Puppetry is an entirely unique art form that touches people of every age and culture. Over the past seven weeks, my exploration into marionette puppetry has centered on the development and creation of an original puppet character. I have always been fascinated with puppets and the hidden identity of their puppeteer. The way in which a creation of wood and string is able to spring to life is astounding and beautiful.
When I began this project, my focus was on well-known puppet characters like Pinocchio and Punch and Judy. It was difficult at first to break out of the confines of the familiar and to develop something new. I attempted to achieve this by traveling back in time to a few favorite books of my childhood, including The Little Prince and To Kill A Mockingbird. Rereading these stories helped me to delve deeply into the process of character development. The exploration did not produce specific, concrete ideas, but rather helped to clear my head and take me into my imagination. My dramaturgy pages incorporate text from these books and the images that they produced in my mind. I knew after these exercises that I wanted my puppet character to be a child. What followed was a multitude of sketches, many of which will not be used in the final project. However, a few drawings proved to be successful and will be incorporated into the end result.
In the last few weeks, my focus has shifted to defining aspects like facial features and dress. Clothing will speak a great deal about the personality of the puppet character, therefore designing and constructing the right costume will be very important. Also, as a costume design major I hope to emphasize the rendering of the costume as well as the final product. There will be a focus on actual design, fabric choices, and neatness of construction. Another factor will be how accurately the rendering represents the final product, since the rendering should provide a clear roadmap on how to construct each garment.
My preliminary research has provided me with new direction on what I plan to accomplish in France and what I need to do beforehand to prepare for the creative process abroad. My research abroad will be entirely hands on, learning various construction techniques for marionette puppetry. I have come with a number of ideas for the body of the puppet, including wood, fabric and clay. Originally, I planned on using wood to construct my marionette, which is the more common and traditional approach. After my research, I uncovered that softwood is considered by many to be the best method for building marionettes puppets, but that it requires a certain level of skill and practice. Since I have no background in woodworking, it might be too much of a challenge to carve a full marionette. I feel confident with the idea of constructing the figure’s form out of muslin and using stuffy for volume. Two texts that will assist me greatly in this area are Cloth Doll Making by Patti Culea and Designing he Doll by Susanna Oroyan. Each of the limbs will be sewn separately and then pieced together with thread. Another option is using a polymer clay such as sculpey. I have experience working with this medium, however there are online articles and books available to assist me as well. Whether I use fabric or clay, I also plan on hand painting details like facial features onto my puppet.
Another task in France will be drafting fabric patterns for building the character’s costume. To prepare for this, I will be collecting fabric back in the United States to bring on the trip. I would also like to incorporate fabric I find in France into the puppet costume. This way, I can take a piece of Paris and Milesey with me back home, adding a bit of culture and nostalgia to my final project.
One of the most important things I learned in my research is that the best way to build better puppets is to study humans and animals, their anatomy and how they move. Excursion to various museums in Paris will give me the opportunity to sketch the work of classical artists and truly study the human figure. In addition, I will be watching my classmates in movement lessons each day and learning from their own individual independent study projects.
