puppetry/John Mulholland, p.9</ref> [[de Falla]] and [[Respighi]] all composed adult operas for marionettes. In 1855, [[Count Franz Pocci]] founded the Munich Marionette Theatre. A German dramatist, poet, painter and composer, Pocci wrote a remarkable 40 puppet plays for his theatre.<ref>Puppetry by David Logan, p.10</ref> [[Albrecht Roser]] has made a considerable impact with his marionettes in [[Stuttgart]]. His characters ''Clown Gustaf'' and ''Grandmother'' are well-known.<ref>''The Complete Book of Puppets'' by David Currell, p. 14</ref> ''Grandmother'', while outwardly charming, is savagely humorous in her observations about all aspects of society and the absurdities of life.<ref>Puppetry by David Logan, p.12</ref> The [[Salzburg Marionette Theatre]] was founded in 1913 by Professor [[Anton Aicher]] and is world famous.<ref>Puppetry by David Logan, p.11</ref> Today in [[Salzburg]] in [[Austria]], the [[Salzburg Marionette Theatre]] still continues the tradition of presenting full length opera using marionettes in their own purpose built theatre under the direction of [[Gretl Aicher]]. <ref> Puppetry by David Logan, p.11</ref> It performs mainly operas such as [[Die Fledermaus]] and [[The Magic Flute]] and a small number of ballets such as [[The Nutcracker]].<ref>''The Complete Book of Puppet Theatre'' by David Currell, p.12</ref> The [[Salzburg Marionette Theatre]] productions are aimed for adults although children are of course welcome. There is also a marionette theatre at Schoenbrunn Palace in Vienna. <Gallery> Image:QueenOfTheNight.jpg|The [[Queen of the Night]] from a production of Mozart's 'The Magic Flute' by the Salzburg Marionette Theatre, Austria. </Gallery> ====The Czech Republic==== Marionette puppet theatre has had a very long history in entertainment in [[Prague]], and elsewhere in the [[Czech Republic]]. It can be traced deep into the early part of the Middle Ages.<ref name="dubska">Czech Puppet Theatre by Alice Dubska, Jan Novak, Nina Malikova and Marie Zdenkova, p.6</ref> Marionettes first appeared around the time of the thirty years war.<ref name="dubska"/> The first noted Czech puppeteer was Jan Jiri Brat who was born in 1724. He was the son of a local carpenter and created his own puppet theatre.<ref name="dubska"/> Matej Kopecky was the most famous 19th century Czech puppeteer.<ref name="dubska"/> He was responsible for communicating the ideas of national awareness.<ref name="dubska"/> In 1920 and 1926 respectively, [[Josef Skupa]] created his most famous puppets: comical father [[Spejbl]] and his rascal son [[Hurvínek]].<ref>Practical Puppetry/John Mulholland, p.19</ref> In 1930 he set up the first modern professional puppet theatre. An important puppet organisation is the [[National Marionette Theatre]] in Prague. Its repertoire mainly features a marionette production of [[Mozart]]'s famous [[Don Giovanni]]. The production has period costumes and a beautifully designed eighteenth century setting. There are numerous other companies including, [[Buchty a Loutky ("Cakes and Puppets")]] founded by [[Marek Becka]].<ref name="dubska"/> Puppets have been used extensively in animated films since 1946.<ref name="dubska"/> [[Jiri Trnka]] was an acknowledged leader in this area.<ref name="dubska"/> [[Miroslav Trejtnar]] is an acknowledged master puppeteer and teacher of traditional Czech marionette making skills.<ref>Puppetry by David Logan, p.111</ref> <gallery> Image:Ostrava, Divadlo loutek.jpg|Puppet Theatre, Ostrava, Czech Republic Image:Marionette Opera Prague.jpg|Marionette Theatre, Prague, Czech Republic </gallery> ====19th century==== Throughout this period puppetry developed separately from the emerging mainstream of actor theatres, and the 'ragged' puppeteers performed outside of theatre buildings at fairs, markets etc - continuing to be classified along with bandits and gypsies.<ref name="blumenthal"/> In the 19th century puppetry faced competition from other forms of theatre such as [[vaudeville]] and [[music hall]]. Puppetry adapted to these challenges. For example by developing stage acts and participating in the new forms of popular theatre, or reinventing itself in other ways and finding audiences at the newly fashionable seaside resorts. ===Africa=== Sub-Saharan Africa may have inherited some of the puppet traditions of Ancient Egypt.<ref name="blumenthal"/> Certainly secret societies in many African ethnic groups still use puppets (and [[masks]]) in ritual dramas as well as in their healing and hunting ceremonies. Today puppetry continues as a popular form, often within a ceremonial context, and as part of a wide-range of folk forms including [[dance]], storytelling, and [[mask|masked performance]]. Throughout rural Africa, puppetry still performs the function of transmitting cultural values and ideas that in large African cities is increasingly undertaken by formal education, books, cinema, and television. ===Americas=== The [[Teotihuacan]] culture (Central Mexico) of 600 AD made figurines with moveable arms and legs as part of their funerary rites. [[Native North Americans]] also used ceremonial puppets.<ref name="blumenthal"/> In 1519 two puppeteers accompanied [[Hernando Cortez]] on his first journey to [[Mexico]]. Europeans brought their own puppet traditions with them, but gradually distinctive styles, forms and puppet characters developed in [[Americas|America]].<ref> Strings, Hands, Shadows: A Modern Puppet History/John Bell/Detroit Institute of Art/2000 ISBN 0-89558-156-6</ref> Some advances in 20th century puppetry have originated in the USA. Marionette puppetry was combined with television as early as the 1940s, with [[Howdy Doody]] of the [[United States]] being a notable marionette in this field. [[Bil Baird]] did wonderful work revitalising marionette theatre and puppetry in the United States. He and his wife, [[Cora Eisenberg]] had their own marionette theatre in New York. [[Edgar Bergen]] also made a major contribution.<ref>The Radio Years of Bergen and McCarthy (Thesis) by Arthur Funni</ref> In the 1960s Peter Schumann's [[Bread and Puppet Theater]] developed the political and artistic possibilities of puppet theatre in a distinctive, powerful and immediately recognizable way. At roughly the same time [[Jim Henson]] was creating a type of soft, foam-rubber and cloth puppet that became known as [[Muppets]]. Initially through the children's television show ''[[Sesame Street]]'', and later in ''[[The Muppet Show]]'' and on film, these inspired many imitators and are today are recognised almost everywhere. [[Wayland Flowers]] also made a major contribution to adult puppetry with his satirical puppet, [[Madame]], an "outrageous old broad" who entertains with [[double entendre]]s and witty comebacks. Bedecked in fabulous evening attire and summer diamonds ("Some are diamonds; some are not"), Madame's look is based on movie stars such as [[Gloria Swanson]]. Wayland's other puppets included Crazy Mary (an escapee from [[Bellevue Hospital Center|Bellevue]] mental hospital), Jiffy (a [[Harlem]] harlot with a heart of brass) and Machelheny (a retired [[Vaudeville]] comedian). His puppet Smedley worked with [[Marlo Thomas]] on ''[[Free to Be… You and Me]]''.<ref>Wayland Flowers Dies: Ventriloquist Was 48, The New York Times, October 12, 1988</ref> Puppets have been used most effectively in the [[Star Wars]] films. The character of [[Yoda]] is most effective. His voice and manipulation is provided by master puppeteer [[Frank Oz]]. <gallery> Image:EdgarBergenandCharlieMcCarthyStageDoorCanteen1.jpg|[[Edgar Bergen]] and his puppet [[Charlie McCarthy]] Image:Go2wu murray01.jpg|[[Murray Monster]], from ''[[Sesame Street]]''. Image:Bread and Puppet bus on tour.jpeg|[[Bread and Puppet Theater]] bus on tour Image:Bread and puppet puppets glover vermont.jpg|Puppets in the [[Bread and Puppet Theater]] Museum in Glover, Vermont, USA Image:Mallory Lewis and Lamb Chop.jpg|[[Mallory Lewis]] and [[Lamb Chop]] </gallery> ===Oceania=== The [[Indigenous Australians|aboriginal]] peoples in Australia have a long tradition of oral storytelling goes back many thousands of years. They used masks and other objects to convey deep and meaningful themes about morality and nature. There are links between as an early form of ritualistic human carnival puppetry. Masks were carved from wood and heavily decorated with paint and feathers. In many of the Pacific countries there has been a heavy emphasis on ritual. With the arrival of European settlers, a different sort of puppetry took shape. In [[Australia]] in the 1960s, [[Peter Scriven]] founded the [[Marionette Theatre Company of Australia]] and had beautiful marionette productions such as [[The Tintookies]], [[Little Fella Bindi]].<ref> Puppetry by David Logan, p.13</ref><ref>[http://www.powerhousemuseum.com/collection/database/?irn=163386&search=sad&images=&c=1&s= 98/25/2 Marionette puppet, 'Tintookies Little Fella Bindi', Aboriginal figure, papier mache / wood / cotton / felt / feathers / metal, designed by Colin Garland for the Marionette Theatre of Australia, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, 1958-1977 - Powerhouse Museum Collection<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> [[The Explorers]] and [[The Water Babies]]. [[Bilbar Puppet Theatre]], established by [[Barbara Turnbull]] and her husband [[Bill Turnbull (puppeteer)]] toured Australia extensively under the auspices of the [[Queensland Arts Council]] in 1970s and 1980s. Their puppets are now held in the Moncrieff Library of the Performing Arts, [[Queensland Performing Arts Centre]], [[Brisbane]]. There are a great many thriving puppet companies in Australia. Courses exist at tertiary level at the [[Victorian College of the Arts]], [[University of Melbourne]]. Australian puppeteer [[Norman Hetherington]] was famous for his marionette, [[Mr. Squiggle]] who featured on an Australian Broadcasting Commission television program for many years from [[1 July]] [[1959]]. The last episode was on [[9 July]] [[1999]]. In every episode he would create several pictures from "squiggles" sent in by children from around the country. [[Richard Bradshaw OAM]] is another famous Australian puppeteer. He is currently President of UNIMA Australia, former artistic director of the Marionette Theatre Company of Australia<ref>''The Complete Book of Puppet Theatre'' by David Currell, p.50</ref> and is renowned for his shadow puppetry and writing in the field.<ref>''Puppetry'' by David Logan, p.13</ref> [[Rod Hull]] also made a contribution with his puppet [[Emu]]. In the 1960s, Hull presented a children's breakfast [[television]] programme in Australia. [[Snuff Puppets]] is one of Australia's modern puppet theatre troupes. Based in [[Melbourne]], their work is full of wild black humour, political and sexual satire and a hand made visually aesthetic. Snuff Puppets has performed in over 15 countries, including tours to major festivals in Asia, South America and Europe. There is an annual winter festival of puppets at the City of Melbourne's ArtPlay and at Federation Square in Melbourne. In [[New Zealand]] a similar history has taken place. <gallery> Image:Mr_Squiggle.jpg|[[Mr.Squiggle]], a marionette created by Australian puppeteer [[Norman Hetherington]] Image:Snuff-scarey-skullies.jpg|[[Snuff Puppets]] Skullies from Scarey </gallery> ==Contemporary puppetry== From early in the 19th century puppetry began to inspire artists from the 'high-art' traditions. In 1810 [[Heinrich von Kleist]] wrote an essay 'On the Marionette Theatre', admiring the "lack of self-consciousness" of the puppet. Puppetry developed throughout the [[twentieth century]] in a variety of ways. Supported by the parallel development of cinema, television and other filmed media it now reaches a larger audience than ever. Another development, starting at the beginning of the century, was the belief that puppet theatre, despite its popular and folk roots, could speak to adult audiences with an adult, and experimental voice, and reinvigorate the high art tradition of actors' theatre.<ref>Strings, Hands, Shadows: A Modern Puppet History/John Bell/Chapter 6/Detroit Institute of Art/2000 ISBN 0-89558-156-6</ref> [[Sergei Obraztsov]] explored the concept of ''kukolnost'' ('puppetness'), despite [[Stalin]]'s insistence on realism. Other pioneers, including [[Edward Gordon Craig]] and [[Erwin Piscator]] were influenced by puppetry in their crusade to regalvanise the mainstream. [[Maeterlinck]], [[George Bernard Shaw|Shaw]], [[Lorca]] and others wrote puppet plays, and artists such as [[Picasso]], [[Jarry]], and [[Leger]] began to work in theatre.<ref name="blumenthal"/> <gallery> Image:Puppentheater Moskau.jpg|Puppet theatre in Moscow, Russia in 1959 Image:George Bernard Shaw 1934-12-06.jpg|[[George Bernard Shaw]], writer of the puppet play, "Shakes versus Shav" Image:C0614-Kstovo-puppet-theatre-at-Auchan.jpg|Performance of the [[Kstovo]] Puppet Theatre </gallery> Throughout the world innovatory puppeteers such as [[Tony Sarg]], [[Waldo Lanchester]], [[John Wright]], [[Bil Baird]], [[Joan Baixas]], [[Sergei Obratsov]], [[Philipe Genty]], [[Peter Schumann]], [[Jim Henson]] and [[Julie Taymor]] have continued to develop the forms and content of puppetry. Puppetry is now probably more familiar through television than live performance, but this still flourishes throughout the world. In the world of theatre, puppetry continues to be influential, and despite its 'outsider' status acts as an invigorating and rejuvenating influence on its mainstream relative. ==Main forms of puppetry== *'''[[Finger puppet]]''' - An extremely simple puppet variant that fits onto a single finger. Finger puppets normally have no moving parts and consist primarily of a hollow cylinder shape to cover the finger. This form of puppet has limited application and is used mainly in pre-schools or kindergartens for storytelling with young children.<ref>Puppetry by David Logan, p.14</ref> <gallery> Image:Finger puppet 001.jpg|Finger puppets Image:Fingerpuppets.jpg </gallery> *'''[[Hand]] or [[glove puppet]]''' - this is a puppet controlled by one hand that occupies the interior of the puppet. Larger varieties of hand puppets place the puppeteer's hand in just the puppet's head, controlling the mouth and head, and the puppet's body then hangs over the entire arm; other parts of the puppet (mainly arms, but special variants exist with manipulatable eyelids, the mouth may also open and close); these are usually not much larger than the hand itself. A [[sock puppet]] is a particularly simple type of hand puppet made from a sock.<ref>An Introduction to Puppets and Puppetmaking by David Currell, p.7</ref> <gallery> Image:Swanage Punch & Judy.JPG|British traditional hand or glove puppets, [[Punch and Judy]] Image:Marionetagallo lou.jpg|Hand or glove puppet chicken Image:Sockenpuppentanz2.jpg|Simple sock puppets Image:Hand puppet laudi.jpg|Hand or glove puppet dog </gallery> *'''[[Rod puppet]]''' - A puppet is constructed around a central rod secured to the head. A large glove covers the rod and is attached to the neck of the puppet. A rod puppet is controlled by the puppeteer moving the metal rods attached to the hands of the puppet and by turning the central rod secured to the head.<ref>Puppetry by David Logan, p.29</ref> <gallery> Image:Sibiu puppeteer.jpg|Preparing a rod puppet for a performance of [[The Brementown Musicians]], [[Sibiu]], [[Romania]], 2002. Image:Rod puppets peasants.jpg|Rod puppets </gallery> *'''[[Marionette]] or string''' - this is a puppet suspended and controlled by a number of strings plus sometimes a central rod attached to a control bar held from above by the puppeteer. The control bar can be either a horizontal or vertical one. Basic strings for operation are usually attached to the head, back, hands (to control the arms) and just above the knee (to control the legs)<ref>Exploring Puppetry by Stuart and Patricia Robinson, p.64</ref> This form of puppetry requires greater manipulative control than a finger, glove or rod puppet.<ref>Puppetry by David Logan, p.41</ref> <gallery> Image:Seattle Center puppeteer.jpg|A puppeteer manipulating a Marionette Image: Close-Up Puppets 3.JPG|Marionettes from the Swedish Cottage Marionette Theatre, New York, USA production of "Cinderella Samba" Image:Prague-Marionette.jpg|A puppeteer manipulating a Marionette in Prague, Czech Republic Image:Marionette Dalia Lama.JPG|The [[Dalai Lama]] manipulates a hand crafted marionette of himself, created by puppeteer [[Scott Land]]. </gallery> *'''[[Shadow puppet]]''' - this is a cut-out figure held between a source of light and a translucent screen. It is different from other forms of puppetry as it is two dimensional in form.<ref>Puppetry by David Logan, p.34</ref> Shadow Puppets can form solid silhouettes or be decorated with various amounts of cut-out details. Colour can be introduced into the cut-out shapes to provide a different dimension.<ref>Puppetry by David Logan, p.36</ref> Javanese shadow puppets are the classic example of this.<ref>An Introduction to Puppets and Puppetmaking by David Currell, p.7</ref> <gallery> Image:Shadow_puppets.jpg|Shadow Puppets, Jakarta, Indonesia </gallery> *'''[[Human Carnival or Body puppet]]''' - designed to be part of a large spectacle.<ref>Puppetry by David Logan, p.54</ref> They are often used in parades (such as the Minneapolis, USA May Day Parade) and protests, these figures are at least the size of a human and often much larger. One or more performers are required to move the body and limbs. The appearance and personality of the person inside is not known and is totally irrelevant to the viewer. The puppeteer must never be revealed at performances.<ref>The Puppetry Handbook by Anita Sinclair, p.16</ref> These puppets are particularly associated with large scale entertainment such as the nightly parades at the various Disney complexes around the world. [[Big Bird]] from [[Sesame Street]] is a classic example of a Human Carnival or Body Puppet. The puppeteer completely enclosed within the costume, and extends his right hand over his head to operate the head and neck of the puppet. The puppeteer's left hand serves as the Bird's left hand, while the right hand is stuffed and hangs loosely from a fishing line (which can occasionally be seen in closeup shots) that runs through a loop under the neck and attaches to the wrist of the left hand. The right hand thus does the opposite of the left hand: as the left hand goes down, the right hand is pulled up by the fishing line. <gallery> Image:May Day Parade -1-Minneapolis-2007-05-06.jpg|Carnival Puppet featuring two puppeteers - Minneapolis, USA: May Day Parade Image:Hugo Chavez Homage by David Shankbone.jpg|[[Venezuelan President]] [[Hugo Chávez]] - human carnival puppet </gallery> ==Variations on the main forms of puppetry== [[Image:Magnus B. Egerstedt puppet.jpg|thumb|right|A modern robot-manipulated puppet]] *'''[[Supermarionation]]''' - a method invented by [[Gerry Anderson]] which assisted in his television series [[Thunderbirds]] in electronically moving the mouths of marionettes to allow for lip synchronised speech. The marionettes were still controlled by human manipulators with strings. *'''[[Marotte]]''' - A simplified rod puppet that is just a head and/or body on a stick. In a '''marotte à main prenante''', the puppeteer's other arm emerges from the body (which is just a cloth drape) to act as the puppet's arm. *'''[[Black light]]''' - a form of puppetry where the puppets are operated on stage lit only with [[ultraviolet lighting]] which both hides the puppeteer and accentuates the colours of the puppet. The puppeteers perform dressed in black on a stage with a black background. (Most commonly the background and the clothes are made of black velvet). The lighting is specially done so that there is essentially a line on the stage, where on one side there is light and on the other is darkness. The puppeteers manipulate the puppets over the line into the light, while the puppeteers are unseen because they blend into the black unlit background. Puppets of all sizes and types are able to be used. The original concept of this form of puppetry can be traced to Bunraku puppetry. *'''[[Muppet]]''' - A term referring to some of the puppets constructed by the [[Jim Henson]] Company. Often erroneously used to refer to puppets that resemble those of ''[[The Muppet Show]]'' or built by [[the Henson Company]]. The main puppet forms used were glove or hand puppets and rod puppets. *'''[[Ventriloquism|Ventriloquist dummy]]''' - A puppet operated by a ventriloquist performer to focus the audience's attention from the performer's activities and heighten the illusions. They are called dummies because they do not speak on their own. The ventriloquist dummy is controlled by the one hand of the ventriloquist. <gallery> Image:Satyajitphoto.JPG|[[Satyajit Padhye]] is a 3rd generation ventriloquist and puppeteer and son of [[Ramdas Padhye]]. </gallery> *'''Push-in puppet''' - A puppet cut out of paper and stuck onto card. It is fixed at its base to a stick and operated by pushing it in from the side of the puppet theatre. Sheets were produced for puppets and scenery from the 19th century for children's use. <gallery> Image:Toy theater-1.jpg|Push-in puppet hands </gallery> *'''Human-arm puppet''' - also called a '''two-man puppet''', it is similar to a hand puppet but is larger and requires two puppeteers; one puppeteer places a hand inside the puppet's head and operates its head and mouth; the other puppeteer wears gloves and special sleeves attached to the puppet in order to become the puppet's arms, so that the puppet can perform arbitrary hand gestures. This is a form of glove or hand puppetry and rod puppetry. <gallery> Image:Briegelderbusch-puppenspieler.jpg|"Briegel der Busch" puppet and puppeteer Jan Mixsa, taken at "1. Fantreffen von Bernd das Brot" Image:Chilidasschaf-krappweis-haffner.jpg|"Chili das Schaf" puppet and creators Tommy Krappweis and Erik Haffner, taken at "1. Fantreffen von Bernd das Brot" </gallery> *'''Digital puppet''' - Digitally animated figure that is performed by a puppeteer in real-time using a data input device and rendered by a computer using computer graphics software. * '''Push puppet''' - A push puppet consists of a segmented character on a base that is kept under tension until the button on the bottom is pressed. The puppet wiggles, slumps and then collapses. ==UNIMA - International Puppetry Association== UNIMA , the International Puppetry Association, was founded in [[Prague]] in the 1920s. In 1981 [[Jacques Felix]] moved UNIMA's headquarters to [[Charleville-Mézières]], France. There are national branches throughout the world. Examples are POA (Puppeteers of America), PUK (Puppetry UK) and UNIMA Australia which represent puppetry as an art form in their countries. The most recent UNIMA World Congress and International Puppetry Festival was held in Perth, Australia from 2-12 April, 2008. <gallery> Image:Marionette Union.jpg|UNIMA, Prague, Czech Republic Image:LA MAISON DES MARIONETTES CHARLEVILLE MEZIERS.jpg|UNIMA-Institut International de la Marionette, Charleville-Mézières, France </gallery> ==See also== * [[Hand puppet]] * [[Marionette]] * [[Sock puppet]] * [[Shadow play|Shadow puppet]] * [[Punch and Judy]] * [[Puppeteer]] * [[Persian theatre]] * [[Lübeck Museum of Theatre Puppets]] * [[The Red Pill Puppet Theatre]] ==Non-puppetry related usages of the word== The word '''puppet''' can mean a political leader installed, supported and controlled by more powerful forces, with no legitimacy in the country itself. In modern times this usually means no [[democracy|democratic]] mandate from the country's electorate; in earlier times, it could have meant a monarch imposed from outside, who was not a member of a country's established ruling dynasty, and/or was not recognised by its nobility. "Puppet government", "puppet regime" and "[[puppet state]]" are derogatory terms for a [[government]] which is in charge of a region or country but only through being installed, supported and controlled by a more powerful government (see [[Quisling]]). In a more general sense, a puppet is any person who is controlled by another by reason of undue influence, intellectual deficiency, or lack of character or charisma. Thus, drawing from the above meaning, it could be a political leader, who is a facade for more powerful forces working behind him, or it could be any person who is similarly doing what he is told to do.{{Fact|date=May 2008}} [[Poppet]], a word sounding similar to puppet, can also be a term of endearment, similar to "love" or "dearie". The word also came to have magical connotations, referring in folk-[[magic (paranormal)|magic]] and [[witchcraft]] to a doll made to represent a person, for casting healing, fertility, or binding [[Magic (paranormal)|spells]] on that person. Science Fiction writer [[Robert A. Heinlein]] wrote ''[[The Puppet Masters]]'', a novel depicting alien parasites who are capable of attaching themselves to a human being and completely controlling him or her. == References == {{reflist|2}} ==Books and articles== *{{cite book | last = Baird | first = Bil | authorlink = Bil Baird | coauthors = | title = The Art of the Puppet | publisher = Plays | date= [[1966]] | location = | id= ISBN 10 0823800679 }} *{{cite book | last = Beaton | first = Mabel | authorlink = Mabel Beaton | coauthors = Les Beaton | title = Marionettes: A Hobby for Everyone | publisher = | date= [[1948]] | location = New York | id=}} *{{cite book | last = Bell | first = John | authorlink = John Bell | coauthors = | title = Shadows: A Modern Puppet History | publisher = Detroit Institute of Art | date= [[2000]] | location = Detroit, USA | id= ISBN 0 89558 156 6 }} *{{cite book | last = Binyon | first = Helen | authorlink = Helen Binyon | coauthors = | title = Puppetry Today | publisher = Studio Vista Limited | date= [[1966]] | location = London | id=}} *{{cite book | last = Choe | first = Sang-su | authorlink = Choe Sang-su | coauthors = | title = A Study of the Korean Puppet Play | publisher = The Korean Books Publishing Company Ltd. | date= [[1961]] | location = | id= }} *{{cite book | last = Currell | first = David | authorlink = David Currell | coauthors = | title = The Complete Book of Puppetry | publisher = A & C Black (Publishers) Ltd. | date= [[1985]] | location = London | id= ISBN 0-7136-2429-9}} *{{cite book | last = Currell | first = David | authorlink = David Currell | coauthors = | title = An Introduction to Puppets and Puppetmaking | publisher = New Burlington Books, Quintet Publishing Limited | date= [[1992]] | location = London | id= ISBN 1 85348 389 3 }} *{{cite book | last = Dubska | first = Alice | authorlink = Alice Dubska | coauthors = Jan Novak, Nina Malikova, Marie Zdenkova | title = Czech Puppet Theatre | publisher = Theatre Institute | date= [[2006]] | location = Prague | id= ISBN 80 7008 199 6}} *{{cite book | last = Dugan | first = E.A. | authorlink = E.A. Dugan | coauthors = | title = Emotions in Motion | publisher = Galerie Amrad | date= [[1990]] | location = Montreal, Canada | id= ISBN 0 9693081 5 9 }} *{{cite book | last = Feeney | first = John | authorlink = John Feeney | coauthors = | title = Puppet | publisher = Saudi Aramco World | date= [[1999]] | location = | id= }} *{{cite book | last = Funni | first = Arthur | authorlink = Arthur Funni | coauthors = | title = The Radio Years of Bergen and McCarthy (Thesis) | publisher = | date= [[2000]] | location = The Margaret Herrick Library | id= }} *{{cite book | last = Hayali | first = Mustafa Mutlu | authorlink = Mustafa Mutlu Hayali | coauthors = | title = Tradition Folk The Site | publisher = Theatre Department, Ankara University Faculty of Language, History and Geography | date= | location = Ankara, Turkey | id= }} *{{cite book | last = Latshaw | first = George | authorlink = George Latshaw | coauthors = | title = The Complete Book of Puppetry | publisher = Dover Publications | date= [[2000]] | location = London | id= ISBN 978-048640-952-8 }} *{{cite book | last = Lindsay | first = Hilaire | authorlink = Hilaire Lindsay | coauthors = | title = The First Puppet Book | publisher = Ansay Pty Ltd | date= [[1976]] | location = Leichardt, NSW, Australia | id= ISBN 0 909245}} *{{cite book | last = Logan | first = David | authorlink = David Logan | coauthors = | title = Puppetry | publisher = Brisbane Dramatic Arts Company | date= [[2007]] | location = Brisbane, Queensland, Australia | id= ISBN 9780980456301}} *{{cite book | last = Mulholland | first = John | authorlink = John Mulholland | coauthors = | title = Practical Puppetry | publisher = Herbert Jenkins Ltd. | date= [[1961]] | location = London | id= }} *{{cite book | last = Richmond | first = Arthur | authorlink = Arthur Richmond | coauthors = | title = Remo Bufano's Book of Puppetry | publisher = The Macmillan Company | date= [[1950]] | location = New York | id= }} *{{cite book | last = Robinson | first = Stuart | authorlink = Stuart Robertson | coauthors = Patricia Robertson | title = Exploring Puppetry | publisher = Mills & Boon Limited | date= [[1967]] | location = London | id=}} *{{cite book | last = Sinclair | first = Anita | authorlink = Anita Sinclair | coauthors = | title = The Puppetry Handbook | publisher = Richard Lee Publishing | date= [[1995]] | location = Richmond, Victoria, Australia | id= ISBN 0 646 39063 5 }} *{{cite book | last = Suib | first = Leonard | authorlink = Leonard Suib | coauthors = Muriel Broadman | title = Marionettes Onstage! | publisher = Harper & Row, Publishers | date= [[1975]] | location = New York | id= ISBN 0 06 014166 2 }} *{{cite news | last = | coauthors = | title = Wayland Flowers Dies: Ventriloquist Was 48 | publisher =The New York Times | date =[[October 12]] [[1988]] | url =http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=940DEFD71F3FF931A25753C1A96E948260 | accessdate =2006-12-30 }} {{Wiktionary}} [[Category:Puppetry]] [[ar:دمى متحركة]] [[cs:Loutkové divadlo]] [[de:Puppentheater]] [[es:Marioneta]] [[eo:Pupo]] [[fa:خیمه‌شب‌بازی]] [[fr:Marionnette]] [[io:Marioneto]] [[it:Marionetta]] [[no:Marionett]] [[ja:傀儡]] [[hu:Báb (eszköz)]] [[hu:Bábszínház]] [[pl:Kukiełka]] [[pt:Marionete]] [[pt:Fantoche]] [[si:Lutka]] [[sk:Bábkové divadlo]] [[sl:Lutka]] [[fi:Nukketeatteri]] [[tr:Kukla]] [[zh:傀儡]] [[he:בובה]]