All About A Puppeteer: Curious Puppet Master Facts Explained For Kids

Released in 1989, PuppetMaster was a movie that became a cult classic and piqued people’s interest in puppets.

The origin of puppetry dates back many years, most likely as shadow puppetry in China while some believe it to have originated in India. Tribal masks having fused craniums and hinged mandibles are considered as one of the earliest forms of puppets. These were used in religious ceremonies.

Doll-like structures having movable limbs were further morphed from puppets. The Indus Valley civilization seems to be the birthplace of this interesting art form. During the excavation of Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro, many terracotta dolls were unearthed. They also had strings connected to these dolls. In India, stick puppets were made to perform epics like Ramayana and Mahabharata.

Kathputli Bhats was the title given to wooden puppet performers. Bunraku puppets are Japanese puppets. These were used as substitutes for stage actors as they had expressionistic facial structures.

Puppet shows performed in waist-high water bodies are famous as ancient Vietnamese water puppetry or Mua Roi Nuoc. Long pipes are used to make puppets move and support them, thus, giving an illusion of them floating on the water surface. Tholpavakoothu, Kerala puppetry form, is shadow puppetry used for the depiction of Kamba Ramayana in temples.

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Who coined the term puppeteer?

Puppetry is a theatrical art form that entails the manipulation and control of puppets. Different forms have been used across the ages. However, all these forms moving inanimate objects in some way. Puppetry is an interesting way of narrating a story.

The term puppeteer was coined somewhere around 1912-1915 by Ellen Van Volkenburg. She and her husband Maurice Brown established the Chicago Little Theatre.

The first-ever known use of the term puppetry was supposedly in 1915. Born Nellie Van Volkenburg in Battle Creek, Michigan, Ellen was born on October 8, 1882, and passed away on December 15, 1978. Throughout 1905, she performed in a varied range of plays.

She assisted as an actress and director in the theatre she opened with her husband during 1912-13. She was also a women’s suffrage supporter.

During 1918-1919, she slowly expanded her craft throughout New York, Chicago, Seattle, San Francisco, and gradually across the world. At the Cornish School of Theatre, she collaborated with Nellie Cornish and later ended up forming what would later be known as puppet groups.

Together, they also trained people on the west coast, forming the very first batch of professional puppeteers, thus, further categorizing puppeteering as a career.

How do you become a puppeteer?

You don't encounter a puppeteer every other day. It is a rare occurrence. Even when you meet a professional puppeteer you would be surprised to know about the amount of hard work and dedication it takes before one can be deemed the title of a puppeteer.

Over the decades, puppetry has been a widely used communication method. The art of puppetry even precedes theatre.

Some of the basic skills one needs to have a grasp of are voice creation, singing, scriptwriting, acting, sewing, set construction, and much more.

First and foremost, one needs to learn control. Control is key. A puppeteer is someone who has complete control over their puppets at all times. The second thing to master is eye focus. Eye movement can be a major factor that can help your act look more pleasing and natural.

What do you call a female puppeteer?

A person who operates a puppet is termed a puppeteer. There is no indication that the sex of the person differentiates the title given to the puppeteer.

Every puppet has a varied range of styles, shapes, sizes, or expressions. Hand puppets are operated from below. Marionettes are overhead-operated puppets that have strings attached to various body parts.

The Latin word ’pupa’ meaning ‘doll or girl’ gives its roots to the Middle English word ‘popet’ meaning ‘doll’. The art of puppeteering or ventriloquism was introduced by TV pioneers Edgar Bergen with the help of the character Charlie McCarthy.

A Famous Puppeteer And His Life History

Waldo Sullivan Lanchester, the founder of Lanchester Marionettes, was a British puppeteer. He was the brother of the actress who was famous for playing the lead in 'The Bride of Frankenstein', Elsa Lanchester. Baldo and Belsa were among the very first creations by Waldo.

In 1960, he published a book ‘Hand Puppets and String Puppets’ which has served as an important source in puppeteering revival. Some of his famous works which made him famous across the globe included 'A Trip to Bath' (1958), 'Underwater Ballet' (1939), 'Shakes vs Shav', 'Peter and the Wolf', 'L’Amfiparnaso', and 'Philemon and Baucis' (1952).

He worked along with his wife. They both performed many shows and got applause for their talent. They even performed in front of Queen Elizabeth. They decided to retire in the year 1969. Waldo died on December 15, 1978 in Stratford.

A master puppeteer will learn and create his own choreography of a play before performing it for the audience on stage. He may refer to something or someone and will speak accordingly.

The puppet can be a father, a teacher, or even an animal; basically, anything that the writer wants as the cast and company for the dramatic play to entertain the audience on stage.

It can even be an abstract figure puppet character. For example, puppet characters in the Muppets are known worldwide for their manipulated storyline. There are giant puppets in the puppetry arts as well.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy!

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