Difference between revisions of "AY Honors/Puppetry/Answer Key"

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A '''hand puppet''' (also called a '''glove puppet''') <ref> Logan, D, ''Puppetry'', p.15</ref> is a type of [[puppet]] that is controlled by the hand or hands that occupies the interior of the puppet. <ref> Sinclair, A, ''The Puppetry Handbook'', p.15</ref> Glove puppets are a variation of hand puppets. Rod puppets require one of the puppeteer's hands inside the puppet glove holding a rod which controls the head, and the puppet's body then hangs over most or all of the forearm of the puppeteer, and possibly extends further.  Other parts of the puppet may be controlled by different means, e.g., by rods operated by the puppeteer's free hand, or strings or levers pulled from inside the head or body. A smaller variety, '''simple hand puppets''' often have no significant manipulable parts at all. '''Finger puppets''' are not hand puppets as they are used only on a finger. <ref> Logan, D, ''Puppetry'', p.14</ref>
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<!-- 1. Make at least one puppet, and make or buy two other puppets. -->
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Before you make (or buy) your puppets, you should have an idea of what the puppet show is going to be about, and the type of puppets you will use. It is generally a good idea to write a script first, and then develop the puppets needed for the script. If you will be performing for a multi-cultural audience, you might consider using animal characters instead of human characters. People of any race can identify with an animal more easily than they can with a human character belonging to a different race.
  
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== Simple hand puppets ==
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There are many types of puppets to choose from, and the choice will depend on the skill of the puppet maker as well as the skill of the puppeteer. Because they are generally easier to build and work with, we will present only the sock puppet. Other puppet types include hand puppets, rod puppets, shadow puppets, human puppets (think of Sesame Street's "Big Bird"), and others.
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===Sock Puppets=== <!--T:3-->
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<gallery>
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File:Sockbutterfly.jpg|Butterfly
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File:Sockcaterpillar1.jpg|Caterpillar
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File:Sockladybug.jpg|Ladybug
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File:Sockcat.jpg|Cat
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File:Socksnake.jpg|Snake
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File:Socksnail.jpg|Snail
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File:Socktoad.jpg|Toad
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</gallery>
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A sock puppet is a puppet made from a sock (or similar garment). When the manipulator fits a hand into the closed end of the sock, the puppet can be seemingly made to "talk". The puppet's mouth is formed by pushing the sock's toe into the puppeteer's palm, with the puppeteer's thumb forming the jaw. The top of the puppet's head is formed by the sock's heel. If desired, felt can be sewn into the sock to stiffen it and form the inside of the mouth. The sock is stretched out fully so that it is long enough to cover the puppeteer's wrist and part of the arm.
  
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[[Image:Simple_hand_puppet.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Simple toy dog hand puppet.]]
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Sock puppets can be made from socks or stockings of any colour. Worn-out socks may be used, although socks that are too tattered may fall apart during performance, but socks are usually bought brand-new from the store in order to make sock puppets. Various additions can be glued on in order to give the sock a personality. Streamers and felt strings are popularly glued on for hair. Buttons are sewn on or Googly eyes (obtained from craft or fabric stores) are glued on for the puppet's eyes. Some of the eyes in the gallery above were made by attaching Googly eyes to pom-poms.
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===Other Types of Puppets=== <!--T:4-->
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[[File:Plush_toy_sock_puppet_0079.JPG|thumb|300px|Plush toy puppets]]
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You can make a hand puppet from a stuffed animal plush toy. Do be sure that the toy you select is not one anyone (especially a younger sibling) would object to having cut up. You might consider buying one for this purpose, as used plush toys can be found inexpensively at thrift shops. The plush toys from which the puppets on the right were made were purchased a week after Valentine's Day at a big box store. Deals can be found. Select a plush toy that will allow room for the puppeteer's hand to fit inside.
  
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The simplest hand puppets are those with few or no moving parts.  They can be stiff, made from e.g. a hard [[plastic]], but are more often flexible, made from [[Textile|fabric]], possibly with some stuffing and attached decorations for eyes, nose, and so on. The mouth may be a mere decoration that does not open and close, or the thumb may enter a separate pocket from the rest of the fabric and so simulate a [[mandible]], allowing the puppet to talk.
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To turn it into a puppet, examine it carefully and decide where you would need to cut it open so the puppeteer's hand can be inserted. In general, this means cutting the puppet off at the waist. Make the cut and remove most of the stuffing. Trim the ragged edge. Then insert a sock (or a glove) into the puppet and sew it to the bottom edge of the plush toy. The purpose of the sock is to prevent the rest of the stuffing from coming out. If the toy's arms are hollow and can be accessed from inside of the puppet, use a glove instead of a sock, and insert the pinky and thumb of the glove into the arms (you may wish to tack them in place).  
  
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Simple hand puppets are usually not much larger than the hand itself. A [[sock puppet]] is a particularly simple type of hand puppet made from a sock. A '''glove puppet''' is slightly more complex, with an internal division for fingers allowing independent manipulation of a character's arms. The uncostumed hand of the puppeteer is usually concealed from the audience to maintain the illusion of the puppet.  
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If hand sewing, you may find it easier to insert a plastic cup into the sock before trying to sew. Then you can insert the needle until it strikes the cup, and then you know that you have picked up exactly one layer of the sock (it would not be good to miss the sock or to sew the sock closed). Once the sock has been sewn to the plush toy all around, you can either use the puppet as is, or you can make a garment for it.
  
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Simple hand puppets, especially popular [[licensed character]]s, are sometimes distributed as children's [[toy]]s or [[party favor]]s. Children usually like to experiment in play with a puppet creating voices and movements and in many cases staging a strictly private performance.
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Puppets can also be made by [[AY Honors/Knitting|knitting]] or [[AY Honors/Crocheting|crocheting]], or with [[AY Honors/Paper Mache|paper maché]] and a felt puppet is one of the options for the [[AY Honors/Felt_Craft#c._Hand_puppet|Puppetry Honor]]. There are many tutorials on YouTube for various styles of puppets.  
  
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== Rod Puppets ==
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[[Image:Guiermo-rods-50pct.png|right|331px|thumb|A [[rod puppet]] with typical rods to control the arms.]]
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<!-- 2. Develop at least three puppet characters with their own voices. -->
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Before you choose a voice for your puppet spend some time deciding what the puppet is going to be like.
  
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A rod puppet is manipulated with wooden or wire rods. <ref> Sinclair, A, ''The Puppetry Handbook, p.15 </ref> Rod puppets can sometimes have a complete working hinged mouth. Many do not. A rod puppet can have a fixed facial expression. Arms are usually a requirement as rods are attached to them. A fish rod puppet could have a rod attached to the tail to manipulate this section of the puppet. Sometimes special variants exist with additional manipulable parts: (e.g., eyelids that open and close). Many rod puppets depict only the upper half of the character, from the waist up, with the stage covering the missing remainder, but variations sometimes have legs.  The legs usually just dangle, but in special cases the legs may be controlled either from behind the stage using rods from below.
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===Pitch=== <!--T:10-->
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If the puppet is a female or a child, choose a higher-pitched voice. For a male, choose a lower-pitched voice. For a large male, make the voice even lower.
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===Accent===
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Decide what kind of accent the puppet should have. Think about where the puppet may have come from. For instance, if the puppet is a border collie, perhaps it should have a Scottish accent (border collies were originally bred in Scotland). Other distinctive accents to choose from could include British, Southern U.S., Boston, The Bronx (part of New York City), or even a foreigner speaking English (or other) as a second language. Listen to people who have such accents (the Internet is filled with videos of people speaking with various accents).
  
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== Technique ==
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===Habits of Speech=== <!--T:11-->
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See if you can think of a ''hook'' word or phrase that your puppet likes to use, and incorporate that into the script. For instance, a puppet with a Southern accent might say "I reckon," and a teenage puppet would use a lot of teen jargon. An old lady or old man puppet might speak with a crackly voice and would use antiquated phrases. Decide whether your puppet speaks proper English or makes heavy use of slang. All of these things contribute to the puppet's voice.
  
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=== Basic Positioning ===
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===Practice=== <!--T:12-->
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Record yourself speaking in your puppet's voice, and listen to it. Try out a lot of different voices, and then listen to the recordings. If you hear something you like, see if you can refine it, again with the recorder running. Once you think you have something, perform the voice for one of your friends and see what they have to say about it. More refinements could be suggested.
  
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As with any stage performer, the puppet should generally face the audience; it may turn to one side or the other. There are times when a puppet does turn its back to an audience just like an actor. Puppets generally should look out towards an audience and not up at the ceiling unless they wish an audience to follow their line of vision. Generally a hand or glove puppet should talk a lot. <ref> Sinclair, A, ''The Puppetry Handbook'', p.15</ref> 
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<!-- 3. Write three two-to-three minute scripts. -->
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The hardest part about writing a script is getting a story idea. You could choose a story from the Bible and either play it as written or adapt it in some way (much the way several VeggieTales movies have a different take on a Bible story). Another source of ideas would be your Investiture Achievement curriculum. All of the progressive classes have requirements that can be met by putting on a skit or by role playing. These can easily be translated into puppet shows.
  
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Since the puppet stage is normally positioned higher than the seated audience (in order to best hide the puppeteers and and allow for the puppet to be the focus of the audience), the puppet should be able to lean forward slightly with its head tilted sometimes down, in order to make eye contact with the audience.  A puppet that fails to do this can appear to be staring over the heads of the audience. A puppet that looks at the ceiling sends of the signal that it is not interested in the audience.
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It's OK to work on these scripts as a group, but be sure that everyone participates.
  
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Vertically, the puppet should be kept elevated, with its shoulders well above the stage. Ideally, most of the puppet's torso should be kept visible to the audience at all times.
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<!-- 4. Perform to any audience (not family or immediate friends) at least three times. -->
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Now that you have puppets, voices, and a script, it's time to rehearse your puppet show. Appoint someone the director of the puppet show. This person should not have a puppet to operate, but rather, should take charge of the entire operation. The director will tell the puppeteers what type of expression to use in their voices, and will watch the play as it progresses. The director's job is to point out any mistakes the puppeteers make so that they can correct them rather than reinforcing them. The puppeteers need to understand that the director is only trying to improve the play, and they must be open to constructive criticism.
  
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This is to the manner in which the puppet's mouth opens and closes in order to appear to form words or sounds, similar to [[Lip sync|lip syncing]]. The puppet's lower jaw ([[mandible]]) should open downward, with the upper jaw, which is usually contiguous with the rest of the head, not raising much. This mimics the way the [[human]] mouth works. Puppets of course are not human and have all manner of moving their mouths. They can make facial movements no human can possibly attempt.
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Once everyone knows their lines and knows how to move their puppets on the stage, it is time to perform the play. This can be done during a Pathfinder meeting, as the children's story during church, or even as the sermon (in whole or in part) on Pathfinder Sabbath. You could also take your show on the road and perform it for school children (though you need to make sure that the school knows the nature of the play - public schools in the U.S. are not allowed to host religious events, and schools in other countries are expressly forbidden to allow evangelism from religions that are not expressly sanctioned by the state.)
  
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The basic mainstay of diction for most puppeteers is ''syllabic diction'', i.e., opening the puppet's mouth once for each syllable, closing it at the end of the syllable.  Another common novice mistake is to reverse this, closing the mouth on each syllable, which makes it look as if the puppet is biting off its words; this effect should be carefully avoided.
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You could also offer to perform your play at a day care center.
  
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When the puppet must speak very rapidly, a variant on syllabic diction may be used where some syllables are omitted.  It is important to open the puppet's mouth for the first and last syllables as well as all long or emphasized syllables, but most audiences will not notice if some of the unimportant syllables are omitted, provided it happens fairly quickly.  As the puppet's speech (or song lyrics) slows down, it becomes more and more important to include every syllable.
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Another thing you might consider which may (or may not) help your performance go more smoothly is to pre-record the puppet show's sound track, including all the voices. In this way, you may utilize a larger group of people by using different people to operate the puppets and provide the puppet voices. Or you can use the same people. This approach will also allow you to add music and sound effects, and it eliminates the risk of a person botching their lines or succumbing to stage fright.
  
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More advanced forms of diction are possible. Ultimately the experienced puppeteer will master ''phonetic diction'', in which the degree to which the puppet's mouth is open at any given point mimics the motion of the human mouth forming the same series of [[phoneme|sounds]]; thus, the mouth will be open wide for a long O vowel, briefly close almost completely when forming a [[dental consonant|dental]] [[plosive consonant|stop]], and so on and so forth.
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Other risks are added however. Prerecording the audio removes spontaneity (though in some cases this might be desired) and precludes the possibility of adapting to an unforeseen situation (such as prop or stage failure). You also take on the risk of technical failure of the audio equipment. As with a completely live performance, the key is to ''practice''.
  
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=== Arm Rods ===
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<!-- 5. Obtain an assessment of each performance by someone not related to the puppeteer. -->
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The reason for have the assessment done by someone who is not related to the puppeteer is to avoid bias. Sometimes relatives will tell you you did a great job even if you did not because they do not want to hurt your feelings, or because they love you so much they are unable to really see your faults.
  
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A rod puppet's arms are often controlled by the puppeteer's free hand via rods, which attach to the insides of the puppet's wrists in some orderly fashion.
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It is important to get honest feedback, because that is the only way you will be able to improve. If possible, video tape the performance and go through it with the puppeteers afterwards, pausing the videos to discuss various points. The assessor should not only point out the weaknesses and what went wrong, but should also point out the strengths and the things that went right.
  
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=== Body Movements ===
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Things to look out for:
 +
* Puppets is in the wrong place, either slipping below the stage, or being raised so high that the puppeteer's arm is revealed to the audience.
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* Mouth not synced to the voice.
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* Puppet is speaking to a character, but not "looking" in that direction.
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* Puppet is becoming the center of attention when attention should be centered on a different character.
  
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One of the most important techniques in puppetry is continuous motion.  A puppet that remains still has a dull, lifeless appearance and is said to be ''dead''. Motion should shift from one portion of the puppet to another, so that one moment the puppet is moving its head and the next moment shifting its torso or repositioning an arm. The puppet may shift from side to side, look around, lean or straighten, fidget (with part of the stage, its own clothing or hair, or any available object), cross or uncross its arms, sigh, tilt its head, or make any number of other small motions, in order to continue to appear lifelike. A puppet should however not move when another puppet is speaking. To do so confuses an audience as to which particular puppet is speaking at any given time. Maintaining clear focus for an audience in a puppet performance is extremely important.
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Try to keep in mind that this honor belongs to the Spiritual Growth, Outreach, and Heritage Series of AY honors, and remember what that implies. The purpose of learning puppetry in this honor is so that it may be used as an evangelism tool. Good puppets, good voices, good scripts, and good execution of the play can be a very effective evangelism tool. Poorly made puppets, boring voices, ill-conceived scripts, and inexpert execution are far less effective. The audience may lose interest, or start thinking about how awful the presentation is. Rather than the audience getting lost in the message, the message gets lost.
  
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==References==
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==Books and Articles==
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*{{cite book
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==References== <!--T:23-->
−
  | 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 = 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 = Morton, Brenda
 
−
  | first = Brenda
 
−
  | authorlink = Brenda Morton
 
−
  | coauthors =
 
−
  | title = Sleeve Puppets
 
−
  | publisher = Faber and Faber
 
−
  | date= [[1978]]
 
−
  | location = London
 
−
  | id= ISBN 0-571-11145-9}}
 
−
*{{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 }}
 
  
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==External links==
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<!--T:24-->
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* [http://www.puppetrylab.com PuppetryLab] - Advanced puppetry theory and practice tools
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*[http://www.puppetry.info/puppetry/building/index.html www.puppetry.info]
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* [http://www.hand-puppets.info Hand Puppets] - A variety of links and information about building hand puppets.
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* [http://www.101handpuppets.com/ 101 Hand Puppets] - A guide for puppeteers of all ages
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{{CloseHonorPage}}
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* [http://www.puppetools.com  Puppetools] - An Online Workshop for Educators Focused on Play Language
 
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* [http://www.puppettoyou.com/hand_puppets_guide.html  Hand Puppet Info] - Information on Hand Puppets
 
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[[Category:Puppetry]]
 
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[[it:Teatro dei burattini]]
 
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[[pl:Pacynka]]
 

Latest revision as of 23:45, 18 July 2022

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Puppetry

Skill Level

2

Year

Unknown

Version

27.11.2024

Approval authority

General Conference

Puppetry AY Honor.png
Puppetry
Spiritual Growth, Outreach and Heritage
Skill Level
123
Approval authority
General Conference
Year of Introduction
Unknown
See also
Spiritual Growth and Ministries Master Award
Puppetry - Advanced


1

Make at least one puppet, and make or buy two other puppets.


Before you make (or buy) your puppets, you should have an idea of what the puppet show is going to be about, and the type of puppets you will use. It is generally a good idea to write a script first, and then develop the puppets needed for the script. If you will be performing for a multi-cultural audience, you might consider using animal characters instead of human characters. People of any race can identify with an animal more easily than they can with a human character belonging to a different race.

There are many types of puppets to choose from, and the choice will depend on the skill of the puppet maker as well as the skill of the puppeteer. Because they are generally easier to build and work with, we will present only the sock puppet. Other puppet types include hand puppets, rod puppets, shadow puppets, human puppets (think of Sesame Street's "Big Bird"), and others.

Sock Puppets

  • Butterfly

  • Caterpillar

  • Ladybug

  • Cat

  • Snake

  • Snail

  • Toad

A sock puppet is a puppet made from a sock (or similar garment). When the manipulator fits a hand into the closed end of the sock, the puppet can be seemingly made to "talk". The puppet's mouth is formed by pushing the sock's toe into the puppeteer's palm, with the puppeteer's thumb forming the jaw. The top of the puppet's head is formed by the sock's heel. If desired, felt can be sewn into the sock to stiffen it and form the inside of the mouth. The sock is stretched out fully so that it is long enough to cover the puppeteer's wrist and part of the arm.

Sock puppets can be made from socks or stockings of any colour. Worn-out socks may be used, although socks that are too tattered may fall apart during performance, but socks are usually bought brand-new from the store in order to make sock puppets. Various additions can be glued on in order to give the sock a personality. Streamers and felt strings are popularly glued on for hair. Buttons are sewn on or Googly eyes (obtained from craft or fabric stores) are glued on for the puppet's eyes. Some of the eyes in the gallery above were made by attaching Googly eyes to pom-poms.

Other Types of Puppets

Plush toy puppets

You can make a hand puppet from a stuffed animal plush toy. Do be sure that the toy you select is not one anyone (especially a younger sibling) would object to having cut up. You might consider buying one for this purpose, as used plush toys can be found inexpensively at thrift shops. The plush toys from which the puppets on the right were made were purchased a week after Valentine's Day at a big box store. Deals can be found. Select a plush toy that will allow room for the puppeteer's hand to fit inside.

To turn it into a puppet, examine it carefully and decide where you would need to cut it open so the puppeteer's hand can be inserted. In general, this means cutting the puppet off at the waist. Make the cut and remove most of the stuffing. Trim the ragged edge. Then insert a sock (or a glove) into the puppet and sew it to the bottom edge of the plush toy. The purpose of the sock is to prevent the rest of the stuffing from coming out. If the toy's arms are hollow and can be accessed from inside of the puppet, use a glove instead of a sock, and insert the pinky and thumb of the glove into the arms (you may wish to tack them in place).

If hand sewing, you may find it easier to insert a plastic cup into the sock before trying to sew. Then you can insert the needle until it strikes the cup, and then you know that you have picked up exactly one layer of the sock (it would not be good to miss the sock or to sew the sock closed). Once the sock has been sewn to the plush toy all around, you can either use the puppet as is, or you can make a garment for it.

Puppets can also be made by knitting or crocheting, or with paper maché and a felt puppet is one of the options for the Puppetry Honor. There are many tutorials on YouTube for various styles of puppets.


2

Develop at least three puppet characters with their own voices.


Before you choose a voice for your puppet spend some time deciding what the puppet is going to be like.

Pitch

If the puppet is a female or a child, choose a higher-pitched voice. For a male, choose a lower-pitched voice. For a large male, make the voice even lower.

Accent

Decide what kind of accent the puppet should have. Think about where the puppet may have come from. For instance, if the puppet is a border collie, perhaps it should have a Scottish accent (border collies were originally bred in Scotland). Other distinctive accents to choose from could include British, Southern U.S., Boston, The Bronx (part of New York City), or even a foreigner speaking English (or other) as a second language. Listen to people who have such accents (the Internet is filled with videos of people speaking with various accents).

Habits of Speech

See if you can think of a hook word or phrase that your puppet likes to use, and incorporate that into the script. For instance, a puppet with a Southern accent might say "I reckon," and a teenage puppet would use a lot of teen jargon. An old lady or old man puppet might speak with a crackly voice and would use antiquated phrases. Decide whether your puppet speaks proper English or makes heavy use of slang. All of these things contribute to the puppet's voice.

Practice

Record yourself speaking in your puppet's voice, and listen to it. Try out a lot of different voices, and then listen to the recordings. If you hear something you like, see if you can refine it, again with the recorder running. Once you think you have something, perform the voice for one of your friends and see what they have to say about it. More refinements could be suggested.


3

Write three two-to-three minute scripts.


The hardest part about writing a script is getting a story idea. You could choose a story from the Bible and either play it as written or adapt it in some way (much the way several VeggieTales movies have a different take on a Bible story). Another source of ideas would be your Investiture Achievement curriculum. All of the progressive classes have requirements that can be met by putting on a skit or by role playing. These can easily be translated into puppet shows.

It's OK to work on these scripts as a group, but be sure that everyone participates.


4

Perform to any audience (not family or immediate friends) at least three times.


Now that you have puppets, voices, and a script, it's time to rehearse your puppet show. Appoint someone the director of the puppet show. This person should not have a puppet to operate, but rather, should take charge of the entire operation. The director will tell the puppeteers what type of expression to use in their voices, and will watch the play as it progresses. The director's job is to point out any mistakes the puppeteers make so that they can correct them rather than reinforcing them. The puppeteers need to understand that the director is only trying to improve the play, and they must be open to constructive criticism.

Once everyone knows their lines and knows how to move their puppets on the stage, it is time to perform the play. This can be done during a Pathfinder meeting, as the children's story during church, or even as the sermon (in whole or in part) on Pathfinder Sabbath. You could also take your show on the road and perform it for school children (though you need to make sure that the school knows the nature of the play - public schools in the U.S. are not allowed to host religious events, and schools in other countries are expressly forbidden to allow evangelism from religions that are not expressly sanctioned by the state.)

You could also offer to perform your play at a day care center.

Another thing you might consider which may (or may not) help your performance go more smoothly is to pre-record the puppet show's sound track, including all the voices. In this way, you may utilize a larger group of people by using different people to operate the puppets and provide the puppet voices. Or you can use the same people. This approach will also allow you to add music and sound effects, and it eliminates the risk of a person botching their lines or succumbing to stage fright.

Other risks are added however. Prerecording the audio removes spontaneity (though in some cases this might be desired) and precludes the possibility of adapting to an unforeseen situation (such as prop or stage failure). You also take on the risk of technical failure of the audio equipment. As with a completely live performance, the key is to practice.


5

Obtain an assessment of each performance by someone not related to the puppeteer.


The reason for have the assessment done by someone who is not related to the puppeteer is to avoid bias. Sometimes relatives will tell you you did a great job even if you did not because they do not want to hurt your feelings, or because they love you so much they are unable to really see your faults.

It is important to get honest feedback, because that is the only way you will be able to improve. If possible, video tape the performance and go through it with the puppeteers afterwards, pausing the videos to discuss various points. The assessor should not only point out the weaknesses and what went wrong, but should also point out the strengths and the things that went right.

Things to look out for:

  • Puppets is in the wrong place, either slipping below the stage, or being raised so high that the puppeteer's arm is revealed to the audience.
  • Mouth not synced to the voice.
  • Puppet is speaking to a character, but not "looking" in that direction.
  • Puppet is becoming the center of attention when attention should be centered on a different character.

Try to keep in mind that this honor belongs to the Spiritual Growth, Outreach, and Heritage Series of AY honors, and remember what that implies. The purpose of learning puppetry in this honor is so that it may be used as an evangelism tool. Good puppets, good voices, good scripts, and good execution of the play can be a very effective evangelism tool. Poorly made puppets, boring voices, ill-conceived scripts, and inexpert execution are far less effective. The audience may lose interest, or start thinking about how awful the presentation is. Rather than the audience getting lost in the message, the message gets lost.



References

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