A puppet is a representational figure manipulated by a puppeteer. A puppeteer is a person who manipulates an inanimate object — a Puppet — in real time to create the illusion of life It is usually but not always a depiction of a human character and is used in a play or a presentation. The puppet undergoes a process of transformation through being animated, and is normally manipulated by one, or sometimes more than one, puppeteer. Some puppets can be moved electronically. There are lots of different things that puppets are used for. Some for entertainment, some for Politics and some for Culture.

Puppets are made of a wide range of materials, depending on the effect required and the amount of usage intended. They can be extremely complex or very simple in their construction. There are many different varieties of puppets. Oscar Wilde wrote about puppetry, "There are many advantages in puppets. Oscar Fingal O'Flahertie Wills Wilde (16 October 1854 – 30 November 1900 was an Irish Playwright, Novelist, poet and Author of They never argue. They have no crude views about art. They have no private lives. "^[1]

Puppeteers on puppets and puppetry

"A puppet is not an actor and a puppet theatre is not human theatre in miniature, because when an actor 'represents', a puppet 'is'. " David Currell ^[2] .

"Through puppetry we accept the outrageous, the absurd or even the impossible, and will permit puppets to say and do things no human could. We allow a puppet to talk to us when no one else can get us to speak. We allow a puppet to smile at us even when we have not been introduced. We also allow a puppet to touch us when a person would lose an arm for the same offence. " Anita Sinclair ^[3]

"Puppetry is a highly effective and dynamically creative means of exploring the richness of interpersonal communication. By its very nature, puppetry concentrates on the puppet rather than the puppeteer. This provides a safety zone for the puppeteer and allows for exploration of unlimited themes through a safe and non-threatening environment for communication. " ^[4] He adds, "Designing a puppet involves the same processes that a performer uses in building a character. A puppet must always have a valid reason for being. The marvellous thrill of puppetry is that puppets by their very nature do things that are not humanly possible. This allows for the imagination to explore countless different possibilities. " David Logan^[5]

History of the puppet

Puppetry is a very ancient art form, probably first originating about 30,000 years ago ^[6]. David Logan may refer to Dave Logan (American football (born 1954 former NFL wide receiver Dave Logan (defensive lineman (1956-1999 Puppetry is a form of Theatre or Performance which involves the Manipulation of Puppets. Puppets have been used since the earliest times to animate and communicate the ideas and needs of human societies. ^[7] Some historians claim that they pre-date actors in theatre. There is evidence that they were used in Egypt as early as 2000 BC when string-operated figures of wood were manipulated to perform the action of kneading bread. This article is about the country of Egypt For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Egypt topics. Wire controlled, articulated puppets made of clay and ivory have also been found in Egyptian tombs. Hieroglyphs also describe 'walking statues' being used in Ancient Egyptian religious dramas. ^[6] The oldest written record of puppetry can be found in the written records of Xenophon dating from around 422 B. C. ^[8]

Asia

The character Osono, from the play Hade Sugata Onna Maiginu, in a performance by the Tonda Traditional Puppet Troupe of Nagahama, Shiga Prefecture, Japan - an example of Japanese Bunraku puppetry

Some scholars trace the origin of puppets to India 4000 years ago, where the main character in Sanskrit plays was known as sutradhara 'the holder of strings'. ^[9]

China has had a flourishing history of puppetry for 2000 years, originally in pi-ying xi, the "theatre of the lantern shadows", or, as it is more commonly known today, Chinese shadow theatre. China ( Wade-Giles ( Mandarin) Chung¹kuo² is a cultural region, an ancient Civilization, and depending on perspective a National Shadow play (Chinese 皮影戏 pi ying xi or shadow puppetry is an ancient form of Storytelling and Entertainment using opaque often articulated figures By the Song Dynasty (960-1279 AD), puppets played to all social classes including the courts, yet puppeteers (as in Europe) were considered from a lower social strata. The Song Dynasty ( Wade-Giles: Sung Ch'ao was a ruling dynasty in China between 960&ndash1279 CE it succeeded the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms ^[6] In Taiwan, budaixi puppet shows, somewhat similar to the Japanese Bunraku, occur with puppeteers manipulating in the background or underground. Taiwan ( Taiwanese: Tâi-oân/Tāi-oân (historically 大灣/台員/大員/台圓/大圓/台窩灣 is an Island in East Asia. Glove puppetry ( POJ: pò͘-tē-hì) also known as budai mu'ouxi, shoucao kuileixi, shoudai kuileixi, chang-chung hsi ( Pinyin Some very experienced puppeteers can manipulate their puppets to perform various stunts (e. g. somersaults in the air).

Japan has many forms of puppetry. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics. Perhaps the most famous is the bunraku. also known as Ningyō jōruri (ja 人形浄瑠璃 is a form of traditional Japanese Puppet theater founded in Osaka in 1684 This developed out of Shinto temple rites, gradually becoming a highly sophisticated form of puppetry. Bunraku owes much to the two great puppeteers, Gidayu Takemoto and Monzaemon Chikamatsu. ^[10] By 1730 it required three puppeteers to operate each puppet in full view of the audience. ^[6] Originally, the puppeteers dressed all in black would become invisible when standing against a black background, while the torches illuminated only the carved wooden, beautifully painted and costumed puppets.

In Korea, the tradition of puppetry is thought to have come from China. Korea is a geographic area composed of two sovereign countries a civilization and a former state situated on the Korean Peninsula in East Asia. The oldest record about puppetry comes from a letter written in 982 A. D. by Choe Seung-roe to the King. ^[11] In Korean, the word for puppet is "ggogdu gagsi"^[11] Gagsi means a bride or a young woman, the most common model of dolls. A ggogdu gagsi puppet play has eight scenes. ^[11]

Thailand has Hun Krabok, a rod puppet theatre which is the most popular form of puppetry. The Kingdom of Thailand (ˈtaɪlænd ราชอาณาจักรไทย, râːtɕʰa-ʔaːnaːtɕɑ̀k-tʰɑj Thai hand puppets ( Thai: hun lakhon lek or hun lek for shorter; หุ่นละครเล็ก หุ่นเล็ก are a variety

Vietnam developed the art form of mua roi nuoc, a water puppetry unique to that country. Vietnam (ˌviːɛtˈnɑːm Việt Nam) officially Múa rối nước is Vietnamese water puppetry Múa rối nước literally means "puppets that dance on water The puppets are built out of wood and the shows are performed in a waist high pool. A large rod supports the puppet under the water and is used by the puppeteers to control them. The appearance is of various puppets moving over water. The origin of this form dates back seven hundred years when the rice field would flood and the villagers would entertain each other. Eventually villages would compete against each other with their puppet shows. This lead puppet societies to be secretive and exclusive, including an initiation ceremony involving drinking rooster blood. Only recently were women allowed to join the puppet troupes.

India has a great tradition of puppetry. India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country In the great Indian epic Mahabharata, there are references to puppets. The Rajasthani Katpuli from India is famous. There are many Indian ventriloquists and puppeteers. Prof Y. K. Padhye is the first Indian Ventriloquist. He introduced this form of puppetry in India in the 1920s. His son, Ramdas Padhye, popularised ventriloquism and puppetry. Ramdas Padhye is India's leading Ventriloquist, Puppeteer and puppet-maker Satyajit Padhye, son of Ramdas, is a third generation ventriloquist who continues this form of puppetry. Satyajit Padhye, son of Indian Ventriloquist and Puppeteer Ramdas Padhye, is a budding Ventriloquist, puppeteer and Puppet maker

Indonesia has a strong tradition of puppetry. The Republic of Indonesia ( (Republik Indonesia is a Country in Southeast Asia. In Java, wayang kulit, an elaborate form of shadow puppetry is very popular. Java (Jawa is an Island of Indonesia and the site of its Capital city Jakarta. Wayang is an Indonesian and Malay word for Theatre. When the term is used to refer to kinds of puppet theater sometimes the puppet itself is referred ^[12] Javanese rod puppets are also particularly beautiful and have a long history. They are elaborately carved and painted and used to tell fables from Javanese history.

Chinese Shadow Puppet (Beijing Style)	Chinese Stick Puppets	Vietnamese Water Puppets	Sanbaso Bunraku Puppet, Tonda Puppet Troupe, Japan
Traditional Indonesian puppets and puppeteer	Wayang puppet from Bali, Indonesia

Middle East

Karagoz, Turkish shadow puppetry

Middle Eastern puppetry, like its other theatre forms, should be seen in the context of its Islamic culture. Karagoz, the Turkish Shadow Theatre has influenced puppetry widely in the region. Karagöz (meaning blackeye in Turkish) and Hacivat (also written Hacivad) are the lead characters of the traditional Turkish It is thought to have passed from China by way of India. China ( Wade-Giles ( Mandarin) Chung¹kuo² is a cultural region, an ancient Civilization, and depending on perspective a National India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country Later it was taken by the Mongols from the Chinese and transmitted to the Turkish peoples of Central Asia. Thus the art of Shadow Theater was brought to Anatolia by the Turkish people emigrating from Central Asia. Anatolia (Anadolu Ανατολία Anatolía) or Asia minor, comprising most of modern Turkey, is the geographic region bounded by the Black Other scholars claim that shadow theater came to Anatolia in the 16th century from Egypt. This article is about the country of Egypt For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Egypt topics. The advocates of this view claim that when Yavuz Sultan Selim conquered Egypt in 1517, he saw shadow theatre performed during a party put on in his honour. Yavuz Sultan Selim was so impressed with it that he took the puppeteer back to his palace in Istanbul. There his 21 year old son, later Sultan Suleyman the Magnificent, developed an interest in the plays and watched them a great deal. Suleiman I (سليمان Sulaymān, Süleyman almost always Kanuni Sultan Süleyman) ( 6 November 1494 5/ 6 September 1566 Thus shadow theatre found its way into the Ottoman palaces. ^[13]

In other areas the style of shadow puppetry known as khayal al-zill – an intentionally metaphorical term whose meaning is best translated as ‘shadows of the imagination’ or ‘shadow of fancy' survives. This is a shadow play with live music . . ”the accompaniment of drums, tambourines and flutes. . . also. . . “special effects” – smoke, fire, thunder, rattles, squeaks, thumps, and whatever else might elicit a laugh or a shudder from his audience”^[14]

In Iran puppets are known to have existed much earlier than 1000 CE, but initially only glove and string puppets were popular in Iran. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Iran topics. ^[15] Other genres of puppetry emerged during the Qajar era (18th-19th century BCE) as influences from Turkey spead to the region. The Qajar dynasty (also known as Ghajar or Kadjar ( ( - or دودمان قاجار) is a common term to describe Iran (then known as Persia) under Kheimeh Shab-Bazi is a Persian traditional puppet show which is performed in a small chamber by a musical performer and a storyteller called a morshed or naghal. These shows often take place alongside storytelling in traditional tea and coffee-houses (Ghahve-Khave). The dialogue takes place between the morshed and the puppets. ^[16] Puppetry remains very popular in Iran, the touring opera Rostam and Sohrab puppet opera being a recent example. Rostam and Sohrab is an opera by Loris Tjeknavorian. It is based on Shahnameh. ^[17]

Europe

Ancient Greece and Rome

There are few remaining examples of puppets from ancient Greece. History reveals through literature that puppetry was important. The Greek word usually translated as "puppets" is neurospasta, which literally means "string-pulling", from nervus, meaning either sinew, tendon, muscle, string, or wire, and span, to pull. Aristotle referenced pulling strings to control heads, hands and eyes, shoulders and legs. Aristotle (Greek Aristotélēs) (384 BC – 322 BC was a Greek philosopher a student of Plato and teacher of Alexander the Great. ^[18] Archimedes is known to have worked with marionettes. Archimedes of Syracuse ( Greek:) ( c. 287 BC – c 212 BC was a Greek mathematician, Physicist, Engineer Plato's work is full of references to puppeteering. Biography Early life Birth and family Plato was born in Athens Greece The 'Iliad' and the 'Odyssey' were presented using puppetry. The roots of European puppetry probably extend back to the Greek plays with puppets played to the 'common people' in the 5th Century BC. By the third century BC these plays would appear in the Theatre of Dionysus at the Acropolis. In Classical mythology, Dionysus or Dionysos (in Greek, Διόνυσος or Διώνυσος; associated with Roman Acropolis (Gr akros akron edge extremity + polis city pl acropoleis ^[6]

In ancient Greece and Rome clay dolls (and a few of ivory), dated from around 500 BC, were found in children's tombs. Greece (Ελλάδα transliterated: Elláda, historically, Ellás,) officially the Hellenic Republic (Ελληνική Δημοκρατία Rome ( Roma ˈroma Roma is the capital city of Italy and Lazio, and is Italy's largest and most populous city with more than 2 These dolls had articulated arms and legs, some of which had an iron rod extending up from the tops of their heads. This rod was used to manipulate the doll from above, exactly as is done today in Sicily puppetry. A few of these dolls had strings in place of the rods. Some authorities believe these ancient figures were mere toys and not puppets due to their small size. ^[19]

Italy - Middle Ages and Renaissance

Italy is considered by many to be the early home of the marionette thanks to the influence of Roman puppetry. Italy (Italia officially the Italian Republic, (Repubblica Italiana is located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe, and on the two largest Xenophon and Plutarch refer to them. Xenophon (Ancient Greek, Modern Greek "Ξενοφών" "Ξενοφώντας" ca Lucius Mestrius Plutarchus ( Greek: Μέστριος Πλούταρχος c ^[20] The Christian church used marionettes to perform morality plays. Morality Play is a detective story by Barry Unsworth, a Man Booker Prize -winning author for his book Sacred Hunger Published in 1996 by ^[20] It is believed that the word marionette actually originates from the little figures of the Virgin Mary, hence the word 'marionette' or 'Mary doll'. ^[21] Comedy sneaked into the plays as time went by and ultimately led to an edict banning puppetry from the church. Puppeteers responded by setting up stages outside cathedrals and became ever more ribald and slapstick. Out of this grew the Italian comedy called Commedia dell'Arte. Commedia dell'Arte ( Italian: "the comedy of artists" is a form of Improvisational theatre that began in Italy in the 16th century Puppets were used at times in this form of theatre. Sometimes Shakespeare's plays were performed using marionettes instead of actors. ^[22]

In Sicily, the sides of donkey carts are decorated with intricate, painted scenes from the Frankish romantic poems, such as The Song of Roland; these same tales are enacted in traditional puppet theatres featuring hand-made marionettes of wood, this art is called Opira dî pupi (Opera of the puppets) in Sicilian. Sicily ( Italian and Sicilian: Sicilia) is an autonomous region of Italy. The Song of Roland (La Chanson de Roland is the oldest remaining major work of French literature. The opera of the puppets and the Sicilian tradition of cantastorî (sing stories) are rooted in the Provençal troubadour tradition in Sicily during the reign of Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor, in the first half of the 13th century. Sicily ( Italian and Sicilian: Sicilia) is an autonomous region of Italy. Frederick II may refer to Frederick II Holy Roman Emperor (1194&ndash1250 king 1211/12&ndash1250 emperor since 1220 Frederick II of Austria The Holy Roman Emperor (Römischer Kaiser or Römisch-Deutscher Kaiser Romanorum Imperator was the elected monarch ruling over the many varying numbers of states A great place to see this marionette art is the puppet theatres of Palermo, Sicily. Palermo ( Sicilian: Palermu, Greek: Panormus, al-Madinah during Muslim rule is a historic City in

Italy - 18th and 19th century

The strong Italian tradition of marionettes flourished in the 18th century, producing many skillful performances, including the tragedy Dr. Faust. Faust or Faustus ( Latin for "auspicious" or "lucky" is the protagonist of a classic German Legend in which he makes Many of these marionettes survive to this day, and allow students of the art to marvel at their highly defined controls. In the 19th century, the marionettes of the master Pietro Radillo became even more complex. Pietro Radillo (1820-1895 the Venitian Puppeteer, made significant innovations in the marrionette arts Instead of just the rod and two strings, Radillo's marionettes were controlled by as many as eight strings, thus increasing the control over the individual body parts of the marionettes.

British Puppet theatre (Punch and Judy style), c. 1770

Gioppino and Brighella, Bergamo, Italy

Sicilian Puppet Theatre

Great Britain

The traditional British Punch and Judy puppetry traces its roots to the 16th century to the Italian commedia dell'arte. Punch and Judy is a traditional popular English Puppet show featuring the characters of Punch and his wife Judy Commedia dell'Arte ( Italian: "the comedy of artists" is a form of Improvisational theatre that began in Italy in the 16th century ^[23] The figure of Punch derives from the stock character of Pulcinella, which was Anglicized to Punchinello. Pulcinella, often called Punch or Punchinello in English Polichinelle in French is a classical character that originated He is a manifestation of the Lord of Misrule and Trickster figures of deep-rooted mythologies. The Lord of Misrule, known in Scotland as the Abbot of Unreason and in France as the Prince des Sots, was an officer appointed by lot at In Mythology, and in the study of Folklore and Religion, a trickster is a God, Goddess, spirit, man woman or anthropomorphic Punch's wife was originally "Joan". In the late 18th and early 19th Century the familiar Punch and Judy hand puppet show that existed in Britain was performed in an easily-transportable booth. A resurgence in Puppetry was pioneered by The British Puppet and Model Theatre Guild in the early 20century, Two of the founders H. W. Whanslaw and Waldo Lanchester both pushed puppetry to the forefront of British consciousness with publications of books and literature mainly focussing on the art of the marionette, Lanchester had a touring theatre and a permanent venue in Malvern, Worcestershire regularly taking part in the Malvern Festival attracting the attention of George Bernard Shaw. George Bernard Shaw ( (26 July 1856 &ndash 2 November 1950 was an Irish Playwright. One of Shaw's last plays Shakes Vs Shav was written for and first performed in 1949 by the company.

Current centres of British Puppetry include The Little Angel Theatre in Islington, London; Norwich Puppet Theatre; The Harlequin Puppet Theatre, Rhos on Sea, Wales; and the Biggar Puppet Theatre, Biggar, Lanarkshire, Scotland. The Little Angel Theatre is a Puppet theatre catering for children families and adults off Upper Street in the London Borough of Islington. Islington is the central district of the London Borough of Islington. The Norwich Puppet Theatre is a nationally unique venue dedicated to Puppetry housed in the Medieval church of Saint James a Grade 1 Listed building British puppetry now covers a wide range of styles and approaches. Don Austen is one of many British puppeteers who have extended British puppetry, and a number of theatre companies including Horse and Bamboo Theatre, Green Ginger, and Impossible integrate puppetry in their highly visual productions. Don Austen is a British Puppeteer who joined the Jim Henson Creature Shop in 1986 for the movie Labyrinth. Horse and Bamboo Theatre or Horse + Bamboo Theatre is a British theatre company founded in 1978 by the Artistic Director Bob Frith. Political satire was covered through the medium of the puppet in the ground breaking British television series Spitting Image from 1984 to 1996. Spitting Image was a British satirical Puppet show that ran on the ITV television network from 1984 to 1996 Puppetry has also been influencing mainstream theatre. Several recent productions combine puppetry and live action; including 'Warhorse' National Theatre, 'Madam Butterfly' English National Opera. English National Opera (ENO is the national opera company of England, and one of two opera companies in London, along with the Royal Opera at Covent

Polichinelle caricature, France

Guignol Theatre, Paris, France

Traditional puppets from Liège, Belgium

Netherlands, Denmark, Romania, Russia and France

Many regional variants of Pulcinella were developed as the character spread across Europe. In the Netherlands it is Jan Klaassen (and Judy is Katrijn); in Denmark Mester Jackel; in Russia Petrushka; in Romania Vasilache; and in France Polichinelle. Only during the French revolution were puppet booths closed. Those puppeteers who dared to take part in political criticism were imprisoned. ^[24] In Russia, the Central Puppet Theatre in Moscow and its branches in every part of the country enhanced the reputation of the puppeteer and puppetry in general. ^[25]

• (Russian) Official website of the State Puppet Theater of the Republic of Mordovia.

Germany and Austria

There is a long tradition of puppetry in Germany and Austria. Much of it derives from the 16th century tradition of the Italian commedia dell'arte. Commedia dell'Arte ( Italian: "the comedy of artists" is a form of Improvisational theatre that began in Italy in the 16th century ^[23] The German version of the British character of 'Punch' is called Kasperle of Kaspar while Judy is called Grete. Kasperle is a famous and traditional Puppet character from Austria and Germany. ^[23] In the eighteenth century, operas were specifically composed for marionette puppets. Gluck, Haydn,^[26] de Falla and Respighi all composed adult operas for marionettes. Manuel de Falla y Matheu ( November 23, 1876 &ndash November 14, 1946) was a Spanish Composer of classical music For the astronomer see Lorenzo Respighi (1824—1889 For the crater named after Lorenzo Respighi see Respighi (crater. In 1855, Count Franz Pocci founded the Munich Marionette Theatre. Count Franz Pocci was the founding director of the Munich Marionette Theatre, shadow puppeteer and writer of countless puppet plays A German dramatist, poet, painter and composer, Pocci wrote a remarkable 40 puppet plays for his theatre. ^[27] Albrecht Roser has made a considerable impact with his marionettes in Stuttgart. Albrecht Roser, (born 1930, German master puppeteer, is based in Stuttgart, Germany. Stuttgart (ˈʃtʊtgaɐ̯t is the capital of the state of Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany. His characters Clown Gustaf and Grandmother are well-known. ^[28] Grandmother, while outwardly charming, is savagely humorous in her observations about all aspects of society and the absurdities of life. ^[29] The Salzburg Marionette Theatre was founded in 1913 by Professor Anton Aicher and is world famous. Salzburg Marionette Theatre was established in 1913 and is one of the oldest continuing Marionette theatres in the world Anton Aicher (born 1859 was the founding Artistic Director of the Salzburg Marionette Theatre. ^[30] Today in Salzburg in Austria, the Salzburg Marionette Theatre still continues the tradition of presenting full length opera using marionettes in their own purpose built theatre under the direction of Gretl Aicher. is the fourth-largest city in Austria and the capital of the federal state of Salzburg. Austria (Österreich ( officially the Republic of Austria (Republik Österreich Salzburg Marionette Theatre was established in 1913 and is one of the oldest continuing Marionette theatres in the world Gretl Aicher (born 1928 is the Artistic Director of the Salzburg Marionette Theatre. ^[31] It performs mainly operas such as Die Fledermaus and The Magic Flute and a small number of ballets such as The Nutcracker. Die Fledermaus ( The Bat; in French La chauve-souris) is an Operetta composed by Johann Strauss II to a German Libretto The Magic Flute (German Die Zauberflöte, K 620 is an Opera in two acts composed in 1791 by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart The Nutcracker (Щелкунчик Shchelkunchik) Op 71 is a Fairy tale - Ballet in two acts three scenes by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky ^[32] The Salzburg Marionette Theatre productions are aimed for adults although children are of course welcome. Salzburg Marionette Theatre was established in 1913 and is one of the oldest continuing Marionette theatres in the world There is also a marionette theatre at Schoenbrunn Palace in Vienna.

The Queen of the Night from a production of Mozart's 'The Magic Flute' by the Salzburg Marionette Theatre, Austria.

The Czech Republic

Marionette puppet theatre has had a very long history in entertainment in Prague, and elsewhere in the Czech Republic. Prague (ˈprɑːg Praha (ˈpraɦa see also other names) is the Capital and Largest city of the Czech Republic. The Czech Republic ( ˈt͡ʃɛskaː ˈrɛpuˌblɪka short form in Česko ˈt͡ʃɛskɔ also called Czechia, It can be traced deep into the early part of the Middle Ages. ^[33] Marionettes first appeared around the time of the thirty years war. ^[33] The first noted Czech puppeteer was Jan Jiri Brat who was born in 1724. He was the son of a local carpenter and created his own puppet theatre. ^[33] Matej Kopecky was the most famous 19th century Czech puppeteer. ^[33] He was responsible for communicating the ideas of national awareness. ^[33] In 1920 and 1926 respectively, Josef Skupa created his most famous puppets: comical father Spejbl and his rascal son Hurvínek. Josef Skupa ( 16 January 1892 Strakonice - 8 January 1957 Prague) was a Czech Puppeteer. ^[34] In 1930 he set up the first modern professional puppet theatre. An important puppet organisation is the National Marionette Theatre in Prague. Its repertoire mainly features a marionette production of Mozart's famous Don Giovanni. Don Giovanni ( K527; complete title Il dissoluto punito ossia il Don Giovanni, literally "The Rake Punish'd or Don Giovanni The production has period costumes and a beautifully designed eighteenth century setting. There are numerous other companies including, Buchty a Loutky ("Cakes and Puppets") founded by Marek Becka. ^[33] Puppets have been used extensively in animated films since 1946. ^[33] Jiri Trnka was an acknowledged leader in this area. Jiří Trnka (ˈjɪr̝iː ˈtr̩ŋka ( 24 February 1912, Plzeň - 30 December 1969, Prague) was a Czech ^[33] Miroslav Trejtnar is an acknowledged master puppeteer and teacher of traditional Czech marionette making skills. Mirsolav Trejtnar, born 5 April 1962 in Rychnov n Kněžnou, Czech Republic, is a master Puppeteer and teacher of Puppetry ^[35]

Puppet Theatre, Ostrava, Czech Republic

Marionette Theatre, Prague, Czech Republic

19th century

Throughout this period puppetry developed separately from the emerging mainstream of actor theatres, and the 'ragged' puppeteers performed outside of theatre buildings at fairs, markets etc - continuing to be classified along with bandits and gypsies. ^[6] In the 19th century puppetry faced competition from other forms of theatre such as vaudeville and music hall. Vaudeville was a Genre of variety entertainment prevalent on the stage in the United States and Canada, from the early 1880s Music hall is a form of British theatrical Entertainment which was popular between 1850 and 1960 Puppetry adapted to these challenges. For example by developing stage acts and participating in the new forms of popular theatre, or reinventing itself in other ways and finding audiences at the newly fashionable seaside resorts.

Africa

Sub-Saharan Africa may have inherited some of the puppet traditions of Ancient Egypt. ^[6] Certainly secret societies in many African ethnic groups still use puppets (and masks) in ritual dramas as well as in their healing and hunting ceremonies. A mask is an artefact normally worn on the face typically for protection concealment performance or amusement Today puppetry continues as a popular form, often within a ceremonial context, and as part of a wide-range of folk forms including dance, storytelling, and masked performance. Dance (from French danser, perhaps from Frankish) is an Art form that generally refers to movement of the body usually rhythmic A mask is an artefact normally worn on the face typically for protection concealment performance or amusement

Throughout rural Africa, puppetry still performs the function of transmitting cultural values and ideas that in large African cities is increasingly undertaken by formal education, books, cinema, and television.

Americas

The Teotihuacan culture (Central Mexico) of 600 AD made figurines with moveable arms and legs as part of their funerary rites. Teotihuacan is an enormous archaeological site in the Basin of Mexico, containing some of the largest pyramidal structures built in the Pre-Columbian Americas Native North Americans also used ceremonial puppets. ^[6] In 1519 two puppeteers accompanied Hernando Cortez on his first journey to Mexico. Hernán Cortés de Monroy y Pizarro 1st Marqués del Valle de Oaxaca ( 1485&ndash December 2, The United Mexican States ( or commonly Mexico (ˈmɛksɪkoʊ () is a federal constitutional Republic in North America. Europeans brought their own puppet traditions with them, but gradually distinctive styles, forms and puppet characters developed in America. The Americas are the lands of the Western hemisphere or New World, consisting of the Continents of North America and South America ^[36]

Some advances in 20th century puppetry have originated in the USA. Bil Baird did wonderful work revitalising marionette theatre and puppetry in the United States. William Britton Baird (August 15 1904 &ndash March 18 1987 professional name Bil Baird, but often referred to as Bill Baird, was an American Puppeteer He and his wife, Cora Eisenberg had their own marionette theatre in New York. Edgar Bergen also made a major contribution. ^[37] In the 1960s Peter Schumann's Bread and Puppet Theater developed the political and artistic possibilities of puppet theatre in a distinctive, powerful and immediately recognizable way. The Bread and Puppet Theater (often known simply as Bread & Puppet) is a politically radical Puppet theater, active since the 1960s currently based in Glover At roughly the same time Jim Henson was creating a type of soft, foam-rubber and cloth puppet that became known as Muppets. For other uses of "Henson" see Henson. James Maury "Jim" Henson (September 24 1936 &ndash May 16 1990 was one of The Muppets are a group of Puppet characters created by Jim Henson. Initially through children's television show Sesame Street, and later in The Muppet Show and on film, these inspired many imitators and are today are recognised almost everywhere. Sesame Street is an American educational Children's television series and a pioneer of the contemporary educational television standard combining The Muppet Show is an American Television program featuring a cast of Muppets which was produced by Jim Henson and his team from Wayland Flowers also made a major contribution to adult puppetry with his satirical puppet, Madame, an "outrageous old broad" who entertains with double entendres and witty comebacks. Wayland Flowers ( November 26, 1939 &ndash October 11, 1988) in Gulfport Mississippi) was an American Puppeteer Madam, Madame, ma'am, or Mme is a Title for a Woman. It is derived from the French madame (see different Not to be confused with Puns which employ multiple phrases A double entendre is a Figure of speech similar to the Pun, in Bedecked in fabulous evening attire and summer diamonds ("Some are diamonds; some are not"), Madame's look is based on movie stars such as Gloria Swanson. Gloria Swanson (March 27 1899 – April 4 1983 was an Academy Award -nominated Golden Globe -winning American Hollywood Wayland's other puppets included Crazy Mary (an escapee from Bellevue mental hospital), Jiffy (a Harlem harlot with a heart of brass) and Machelheny (a retired Vaudeville comedian). Bellevue Hospital Center, founded in 1736 is the oldest Public hospital in the United States Harlem is a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Manhattan, long known as a major African American cultural and business center Vaudeville was a Genre of variety entertainment prevalent on the stage in the United States and Canada, from the early 1880s His puppet Smedley worked with Marlo Thomas on Free to Be… You and Me. Margaret Julia “Marlo” Thomas (born November 21, 1937) is an American actress, who first achieved fame on the TV series That Free to Be… You and Me is a Record album and illustrated songbook for children first released in November 1972 and later in 1974 as a television special ^[38] Puppets have been used most effectively in the Star Wars films. Star Wars is an epic Space opera franchise initially conceived by George Lucas during the 1970s and significantly expanded The character of Yoda is most effective. Yoda is a Fictional character from the Star Wars universe, who appears in all of the franchise 's films except for Star Wars His voice and manipulation is provided by master puppeteer Frank Oz. Frank Oz (born May 25, 1944) is a British-born American Film director, Actor and Puppeteer.

Edgar Bergen and his puppet Charlie McCarthy	Murray Monster, from Sesame Street. Sesame Street is an American educational Children's television series and a pioneer of the contemporary educational television standard combining	Bread and Puppet Theater bus on tour	Puppets in the Bread and Puppet Theater Museum in Glover, Vermont, USA
Mallory Lewis and Lamb Chop

Oceania

The aboriginal peoples in Australia have a long tradition of oral storytelling goes back many thousands of years. The Bread and Puppet Theater (often known simply as Bread & Puppet) is a politically radical Puppet theater, active since the 1960s currently based in Glover The Bread and Puppet Theater (often known simply as Bread & Puppet) is a politically radical Puppet theater, active since the 1960s currently based in Glover Mallory Lewis (born Mallory Tarcher; c 1962 changed her name legally in honor of her late mother Shari Lewis) is an American Writer, Television Indigenous Australians are descendants of the first known human inhabitants of the Australian continent and its nearby islands. They used masks and other objects to convey deep and meaningful themes about morality and nature. There are links between as an early form of ritualistic human carnival puppetry. Masks were carved from wood and heavily decorated with paint and feathers. In many of the Pacific countries there has been a heavy emphasis on ritual.

With the arrival of European settlers, a different sort of puppetry took shape. In Australia in the 1960s, Peter Scriven founded the Marionette Theatre Company of Australia and had beautiful marionette productions such as The Tintookies, Little Fella Bindi. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. Peter Scriven MBE (born 1930-died 1998 was the founding Artistic Director of the Marionette Theatre of Australia. ^[39][40] The Explorers and The Water Babies. Bilbar Puppet Theatre, established by Barbara Turnbull and her husband Bill Turnbull (puppeteer) toured Australia extensively under the auspices of the Queensland Arts Council in 1970s and 1980s. Bilbar Puppet Theatre was founded by Barbara Turbull and her husband Bill Turnbull (puppeteer and was based in Toowoomba, Australia. Their puppets are now held in the Moncrieff Library of the Performing Arts, Queensland Performing Arts Centre, Brisbane. The Queensland Performing Arts Centre (also known as QPAC) is part of the Queensland Cultural Centre and is a Performing arts centre located amidst the Brisbane ( is the state capital of Queensland. Brisbane is the third most populous city in Australia and the most populous city of Queensland

There are a great many thriving puppet companies in Australia. Courses exist at tertiary level at the Victorian College of the Arts, University of Melbourne. This is not about the American pornographic movie studio VCA Pictures The University of Melbourne is a Public university located in Melbourne, Victoria. Australian puppeteer Norman Hetherington was famous for his marionette, Mr. Squiggle who featured on an Australian Broadcasting Commission television program for many years from 1 July 1959. Norman Frederick Hetherington (born 29 May 1921 in Lilyfield New South Wales) is an Australian Cartoonist and creator of the long-running Mr Squiggle was Australia 's longest-running children's series and the name of the title character from that ABC TV show "July 1st" redirects here For the Ayumi Hamasaki song see H (song. The year 1959 ( MCMLIX) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The last episode was on 9 July 1999. Events 455 - Roman military commander Avitus is proclaimed Emperor of the Western Roman Empire. Year 1999 ( MCMXCIX) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1999 Gregorian calendar) In every episode he would create several pictures from "squiggles" sent in by children from around the country. Richard Bradshaw OAM is another famous Australian puppeteer. Richard Bradshaw OAM, born 1938 is an internationally renowned Australian puppeteer He is currently President of UNIMA Australia, former artistic director of the Marionette Theatre Company of Australia^[41] and is renowned for his shadow puppetry and writing in the field. ^[42] Rod Hull also made a contribution with his puppet Emu. Rodney Stephen Hull ( 13 August 1935 – 17 March 1999) better known as Rod Hull, was a popular entertainer on British The Emu ( Dromaius novaehollandiae, is the largest Bird native to Australia and the only extant member of the Genus In the 1960s, Hull presented a children's breakfast television programme in Australia. Television ( TV) is a widely used Telecommunication medium for sending ( Broadcasting) and receiving moving Images, either monochromatic Snuff Puppets is one of Australia's modern puppet theatre troupes. Snuff Puppets is an Australian puppet theatre company that was founded in 1992 Based in Melbourne, their work is full of wild black humour, political and sexual satire and a hand made visually aesthetic. Melbourne ( is the second most populous city in Australia, with a Metropolitan area population of approximately 3 Snuff Puppets has performed in over 15 countries, including tours to major festivals in Asia, South America and Europe. There is an annual winter festival of puppets at the City of Melbourne's ArtPlay and at Federation Square in Melbourne.

In New Zealand a similar history has taken place. New Zealand is an Island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses (the North Island and the South Island

Mr. Squiggle, a marionette created by Australian puppeteer Norman Hetherington

Snuff Puppets Skullies from Scarey

Contemporary puppetry

From early in the 19th century puppetry began to inspire artists from the 'high-art' traditions. Norman Frederick Hetherington (born 29 May 1921 in Lilyfield New South Wales) is an Australian Cartoonist and creator of the long-running Snuff Puppets is an Australian puppet theatre company that was founded in 1992 In 1810 Heinrich von Kleist wrote an essay 'On the Marionette Theatre', admiring the "lack of self-consciousness" of the puppet. Bernd Heinrich Wilhelm von Kleist ( October 18, 1777 &ndash November 21, 1811) was a German Poet, Dramatist,

Puppetry developed throughout the twentieth century in a variety of ways. The twentieth century of the Common Era began on Supported by the parallel development of cinema, television and other filmed media it now reaches a larger audience than ever. Another development, starting at the beginning of the century, was the belief that puppet theatre, despite its popular and folk roots, could speak to adult audiences with an adult, and experimental voice, and reinvigorate the high art tradition of actors' theatre. ^[43]

Sergei Obraztsov explored the concept of kukolnost ('puppetness'), despite Stalin's instence on realism. Sergey Vladimirovich Obraztsov (Сергей Владимирович Образцов 1901-1992 was a Russian puppet master who is credited by the Encyclopædia Britannica Joseph Stalin ( ნამდვილი გვარი ჯუღაშვილი|Iosif Vissarionovich Dzhugashvili; March 5 1953 was General Secretary of the Communist Party Other pioneers, including Edward Gordon Craig and Erwin Piscator were influenced by puppetry in their crusade to regalvanise the mainstream. Edward Gordon Craig ( 16 January 1872 – 29 July 1966) sometimes known as Gordon Craig was a English modernist Theatre Erwin Friedrich Maximilian Piscator ( 17 December, 1893 in Greifenstein -Ulm – 30 March, 1966) was a German Theatre Maeterlinck, Shaw, Lorca and others wrote puppet plays, and artists such as Picasso, Jarry, and Leger began to work in theatre. Maurice Polydore Marie Bernard Count Maeterlinck ( August 29, 1862 - May 6, 1949) was a Belgian Poet, Playwright, George Bernard Shaw ( (26 July 1856 &ndash 2 November 1950 was an Irish Playwright. Lorca is a city in southeast Spain, in the autonomous community of Murcia and 36 miles SW of the city of Murcia. Pablo Diego José Francisco de Paula Juan Nepomuceno María de los Remedios Cipriano de la Santísima Trinidad Martyr Patricio Clito Ruíz y Picasso (October 25 1881 &ndash April 8 1973 ^[6]

Puppet theatre in Moscow, Russia in 1959

George Bernard Shaw, writer of the puppet play, "Shakes versus Shav"

Performance of the Kstovo Puppet Theatre

Throughout the world innovatory puppeteers such as Tony Sarg, Waldo Lanchester, John Wright, Bil Baird, Joan Baixas, Sergei Obratsov, Philipe Genty, Peter Schumann, Jim Henson and Julie Taymor have continued to develop the forms and content of puppetry. George Bernard Shaw ( (26 July 1856 &ndash 2 November 1950 was an Irish Playwright. Kstovo (Ксто́во is a town in Nizhny Novgorod Oblast, Russia. Anthony Frederick Sarg ( April 21, 1880 - February 17, 1942) known professionally as Tony Sarg, was a German American William Britton Baird (August 15 1904 &ndash March 18 1987 professional name Bil Baird, but often referred to as Bill Baird, was an American Puppeteer Peter Schumann (born 1934 is the founder and director of the Bread & Puppet Theater. For other uses of "Henson" see Henson. James Maury "Jim" Henson (September 24 1936 &ndash May 16 1990 was one of Julie Taymor (born December 15, 1952) is an American director of Broadway theatre and film Puppetry is now probably more familiar through television than live performance, but this still flourishes throughout the world. In the world of theatre, puppetry continues to be influential, and despite its 'outsider' status acts as an invigorating and rejuvenating influence on its mainstream relative.

Main forms of puppetry

• Finger puppet - An extremely simple puppet variant that fits onto a single finger. A hand puppet (also called a glove puppet) is a type of Puppet that is controlled by the hand or hands that occupies the interior of the puppet Finger puppets normally have no moving parts and consist primarily of a hollow cylinder shape to cover the finger. This form of puppet has limited application and is used mainly in pre-schools or kindergartens for storytelling with young children. ^[44]

Finger puppets

• Hand or glove puppet - this is a puppet controlled by one hand that occupies the interior of the puppet. The hands ( med / lat: manus pl manūs are the two intricate prehensile multi- Fingered body parts normally located at the end of each arm of a A hand puppet (also called a glove puppet) is a type of Puppet that is controlled by the hand or hands that occupies the interior of the puppet Larger varieties of hand puppets place the puppeteer's hand in just the puppet's head, controlling the mouth and head, and the puppet's body then hangs over the entire arm; other parts of the puppet (mainly arms, but special variants exist with manipulatable eyelids, the mouth may also open and close); these are usually not much larger than the hand itself. A sock puppet is a particularly simple type of hand puppet made from a sock. A sock puppet is a Puppet made from a Sock (or similar garment which is placed over the hand of a Puppeteer. ^[45]

British traditional hand or glove puppets, Punch and Judy

Hand or glove puppet chicken

Simple sock puppets

Hand or glove puppet dog

• Rod puppet - A puppet is constructed around a central rod secured to the head. Punch and Judy is a traditional popular English Puppet show featuring the characters of Punch and his wife Judy A hand puppet (also called a glove puppet) is a type of Puppet that is controlled by the hand or hands that occupies the interior of the puppet A large glove covers the rod and is attached to the neck of the puppet. A rod puppet is controlled by the puppeteer moving the metal rods attached to the hands of the puppet and by turning the central rod secured to the head. ^[46]

Preparing a rod puppet for a performance of The Brementown Musicians, Sibiu, Romania, 2002. Sibiu (si'biw Hermannstadt Nagyszeben Сибињ/Sibinj הערמאנשטאדט ( Hermanshtadt) or סזעבען ( Szeben)) is one of the largest cities in Romania ( dated: Rumania, Roumania

Rod puppets

• Marionette or string - this is a puppet suspended and controlled by a number of strings plus sometimes a central rod attached to a control bar held from above by the puppeteer. A marionette is a Puppet controlled from above using strings a marionette's puppeteer is called a manipulator. The control bar can be either a horizontal or vertical one. Basic strings for operation are usually attached to the head, back, hands (to control the arms) and just above the knee (to control the legs)^[47] This form of puppetry requires greater manipulative control than a finger, glove or rod puppet. ^[48]

A puppeteer manipulating a Marionette

Marionettes from the Swedish Cottage Marionette Theatre, New York, USA production of "Cinderella Samba"

A puppeteer manipulating a Marionette in Prague, Czech Republic

The Dalai Lama manipulates a hand crafted marionette of himself, created by puppeteer Scott Land. The Dalai Lama is the spiritual and political leader of the Tibetan people according to Tibetan Buddhism. http//uploadwikimediaorg/wikipedia/en/b/bb/2167png Scott Land is a professional puppeteer and actor

• Shadow puppet - this is a cut-out figure held between a source of light and a translucent screen. Shadow play (Chinese 皮影戏 pi ying xi or shadow puppetry is an ancient form of Storytelling and Entertainment using opaque often articulated figures It is different from other forms of puppetry as it is two dimensional in form. ^[49] Shadow Puppets can form solid silhouettes or be decorated with various amounts of cut-out details. Colour can be introduced into the cut-out shapes to provide a different dimension. ^[50] Javanese shadow puppets are the classic example of this. ^[51]

Shadow Puppets, Jakarta, Indonesia

• Human Carnival or Body puppet - designed to be part of a large spectacle. ^[52] They are often used in parades (such as the Minneapolis, USA May Day Parade) and protests, these figures are at least the size of a human and often much larger. One or more performers are required to move the body and limbs. The appearance and personality of the person inside is not known and is totally irrelevant to the viewer. The puppeteer must never be revealed at performances. ^[53] These puppets are particularly associated with large scale entertainment such as the nightly parades at the various Disney complexes around the world. Big Bird from Sesame Street is a classic example of a Human Carnival or Body Puppet. Big Bird is a full-body Muppet, featured on the children's television show Sesame Sesame Street is an American educational Children's television series and a pioneer of the contemporary educational television standard combining The puppeteer completely enclosed within the costume, and extends his right hand over his head to operate the head and neck of the puppet. The puppeteer's left hand serves as the Bird's left hand, while the right hand is stuffed and hangs loosely from a fishing line (which can occasionally be seen in closeup shots) that runs through a loop under the neck and attaches to the wrist of the left hand. The right hand thus does the opposite of the left hand: as the left hand goes down, the right hand is pulled up by the fishing line.

Carnival Puppet featuring two puppeteers - Minneapolis, USA: May Day Parade

Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez - human carnival puppet

Variations on the main forms of puppetry

• Supermarionation - a method invented by Gerry Anderson which assisted in his television series Thunderbirds in electronically moving the mouths of marionettes to allow for lip synchronised speech. ||-||} Wikipedia talkFeatured lists for an explanation of this and other inclusion tags below -->The President of Venezuela (Presidente Hugo Rafael Chávez Frías (ˈuɰo rafaˈel ˈtʃaβ̞es ˈfɾias (born July 28 1954 is the current President of Venezuela. Supermarionation (a Blend of "super" "marionette" and "animation" is a puppetry technique devised in the 1960s by British production For a detailed article on collaborations with Sylvia Anderson see Sylvia and Gerry Anderson; the separated strands aren't working - GA is the common thread throughout The marionettes were still controlled by human manipulators with strings.
• Marotte - A simplified rod puppet that is just a head and/or body on a stick. A Marotte is a prop stick or Scepter with a carved head on it In a marotte à main prenante, the puppeteer's other arm emerges from the body (which is just a cloth drape) to act as the puppet's arm.
• Black light - a form of puppetry where the puppets are operated on stage lit only with ultraviolet lighting which both hides the puppeteer and accentuates the colours of the puppet. A Black light or UV Light is a lamp emitting Electromagnetic radiation that is almost exclusively in the soft near ultraviolet range and emits Ultraviolet ( UV) light is Electromagnetic radiation with a Wavelength shorter than that of Visible light, but longer than X-rays The puppeteers perform dressed in black on a stage with a black background. (Most commonly the background and the clothes are made of black velvet). The lighting is specially done so that there is essentially a line on the stage, where on one side there is light and on the other is darkness. The puppeteers manipulate the puppets over the line into the light, while the puppeteers are unseen because they blend into the black unlit background. Puppets of all sizes and types are able to be used. The original concept of this form of puppetry can be traced to Bunraku puppetry.
• Muppet - A term referring to some of the puppets constructed by the Jim Henson Company. The Muppets are a group of Puppet characters created by Jim Henson. For other uses of "Henson" see Henson. James Maury "Jim" Henson (September 24 1936 &ndash May 16 1990 was one of Often erroneously used to refer to puppets that resemble those of The Muppet Show or built by the Henson Company. The Muppet Show is an American Television program featuring a cast of Muppets which was produced by Jim Henson and his team from The main puppet forms used were glove or hand puppets and rod puppets.
• Ventriloquist dummy - A puppet operated by a ventriloquist performer to focus the audience's attention from the performer's activities and heighten the illusions. They are called dummies because they do not speak on their own. The ventriloquist dummy is controlled by the one hand of the ventriloquist.

Satyajit Padhye is a 3rd generation ventriloquist and puppeteer and son of Ramdas Padhye. Satyajit Padhye, son of Indian Ventriloquist and Puppeteer Ramdas Padhye, is a budding Ventriloquist, puppeteer and Puppet maker Ramdas Padhye is India's leading Ventriloquist, Puppeteer and puppet-maker

• Push-in puppet - A puppet cut out of paper and stuck onto card. It is fixed at its base to a stick and operated by pushing it in from the side of the puppet theatre. Sheets were produced for puppets and scenery from the 19th century for children's use.

Push-in puppet hands

• Human-arm puppet - also called a two-man puppet, it is similar to a hand puppet but is larger and requires two puppeteers; one puppeteer places a hand inside the puppet's head and operates its head and mouth; the other puppeteer wears gloves and special sleeves attached to the puppet in order to become the puppet's arms, so that the puppet can perform arbitrary hand gestures. This is a form of glove or hand puppetry and rod puppetry.

"Briegel der Busch" puppet and puppeteer Jan Mixsa, taken at "1. Fantreffen von Bernd das Brot"

"Chili das Schaf" puppet and creators Tommy Krappweis and Erik Haffner, taken at "1. Fantreffen von Bernd das Brot"

• Digital puppet - Digitally animated figure that is performed by a puppeteer in real-time using a data input device and rendered by a computer using computer graphics software.
• Push puppet - A push puppet consists of a segmented character on a base that is kept under tension until the button on the bottom is pressed. The puppet wiggles, slumps and then collapses.

UNIMA - International Puppetry Association

UNIMA , the International Puppetry Association, was founded in Prague in the 1920s. Prague (ˈprɑːg Praha (ˈpraɦa see also other names) is the Capital and Largest city of the Czech Republic. In 1981 Jacques Felix moved UNIMA's headquarters to Charleville-Mézières, France. Captain-major Jacques Felix was an explorer and pioneer of Brazil. Charleville-Mézières is a commune in northern France, capital of the Ardennes department in the Champagne-Ardenne region There are national branches throughout the world. Examples are POA (Puppeteers of America), PUK (Puppetry UK) and UNIMA Australia which represent puppetry as an art form in their countries. The most recent UNIMA World Congress and International Puppetry Festival was held in Perth, Australia from 2-12 April, 2008.

UNIMA, Prague, Czech Republic

UNIMA-Institut International de la Marionette, Charleville-Mézières, France

See also

• Hand puppet
• Marionette
• Sock puppet
• Shadow puppet
• Punch and Judy
• Puppeteer
• Persian theatre
• Lübeck Museum of Theatre Puppets
• The Red Pill Puppet Theatre

Non-puppetry related usages of the word

The word puppet can mean a political leader installed, supported and controlled by more powerful forces, with no legitimacy in the country itself. A hand puppet (also called a glove puppet) is a type of Puppet that is controlled by the hand or hands that occupies the interior of the puppet A marionette is a Puppet controlled from above using strings a marionette's puppeteer is called a manipulator. A sock puppet is a Puppet made from a Sock (or similar garment which is placed over the hand of a Puppeteer. Shadow play (Chinese 皮影戏 pi ying xi or shadow puppetry is an ancient form of Storytelling and Entertainment using opaque often articulated figures Punch and Judy is a traditional popular English Puppet show featuring the characters of Punch and his wife Judy A puppeteer is a person who manipulates an inanimate object — a Puppet — in real time to create the illusion of life Theater background in Persia goes back to antiquity (641-1000 BC) The Lübeck Museum of Theatre Puppets (in German: " TheaterFigurenMuseum Lübeck " is a museum of international Puppetry in the Hanseatic In modern times this usually means no democratic mandate from the country's electorate; in earlier times, it could have meant a monarch imposed from outside, who was not a member of a country's established ruling dynasty, and/or was not recognised by its nobility. Democracy is a form of government in which the supreme power is held completely by the people under a free electoral system "Puppet government", "puppet regime" and "puppet state" are derogatory terms for a government which is in charge of a region or country but only through being installed, supported and controlled by a more powerful government (see Quisling). A puppet state is a State that is nominally independent but in reality under the control of another power For the government of parliamentary systems see Executive (government. Quisling, after Norwegian politician Vidkun Quisling, who assisted Nazi Germany to conquer his own country is a term used to describe traitors and

In a more general sense, a puppet is any person who is controlled by another by reason of undue influence, intellectual deficiency, or lack of character or charisma. Thus, drawing from the above meaning, it could be a political leader, who is a facade for more powerful forces working behind him, or it could be any person who is similarly doing what he is told to do.

Poppet, a word sounding similar to puppet, can also be a term of endearment, similar to "love" or "dearie". The word poppet is an older spelling of Puppet, from the Middle English popet meaning a small child or doll The word also came to have magical connotations, referring in folk-magic and witchcraft to a doll made to represent a person, for casting healing, fertility, or binding spells on that person. Magic, sometimes known as sorcery, is a Conceptual system that asserts human ability to control the natural world (including events objects people and Witchcraft, in various historical anthropological religious and mythological contexts is the use of certain kinds of Supernatural or magical powers Magic, sometimes known as sorcery, is a Conceptual system that asserts human ability to control the natural world (including events objects people and

Science Fiction writer Robert A. Heinlein wrote The Puppet Masters, a novel depicting alien parasites who are capable of attaching themselves to a human being and completely controlling him or her. Robert Anson Heinlein (July 7 1907 – May 8 1988 was an American Novelist and Science fiction Writer. The Puppet Masters is a 1951 Science fiction novel by Robert A

References

Books and articles

• Baird, Bil (1966). William Britton Baird (August 15 1904 &ndash March 18 1987 professional name Bil Baird, but often referred to as Bill Baird, was an American Puppeteer Year 1966 ( MCMLXVI) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar of the 1966 Gregorian calendar. The Art of the Puppet. Plays. ISBN 10 0823800679.  
• Beaton, Mabel; Les Beaton (1948). Year 1948 ( MCMXLVIII) was a Leap year starting on Thursday (link will display the 1948 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Marionettes: A Hobby for Everyone.  
• Bell, John (2000). John Bell may refer to John Bell (Bishop of Worcester (died 1556 English clergyman John Bell (traveller (1691–1780 Scottish 2000 ( MM) was a Leap year that started on Saturday of the Common Era, in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. Shadows: A Modern Puppet History. Detroit, USA: Detroit Institute of Art. ISBN 0 89558 156 6.  
• Binyon, Helen (1966). Year 1966 ( MCMLXVI) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar of the 1966 Gregorian calendar. Puppetry Today. London: Studio Vista Limited.  
• Choe, Sang-su (1961). Year 1961 ( MCMLXI) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. A Study of the Korean Puppet Play. The Korean Books Publishing Company Ltd. .  
• Currell, David (1985). Year 1985 ( MCMLXXXV) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link displays 1985 Gregorian calendar) The Complete Book of Puppetry. London: A & C Black (Publishers) Ltd. . ISBN 0-7136-2429-9.  
• Currell, David (1992). Year 1992 ( MCMXCII) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1992 Gregorian calendar) An Introduction to Puppets and Puppetmaking. London: New Burlington Books, Quintet Publishing Limited. ISBN 1 85348 389 3.  
• Dubska, Alice; Jan Novak, Nina Malikova, Marie Zdenkova (2006). Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Czech Puppet Theatre. Prague: Theatre Institute. ISBN 80 7008 199 6.  
• Dugan, E. A. (1990). Year 1990 ( MCMXC) was a Common year starting on Monday (link displays the 1990 Gregorian calendar) Emotions in Motion. Montreal, Canada: Galerie Amrad. ISBN 0 9693081 5 9.  
• Feeney, John (1999). John Feeney ( August 10, 1922 - December 6, 2006) was a New Zealand -born director of documentary films Year 1999 ( MCMXCIX) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1999 Gregorian calendar) Puppet. Saudi Aramco World.  
• Funni, Arthur (2000). 2000 ( MM) was a Leap year that started on Saturday of the Common Era, in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. The Radio Years of Bergen and McCarthy (Thesis).  
• Hayali, Mustafa Mutlu. Tradition Folk The Site. Ankara, Turkey: Theatre Department, Ankara University Faculty of Language, History and Geography.  
• Latshaw, George (2000). 2000 ( MM) was a Leap year that started on Saturday of the Common Era, in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. The Complete Book of Puppetry. London: Dover Publications. ISBN 978-048640-952-8.  
• Lindsay, Hilaire (1976). Year 1976 ( MCMLXXVI) was a Leap year starting on Thursday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The First Puppet Book. Leichardt, NSW, Australia: Ansay Pty Ltd. ISBN 0 909245.  
• Logan, David (2007). David Logan may refer to Dave Logan (American football (born 1954 former NFL wide receiver Dave Logan (defensive lineman (1956-1999 Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Puppetry. Brisbane, Queensland, Australia: Brisbane Dramatic Arts Company. ISBN 9780980456301.  
• Mulholland, John (1961). Year 1961 ( MCMLXI) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Practical Puppetry. London: Herbert Jenkins Ltd. .  
• Richmond, Arthur (1950). Year 1950 ( MCML) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Remo Bufano's Book of Puppetry. New York: The Macmillan Company.  
• Robinson, Stuart; Patricia Robertson (1967). Stuart Robertson (born August 22, 1974 in Edinburgh) is a Scottish Singer-songwriter and Pianist. Year 1967 ( MCMLXVII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the 1967 Gregorian calendar. Exploring Puppetry. London: Mills & Boon Limited.  
• Sinclair, Anita (1995). Magnetic Scrolls was a British Computer game developer during the mid 1980s and early 1990s Year 1995 ( MCMXCV) was a Common year starting on Sunday. Events of 1995 The Puppetry Handbook. Richmond, Victoria, Australia: Richard Lee Publishing. ISBN 0 646 39063 5.  
• Suib, Leonard; Muriel Broadman (1975). Year 1975 ( MCMLXXV) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Marionettes Onstage!. New York: Harper & Row, Publishers. ISBN 0 06 014166 2.  
• "Wayland Flowers Dies: Ventriloquist Was 48", The New York Times, October 12, 1988. Events 539 BC - The army of Cyrus the Great of Persia takes Babylon. Year 1988 ( MCMLXXXVIII) was a Leap year starting on Friday (link displays 1988 Gregorian calendar) Retrieved on 2006-12-30. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 1460 - Wars of the Roses: Battle of Wakefield. 1816 - The Treaty of St