Remember Kermit the Frog and Miss Piggy’s love affair? How about Fozzie Bear and his joke-telling? There was a resurgence of Muppet theater in the early aughts and 2010s thanks to the release of several Muppet movies. Since then, the Muppets have been streaming into home theaters delighting audiences of all ages as they come together on the sofa and loveseat set or in their power recliners with their bowls of popcorn. Kermit, Miss Piggy, and all the other Muppet characters are an example of puppetry. Puppetry is the act of giving inanimate objects life-like characteristics through the manipulation of a puppeteer. Puppetry can be useful in many ways. It is a great way to help students learn in the classroom. The focus is not on the student so they can relax and use their creativity in a dramatic activity. Puppetry allows theaters to bring objects to life on-stage that could not otherwise be used. For example, in the award-winning Broadway play Warhorse, the story is told from the perspective of an English farm horse who is actually an amazing puppet. As with other forms of pretend play, playing with puppets and putting on puppet shows in their home theater seating area allows children to work through difficult emotions and process events in their lives in a safe way. The next time your child wants you to sit and watch their performance, take the time to sit with them; you may be surprised at what they have to share.

Though no one can be 100 percent certain of the actual beginning of puppetry, there are some theories. Puppetry utilizes puppets, which are the objects manipulated by a person or puppeteer. Approximately one thousand years B.C. India was said to be its birthplace. Indian epics such as Maha-Bharata were acted out using stick puppets. The texts were very entertaining with the puppets, and the performances were very lively.

Indonesians used wayang puppets in their performances which began with a speech from a holy person. The performances had some seriousness to them. Wayang puppets can be round or flat. The wayang kulit is the flat type of puppet and is created from buffalo leather. Wayang puppets are used behind white screens that have black lights so they appear as shadows to the audience members.

Centuries later, bunraku puppets (Japanese puppets that were big and very expensive) were used to replace actors on-stage. Bunraku itself is actually a Japanese puppet theater where the performance is a combination of puppeteers, musicians, and narrators. The puppets of this era were very sophisticated and perfect for dramas concerning history and love stories. As many as three men could be assigned to each puppet while being hooded and clothed in all black. They were visible to the audience yet not acknowledged.

When people think of modern puppetry many often think of the Muppets or Sesame Street. Modern puppetry can also be found on Broadway such as in The Lion King. Unlike the puppetry of the Muppets, with the puppetry utilized in this production, the audience can see the puppeteers. The puppets are life-size and attached to the puppeteers. The puppeteer can manipulate the entire body of the puppet including its face. This helps to show emotion for the puppet. Because the puppeteers are visible to the audience, they too can lend facial expressions to the performance. For example, in this play, the character of Timon is a puppet. The puppeteer is dressed in all green including green hair and facepaint. The audience is therefore drawn to the puppet and not the puppeteer. The use of puppetry in plays really brings the characters to life.

Puppetry can also be used in conjunction with special effects for movies. For example, in the film The Muppet Movie special effects are utilized in addition to the traditional Muppet puppetry. Nvidia Quadro GPU’s helped alter various film frames and add realistic animation to the movie. The Muppets themselves remain puppets though. The puppets can do more incredible things thanks to the addition of special effects.

If puppetry intrigues you and seems like something you would enjoy learning, there are universities that offer degrees in puppetry, as well as colleges that offer a few classes in the subject area. You can also find internships and workshops that are offered in puppetry. Puppetry scholarships and awards are also available if you are interested in something like that to help with your education. If you are interested in trying out different types of puppetry, a home theater production may be just the ticket to try your hand at it. Gather your friends and family in your home theater, on your sectional couch, or in their favorite home theater seat, and showcase your new found interest.

The following links will all provide you with much more information on puppetry educational options. Now is the time to discover the world of puppetry; a true historical art form.

• Ballard Institute and Museum of Puppetry – This article discusses the museum of puppetry as well as a nearby facility offering undergraduate and graduate degrees in puppetry. The museum’s location is Connecticut.
• Bachelor of Fine Arts-Puppetry/Creative Dramatics – This website discusses the degree and what is involved in it.
• Theatre Arts Department -Central Washington University – This university offers beginning and advanced puppetry courses as well as graduate courses for master’s degree candidates that include puppetry.
• UNIMA-USA Scholarships – Scholarships around the globe are offered via this website and the relative links.
• Great Arizona Puppet Theater – This puppet theater has puppetry internships.
• Eulenspiegel Puppets – This company offers both residencies and workshops in puppetry.
• Center for Puppetry Arts Program Offerings – Programs are offered for ages pre-Kindergarten to adult.
• Rhode Island School of Design – This institute offers some courses in puppetry.
• Central School of Speech and Drama – The institute in London offers two puppetry degree options.
• Dell’ Arte International – This school focuses on the exploration and development of physical performance and attracts students from throughout the world. It can be found in California.