Wood and Waterfall: Puppetry training and its anthropology

Abstract

Premises and paradoxesLittle has been written in English about training for the puppeteer, and that which has been written focuses predominantly on understanding the nature of the puppet, not that of the puppeteer; or concentrates on exercises and techniques. The pioneering twentieth-century Russian director Sergei Obraztsov suggested experimenting with the qualities of 'puppet-ness' (in contrast to the puppet as imitator of the human). (Obraztsov 1938: 78) The Swedish puppeteer and director Michael Meschke elaborated a 'grammar' for puppetry action, through dividing and classifying types of training techniques. These included exercises such as the dead point, which he referred to as the state of concentration necessary in order to initiate clearly defined action, achieved through four clear steps: emptying the mind; abstracting the thought; focusing on the immediate task; initiating the task with passion (Meschke 1988: 54); he also analysed different categories of looks and leans, extensions, counterbalance, rhythmic and balance exercises and patterns of speed and focus engineered to develop the dynamic potential of the puppet. (Meschke 1988: 48 --68) Puppetry training, however, clearly goes beyond technical exercises (although these are very useful), and can be considered as a deep approach that seeks to understand the basic essence of the art of the puppeteer and their approach towards the animated object.

Walk in/walk as my shoes: Puppetry and prosocial empathy in healthcare

“…The focus is therefore necessarily outside the puppeteer's own body and is aimed at showing a series of actions, emotions and reactions which are not necessarily the puppeteer's own. In Astles (2009a), referencing Eugenio Barba (2007), I propose that within puppetry training, the puppeteer directs the energy outside their body through the pre-expressive principles of distraction and continuum. By distraction I refer not to casting one's attention randomly and without focus, but instead 'a concentrated and profound act of attention derived from a sense of giving to something else' (Astles 2009a: 57); this takes place whilst the puppeteer maintains the principle of continuum, which is defined as '…a process whereby…all movement between puppets, puppeteers and other elements on stage are intrinsically linked, in constant motion and relationality' (Astles 2009a: 58).…”