THE ART OF PUPPETRY.   Term Paper ID:29754 Click to get this paper

Essay Subject: Puppets and puppeteers as mainstays of human culture and entertainment.... More...

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Paper Abstract: Puppets and puppeteers as mainstays of human culture and entertainment. Puppets throughout history, from ancient Greeks to Native Americans to the present. Variety of forms in different countries. Survival of puppetry throughout history. How puppets work. Technical dimensions of the art of puppetry. American puppets such as Howdy Doody, Charlie McCarthy. Paper Introduction: The Art of Puppetry An Overview Puppets come in all shapes and sizes and there are a variety of forms of puppetry. A general definition of a puppet is a “figure whose movements are controlled by another through strings, rods, or hand movements” (Copp, 2002, 1). There are shadow puppets, string puppets, glove or hand puppets and rod puppets. Each type of puppet dictates a unique form of puppetry. String puppets commonly called marionettes are jointed figures most often controlled by strings from above, while hand or rod puppets are most often controlled by the puppeteer from underneath the figure. Puppets and puppetry have long fascinated man and been a part of his culture. Greek accounts of fifth century BC refer to figures operated by str Text of the Paper: The entire text of the paper is shown below. However, the text is somewhat scrambled. We want to give you as much information as we possibly can about our papers and essays, but we cannot give them away for free. In the text below you will find that while disordered, many of the phrases are essentially intact. From this text you will be able to get a solid sense of the writing style, the concepts addressed, and the sources used in the research paper. There are different artistic effects of puppetry based on the kindof puppet being employed. While puppets were popular with the masses, especiallythose of the Commedia dell'arte which often satirized authorities and pokedfun at the injustices of life, puppetry was also popular among the highranking. Perrots Puppet Players. Like singing, however, some of theearliest forms of puppets and puppetry were central to religiousceremonies. Speaight mentions that theGreek word koree as meaning both a sleeve that covers the hand, and a smallstatue" (Observations, 2 3, 2). China, Indonesia, Europe, Turkey,Rome, Egypt, Greece and many other countries developed different forms ofpuppets and puppetry. Greek accounts of fifth century BC refer to figures operated bystrings and to traveling players putting on puppet shows. The morefamous American puppets and puppeteers show the variety of puppets andforms of puppetry that have evolved in American culture. (2 3). Many countrieswere introducing operation control changes to existing known forms ofpuppets and yet, developing different kinds of puppets, at relatively thesame time" (2). Tribal hinged masks or jointed skulls probably represent themost primitive forms of puppets, used by African tribes. While the Chinese used rods from the bottom, Turkishpuppeteers used rods from the side to control movement and also added waistmovement to their puppets. Such puppets are displayedbehind a backlit screen so their shadows are visible to audiences from thefront of the screen. Today's puppeteers more typically hide their head behind a screenand keep the puppets in front of them while performing. (Jan 19 2 2). Available: http://www.lovelandumc.org/aspects_of_puppetry.htm, 1-2. Each type of puppet dictates aunique form of puppetry. Puppets and puppeteers will continue to be a mainstay ofhuman culture and entertainment. Puppets and puppetry also enjoy a rich history in America. Theimprovisational nature of the Commedia dell'arte in Italian theater wasresponsible for the origination of such puppets as Pulcinella, who wouldlater become "Punch" in English of the famous Punch and Judy puppet shows(Staddon, 2 3, 1). EdgarBergen and Charlie McCarthy were perhaps the most popular American puppetand puppeteer act in history. In Sir William Davenants' poem TheLong Vacation in London, describes the construction of one of the puppetbooths he viewed: And man in chimney hid to dress Puppet that acts our old Queen Bess And man that while the puppets play, Through nose expoundeth what they say... A brief history of puppetry. (2 3). In conclusion, puppets have long been a part of human culture.Whether as a symbol in religious ceremonies or for sheer entertainment, thehuman-like figures of puppetry have appealed to audiences for most ofrecorded history. Available: http://www.sagecraft.com/puppetry/definitions/historical/chapter3.html, 1-6.Staddon, B. Aside from entertainment, puppetry enables the puppeteerto extend the self, to "explain, explore, embrace or critique the humancondition" as Copp argues (2 2, 1). (2 3). The long history of puppetry. There are many technical dimensions to the art of puppetry.Seemingly simplistic in form, the actual craft of puppetry involves avariety of technical dimensions that must be considered. Fromthe 12th to the 18th century in Europe, puppetry spread and evolved. The Art of Puppetry An Overview Puppets come in all shapes and sizes and there are a variety offorms of puppetry. Available: http://www.cuerden.co/uk/ppphist.html, 1-5.Copp, L. For example, the Chinese originated shadow puppets,translucent figures that are brightly painted. (Brief, 2 3, 4)The chimney described refers to a long narrow booth without a top or roof.The puppeteer would hold the glove puppets above his head for the entireshow. In agriculture-related festivals Native Americans used puppets and the Egyptians favoredterra cotta as their favorite material from which to fashion puppets.Puppets and puppetry have evolved for centuries with a variety of countriescontributing to the different forms. In his diaries, Samuel Pepys makes the first mention of open-airpuppet performances. Typically rods or strings are used in theirmanipulation. Lipsynchronization is another critical aspect of good puppetry. Puppets shouldmaintain eye contact with the audience and it adds realism when otherpuppets who are not speaking remain focused on the puppet who is speaking.These and numerous other technical dimensions involved in puppetryrepresent the core of its artistry. So, too, words should not be chopped orbitten. Hand puppets also enjoyed enormouspopularity in the form of Shari Lewis' Lamb Chop. Available: http://www.bertstaddon.com/history.htm, 1-3.Technical aspects of puppetry. As Staddon (2 3) writes, "Pepys writes that hewatched the puppets a few times, once he stopped for a show in Hyde Parkand it made him late for an appointment with the king" (1-2). Available: http://www.sunniebunniezz.com/puppetry/puphistory.htm, 1-4.Observations on the historical development of puppetry. A. As one historianargues, "Glove puppets may be very ancient. Expertsrecommend the mouth of the puppet should be opened once for each syllableof speech (Technical, 2 3, 1). Smooth, fluid movements that are realistic tohuman movements should be used to provide realism for the audience. The diversity andpopularity of Jim Henson's rod puppets known as the Muppets pervadeAmerican culture. A lot of beginning puppeteers make the mistake of doing the opposite; starting with the mouth open and closing it on the spoken word, then opening the mouth and leaving it open when nothing is being said (Technical 2 3, 1).Synchronization of movements and sound is also important. String puppets commonly called marionettes arejointed figures most often controlled by strings from above, while hand orrod puppets are most often controlled by the puppeteer from underneath thefigure. Whether they were puppeteers, jesters, jugglersor entertainers, they helped puppets find new audiences in new lands. Howdy Doody was amarionette, Kukla Fran and Ollie were hand puppets, and the puppets of Mr.Rogers, Paul Winchell and Jerry Mahoney are ventriloquist dummies. For example, to increase depth of stage puppets should not belined up in firing quad fashion. Puppets and puppetry have long fascinated man and been a part of hisculture. (2 3). Thus both puppets and puppetry have evolvedfrom a rich diversity of cultures and styles. Manipulation offigures, lip synchronization and positioning of puppets with respect toeach other and the audience are all important technical dimensions ofpuppetry. So, too, when entrancing and exitingpuppets should appear to walk up or walk down steps respectively to providemore depth and realism. A general definition of a puppet is a "figure whosemovements are controlled by another through strings, rods, or handmovements" (Copp, 2 2, 1). The survival of puppetry throughout history is largely due to thetraveling nature of puppeteers whose travels and performances helped keepthe art of puppetry alive. These effects have also evolved over the years.Puppet shows have been presented everywhere from street corners and thebacks of wagons to theaters and fairs. ReferencesA brief history of the puppet theatre. According to one technical discussion of puppetry, this is one ofthe most common forms of error made by beginning puppeteers: Don't 'bite' the words; in other words, the mouth of the puppet should open when the word is spoken and then close when no word is spoken. There are shadow puppets, string puppets,glove or hand puppets and rod puppets. As Copp (2 2) maintains,"Three dimensional rod puppets evolved from shadow puppets. If this paper is not what you are looking for, you can search again: Search for: or Click here to request an essay written just for you.