So we are now finished with my puppet demonstrations.
I will show you some construction techniques you will need to know. They will only take a few minutes.
You will need for constructing your puppet:
1. A drawing of your performer (use pencil)
2. A piece of poster board. (thick and thin poster board both have advantages/disadvantages - Thin works much easier but requires more braces and is difficult to deal with when using large puppets. Thick is much harder to deal with ((especially when cutting with an X-acto knife type tool)) but will require less braces to hold it upright.)
3. A pair of scissors
4. Glue. The liquid type such as Elmers.
5. 6 brads.
6. Small hole punch
7. Some tool to cut out eye holes and other details you may want. X-acto knife type tool.
8. Tape (masking type tape)
For your script you will need a pencil and some paper.
First of all I want to show you how to use the brads. You must first of all use a small hole punch to make holes at all the joints you want to move. With some larger hole punches the brad head will slide through. So test your hole punch prior to the construction.
1. You obviously put the brads through the hole. You always keep the head on the same side.
2. You then bend the long part of the brad over TOWARD the long part of the puppet.
you then bend the small part away from the long part (just a little) and then bend it back over the long part. In this manner you have the long and short part together with the little crook of the small part folded back.
you then push the brad arms down to the surface together and put a small piece of tape over them (but not the hole) to hold them steady while you move the puppet limb. Larger puppets with small brads will not get in the way. Therefore, will not need taped.
You will need to put what we can call a spine on the puppet.
Indonesian puppets were made out of leather so they had to be stiffened. You do this by making an additional piece of poster board that runs from the bottom of the feet to the top of the head. This also could be extended to be part of the stationary rod that attaches to the stage. Glue it on.
You will need two arm control rods in addition to the stationary rod. These have to be very long so your hands will not get into the screen when you are manipulating them. The rods attach to the hands with brads.
The stationary rod should attach to the spine and should always be double thick or more. This means you glue two pieces of poster board together. This stationary rod does not have to be be very long (perhaps 3 inches) because you are going to use masking tape to attach it to the stage. A piece of wood (about two inches high) runs horizontally just beneath the screen area on the puppeteers side of the shadow stage. This is used to hold the stationary rod in place. The stationary rod is glued and not braded.
If you have any degree of complexity in your play you will need a script to tape to the theater. This is taped below the characters on the performers side so he or they can read it as the performance progresses.
SAFETY
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Students will cut themselves when using an art cutting knife. The way to avoid this is to inform the students that they are to use the knife only for inside cuts such as eyes. They are to use scissors for all outside cuts. Almost all cuts come from students making a long stroke with the art knife and it slipping toward their hand. Students should never have their hand in the path of a potentially slipped blade. Art knifes are best use with short strokes that the thumb and first finger are capable of (about an inch and a half). A cutting board (can be scrap board or cardboard etc.) is necessary. This cutting board serves two purposes: 1) it avoids the cutting of the table, carpet or whatever is under it, 2) it prevents the blade from becoming dull. The cutting board should not be used in the students lap (unless they cut between their legs) because with some cutting boards the blade will go through and cut the leg.
With a consistent right turn the blade will come loose (but not dangerous) Show the students how to tighten the blade.