Puppet Theater: Designing and Directing Visual Storytelling

TDM 135B Subject & Catalog Number

Description

Contemporary puppet theater approaches design and devising from a holistic perspective. All objects onstage contribute to a total performing world. Characters, scenery, and even the stage itself may all be manipulated by hand to become animate, performing beings. Through the lens of puppetry, students are invited to consider how all theater might use visual design elements as active storytellers.

Students are guided through the creation and performance of two puppet shows, each in a different style. The first project examines the possibilities of toy theater. Originally a nineteenth century European tradition, it includes a focus on the design of the theater itself (in miniature), and historically, all scenery and characters are flat. In contemporary toy theater, size and dimensionality vary, but a focus on performing scenery and stage effects is retained. The second project explores shadow puppetry. With ancient Asian roots, shadow puppetry exists across the world today in a multitude of forms. This class utilizes a combination of overhead projectors, handheld light sources, paper cut outs, printed images, live drawing, and varied projection surfaces.

Projects are informed by examples of contemporary puppet theater as well as theories of art and visual perception, theater scenography, cinema and comics. Classes are divided into varied length segments of discussion, puppet theater construction, play and performing. The class explores devising theater with music, text, or image as core inspiration and alternative models of story structure. Projects investigate different modes of collaboration and varied approaches to the performing puppeteer. Homework includes simple puppet construction, devising and rehearsing original performances, as well as short readings and viewings to complement the practical creation. 

Grades are assessed by students’ investment in their own artistic and technical growth, attempts to integrate concepts and techniques explored in class into puppet shows, approach towards supportive collaboration inside and outside the classroom, focus, and willingness to try new things and take artistic risks. After completing this course students will have gained valuable skills for devising theater and performance without a script both solo and in a group, incorporating the storytelling capacity of inanimate objects and scenery, utilizing the metaphors inherent to the actor-puppeteer character, and generating strong visual imagery that truly performs onstage.

Course Notes

Expect homework to require 4-8 hours of your time each week. Homework must be accomplished in the craft lab set up for this course. The second half of the semester requires scheduling group rehearsals outside of class. Visit the Canvas course page for enrollment information and deadlines. This course satisfies the “Practical" requirement for TDM concentrators and Secondary Field students.