Critical Paper: 'Why Use a Puppet?'

Critical Paper: 'Why Use a Puppet?'

Title: ‘Why Use a Puppet?’The use of puppetry in the staging of contemporary theatre.

Abstract: Puppetry is an ancient art and tradition spanning international cultures, which survives as an engaging tool for staging theatre. In a contemporary era with increasingly more sophisticated technologies, skills and materials available, why are we still drawn and mesmerised by the physical and often simplistic puppet? What are the reasons a creative team might choose to use a puppet in the staging of a performance and what are some of the key advantages in utilising this art form? In short ‘Why Use a Puppet?’

With the international success of big West End shows such as The Lion King and War Horse, puppetry has seen an unprecedented rise in popularity. Inspiring still is the increasing recognition that puppets are not just the reside of children’s theatre but are appealing to a much wider and commercial audiences. Fashion may be one factor a creative company might consider in choosing to incorporate a puppet but what are the deeper more creative reasons? To be successful, puppetry needs careful consideration, understanding, time and skill to achieve and it is important that the decision to use a puppet is clearly thought through with vision and purpose, considering both practical and metaphorical reasons. As Rachel Warr the artist in residence at The Little Angel Theatre said in an interview on the subject:

‘There are many possible reasons for using a puppet rather than an actor, the important thing is to make sure that there is a reason which is connected to the theme or concept of the piece.’

Explored in this paper are some of the key reasons for using a puppet, including possibly the most common, to show the impossible character or action. ‘The puppet stage more easily than the human stage can show us the speaking dog, the handless child, the reborn corpse, the weeping statue, the enchanted ring.’ Gross. K pg69. This realm of fantasy is one of the main reasons puppetry lends itself so well to the staging of children’s’ stories, filled with mythical creatures, imaginary words and adventurous actions. Another human impossibility found in puppetry is the playfulness of scale, so often a miniature world but not exclusively as seen in the work of The Royal De Luxe and their Sea Odyssey Giants shown on the streets of Liverpool.

Discussed is also the notion of character transformation, the way puppets ‘All acquire different souls and spirits, all have different stories to tell.’Gross. K pg1, including practise based research in the concept staging of Deep Heat. Finally the paper will touch on the use of puppets to engage an audience in a unique way, perhaps through interaction often seen in therapy approaches but also the intangible magic of seeing an inanimate object brought to life ‘…when the human spirit visibly animates an object, we experience a wondrous, almost life-giving connection.’ Taymor, J. Pg225.

‘Why Use a Puppet?’ will not provide any clear-cut answers, rather an exploration of possibilities, which open up discussion and encourage a deeper thought process in the decision to use a puppet.


Critical Paper:

Puppet theatre has fascinated countless generations and cultures. Why are we drawn to and enchanted by these often doll-like figures and particularly in the context of a modern age, full of technological opportunities, still using these primitive objects? Indeed there seems to be somewhat of a ‘current puppet renaissance’ (Bell, 2001, p.1) heralded by major productions such as War Horse and The Lion King. These shows have extended puppetry beyond a child based audience and awoken a new found recognition for the power of this art form. What defines this power and why might a modern theatre maker choose to use a puppet rather than an actor or digital animation? The reasons are many and often complex, for ‘we are dealing with a genre of the performing arts - intriguing and shape-shifting - for which there are few rule’ (Francis, 2012, p4). Arguably there are two aspects; the practical and the artistic. It is only through the consideration of both of these, combined with an understanding of the unique relationship established with an audience, that we are able to harness the magical nature of the puppet.

In practise, the puppet, as a manmade object, has the potential to perform seemingly impossible actions or resemble fantastically impossible characters, ‘Marionettes have a wonderful power to fly aloft, to leap and turn, and float free of gravitation... in ways no human can.’ (Gross, 2011, p.65) Puppets can be designed and manipulated to perform and represent countless characters and stories and for these reasons they appeal readily to the fantasy themed genres often associated with children’s theatre. ‘The puppet stage more easily than the human stage can show us the speaking dog, the handless child, the reborn corpse, the weeping statue, the enchanted ring.’ (Gross, 2011, p.69) Puppets can easily transcend into different worlds, swim in the sea, fly into the air, climb the tallest tree or even transform themselves into new wonderful shapes. This array of puppet abilities is demonstrated effectively in the ‘uncanny and enchanting’ (Clapp, 2014) Little Angel production of Jabberwocky*1. Choosing a puppet opens up a vast imaginary world, full of highly imaginary creatures, which becomes tangible to an audience in the reality of a made object.

Scale is an important factor, which can be easily manipulated through the use of puppets. The Jabberwocky production again takes full advantage of this opportunity, operating in multiple scales using multiple versions of the same character. Puppet worlds are often ‘shrunken or reduced doubles of a human world, easier thus to manipulate, to arrange and rearrange, join and disjoin’ (Gross, 2011 p.39) A smaller world might share with us a glimpse of a fantasyland or the hidden depths of the animal kingdom. It can represent our human world, metaphorically, with the puppeteers clearly manipulating, like a greater force, fate, religion or nature. As an audience we must look at this world differently and from a different view. ‘Watching puppetry at its best, the audience experiences the art from several perspectives at once.’ (Taymor, 2007, p.225) In War Horse*2 it is the naturalistic scale of the horse puppets, which is astonishing. We are shocked by their scale and power, set closely before us onstage. Exaggerated still, are the giant puppets created by Royal De Luxe*3. These characters dominate the city landscapes and allow us to witness close at hand the impossible. Their many puppeteers scatter around like busy ants, working as a slick team to provide the life of the puppet. The visible puppeteers in both these cases enhance the action; we are impressed by their human capabilities as much as the puppets. ‘When we see a person manipulating an inanimate object like a puppet and making it come alive, the duality moves us... We become engaged by both the method of story telling and by the story itself.’ (Taymor, 2007, P.225)

The ability to do the impossible extends deeper than the physical, transcending cultural and social etiquette. For example, seen in the traditional character of ‘Punch’, who commits countless brutal murders. Puppets as representational and metaphoric beings, can be used to convey deep social and political messages, such as the wartime political puppetry of Eastern Europe and radical companies such as Bread and Butter Theatre*4. ‘Puppets are immediate and authentic... able to cross boundaries of both opinion and propriety, enabling us to critique society and government with handmade beauty and wit.’ (Ruby, 2000) It is never accurate to assume puppets can do more than an actor, they suffer from limited expressions, language and indeed life, but its true to say, they can do, whatever we design for them and their ability to resemble real life but not actually live it, means they can transcend social boundaries without repercussion.

The audience’s role in puppet theatre is an exciting aspect of this genre and the active involvement necessary, a key reason to use a puppet. Theatre is a social experience, which presents a live and tangible product. We are drawn to this ‘liveness’ (Auslander, p1, 1999) despite an increasingly mediatized culture of film and Internet. We seek active engagement and this can be found in puppetry, which only ‘exists through interaction with an audience and only the imagination of the spectators gives it life.’ (Ackerman, 1993) The audience must invest energy and imagination, they work harder to enter a different world and to understand the meaning of movements. In War Horse a clear artistic decision to keep the horses silent, meant conveying their emotion and thoughts through motion, and as a result ‘The audience quickly develop an affinity and fascination with the horses. They clearly want to understand what the horse is feeling and thinking... The audience thus experience a strong feeling of empowerment.’ (Taylor, 2009, P.261) There is magic in the puppet, which is only brought to life through a unique relationship between puppet, puppeteer and spectator. Our imagination proves more exciting and deeper than any possible reality.

Puppets have a unique quality to ignite our imagination, bring to life fantasy and represent real life in a symbolic way. ‘Their world is a poem, not a short story’ (Bass, l992). As spectators we engage and are reminded of childish pursuits. They offer an opportunity to feel playful and witness tangible impossibilities. As David Currell concludes ‘The survival of puppet theatre over some 4000 years owes a great deal to man’s fascination with the inanimate object animated in a dramatic manner, and to the very special way in which puppet theatre involves its audience’ (Currell, 2005, p.9). ‘Whatever one's conceptions and prejudices, it is true that contemporary mainstream theatre has grasped the metaphoric and symbolic significance of puppets and is making use of their theatrical power.’ (Francis, 2012, p73.) Puppets are engaging when handled and chosen sensitively and with the advent of more profound and complex uses of this genre, our skills and understanding will inevitably grow. They are real and often highly beautiful objects; pieces of art and for that reason alone are irreplaceable by new technology. Their strange sense of life and magic will continue to fascinate us and play a key part in our increasing array of theatre making tools.

Footnotes:
*1 A Little Angel Theatre Production, inspired by the Lewis Carroll poem
*2 A National Theatre production based on the novel War Horse, by Michael Morpurgo adapted by Nick Stafford,

in association with Handspring Puppet Company
*3 A French theatre company of inventors, stuntmen, poets and scrap-dealers, led by Jean-Luc Courcoult.

*4 A politically radical puppet theater, active since the 1960s, currently based in, Vermont. Its founder and director is Peter Schumann.


References:

  • AUSLANDER, P (1999) Liveness: Performance in a Mediatized Culture: Performance in an Mediatized Culture. Oxon: Routledge
  • BASS, E. (l992). Breaking Boundaries: American Puppetry in the l980's. Report prepared for the Center of Puppetry Arts, Altanta: Georgia.
  • BLUMENTHAL, E, Taymor, J, Monda, A. (3rd Ed 2007). Julie Taymor: Playing With Fire. New York: Abrams
  • CLAPP, S (2014) Jabberwocky, The Guardian, http://www.theguardian.com/stage/2014/dec/28/jabberwocky-little-angel-review-observer- uncanny-enchanting
  • CURRELL, D (1999) Puppets and Puppet Theatre. Wiltshire: The Crowood Press Ltd
  • FRANCIS, P (2012) Puppetry: a reader in theatre practise. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan
  • GROSS, K (2011) Puppet: An Essay on Uncanny Life. Chicago & London: The University of Chicago Press
  • POSNER, DN, Orenstein, C, Bell, J (eds) (2014) The Routlegde companion to puppetry and material performance. New York: Routledge
  • RUBY, K, (2000), History of Radical Puppetry, http://www.rogueruby.com/radpup.html, 4 A politically radical puppet theater, active since the 1960s, currently based in, Vermont. Its founder and director is Peter Schumann.

• TAYLOR, J. (ed.) (2009) Handspring Puppet Company. South Africa: David Krut

Bibliography:

  • AUSLANDER, P (1999) Liveness: Performance in a Mediatized Culture: Performance in an Mediatized Culture. Oxon: Routledge
  • BASS, E. (l992). Breaking Boundaries: American Puppetry in the l980's. Report prepared for the Center of Puppetry Arts, Altanta: Georgia.
  • BLUMENTHAL, E, Taymor, J, Monda, A. (3rd Ed 2007). Julie Taymor: Playing With Fire. New York: Abrams
  • BELL, J (Ed) Puppets, Masks and Performing Objects. New York: TDR Books
  • BERNIER, M, O’HARE, J, (2005) Puppetry In education and Therapy Indiana: Author House
  • COLLINS. J. 2010 Theatre and Performance Design: A Reader in Scenography
  • CURRELL, D (1999) Puppets and Puppet Theatre. Wiltshire: The Crowood Press Ltd
  • CURRELL, D (2004) Making and Manipulating Marionettes. Wiltshire: The Crowood Press Ltd
  • FRANCIS, P (2012) Puppetry: a reader in theatre practise. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan
  • GROSS, K (2011) Puppet: An Essay on Uncanny Life. Chicago & London: The University of Chicago Press
  • POSNER, DN, Orenstein, C, Bell, J (eds) (2014) The Routlegde companion to puppetry and material performance. New York: Routledge
Websites:
Events:
  • ‘Contraptions and assemblages: Scenography and spectatorship'. J. McKinney, Lecture (2014) The Queen Mary University of London
  • Golem. Play (2014) Young Vic Theatre
  • Jabberwocky. Play (2014) The Little Angel Theatre
  • Puppetry Writers Evening. Workshop (2014) The Little Angle Theatre
  • Theatre & Performance Gallery. Exhibition (2014) The Victoria & Albert Museum
  • The Disobedient Object. Exhibition (2014) The Victoria & Albert Museum
  • The Lion King. Musical (2005) Lyceum Theatre
  • War Horse. Play (2014) New London Theatre


Tags: MA Research U1