March 16, 2014

The Glory of the Yesteryears - Marionette Puppetry


Glory of Marionette Puppetry

Puppetry is an ancient form of  performance. A marionette is a puppet controlled from above using wires or strings.

Puppets have the power to appeal and attract the people of all age groups. The soft puppets are made with cloth and manipulated with hand and fingers. One needs deft fingers for movements, and a ventriloquist's voice to simulate speech.

The visual impact of puppetry is beautiful. And even the audience can participate wholeheartedly with their comments and encouragement. Puppetry needs only a small investment in money, material, manpower, making it perfect for everyone from the casual enthusiast to the professional puppet master, who can enthrall their audiences with fantastic stories and theatre. 

So is puppet theatre a dying art? Yes, it probably is. In this new age of technology- mobile phones, high speed internet, instant gratification... who has the time to enjoy a slow paced art? Lifestyles have changed rapidly that many of our traditional crafts and hobbies have been forgotten.

Tell me what you think. Are we too old for the joy of puppetry? Can it ever make a comeback, or is it forever doomed to be one of those pursuits that we look back on with nostalgia, and a sigh of 'those were the days?

Note on Materials: Two mixed media pieces on paper are used to illustrate. Mediums used are pencils, charcoal, colored pencils and ink pen.

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