Puppet Theatre
Puppets Then vs. Now
Though there are many theories about the exact origins of puppets, it is generally accepted that they were used in religious rituals across many ancient civilizations on multiple continents. The use of puppets in Western theatre arose primarily associated with toys and children during the Industrial Revolution. Today, they are used in abundance and represent our modern relationship to the material, inanimate world.
Psychology of Puppets
Humans find puppets fascinating. There have been many theories as to why that is, many surrounding the idea of the uncanny, that we do not quite know whether a puppet is alive or dead (blurring the line between animate/inanimate). Much of our fascination arises from an obsession with material objects and from humans' innate tendency to personify and play with the physical world. In many ways, materialism leads us to hold an emotional stake in various objects in our lives. This is heightened in puppetry, where an object is given life before our eyes. Puppets thus hold an emotional command over audiences, and we seek to understand and interpret their thoughts and feelings. The puppet, an obvious contrast to the live actors on stage, thus holds its own dramaturgy and challenges notions of mastery over the physical world.
The Performance of Life
(the work of a puppeteer)
It is necessary to establish that the puppet and the puppeteer are co-present. This ensures that the puppet is not viewed as inferior to its human counterparts. To do so, the puppeteer must establish a sense of autonomy. Eyeline and vision are important because they establish visual agency and communicate thoughts. Importantly, of course, the puppeteer must work at every moment to make the puppet “alive.” Extending beyond this, they must establish the puppet’s thoughts and feelings. In puppetry, the moments of stillness and breathing often best convey a puppet's emotions (known as the “text” of motionlessness).
Core Principles
Verbal vs. Physical: There is a persistent, dramatic tension between the verbal text assigned to a puppet and its physicality. Thus, the puppeteer holds agency to extend or confront the text through physical movement.