Open Forum

Has anyone combined their puppetry unit with Shakespeare? I will do some research online, but I wanted to see if anyone had already created a unit for their classroom before I recreate the wheel. Like most of you, some of my students are in person and many opted to stay at home. So our 3rd and final production of the year will be some kind of hybrid thing on Zoom (via On the Stage). I have never taught puppetry but found a great tutorial for making simple but effective sock puppets with moveable arms. And I think it would be super fun to do Shakespeare scenes with the puppets (not necessarily comedic or irreverent). The student actors would really have to focus on their vocal techniques and physical expression through the puppets. Anyway, let me know what you've got. Thanks.

------------------------------
Shanda Bonn
Theatre Teacher
Simi Valley High School
------------------------------

Hi, Shanda--

I have had the pleasure of using puppets to support Shakespeare--not an entire unit, but a 3-class mini-unit. I've worked with teachers to create object puppets and object collage puppets (multiple objects unified to create one character) for this work, with session one being an intro to puppet manipulation, session two being selection of scenes/monologues and designing/selecting puppets, and session three being blocking and performing.

I've not used sock puppets with moveable arms as I find that beginning puppeteers using that style of puppets aren't as successful as they'd hope/want as they need to master both lip sync (talking) and arm rod gestures. That, alongside getting comfortable with verse and the more challenging language/vocabulary has meant in my experience that the scenes aren't reflecting the talent of the students since they are needing to do so many complicated things at once, most of which is new. For that reason, I might suggest using rod puppets, object puppets, something without moving mouths. Of course if you choose to do the sock and arm rod puppets, that's great--I'd just make sure to leave plenty of time for them to work just on lip sync, then add arm rods (encouraging as little gesture as possible)--and  once they are comfortable with these puppets as actors THEN move them into the scenes.

Attached is a resource sheet with some great puppetry books--pay special attention to The Complete Book of Puppetry by George Latshaw. It's got amazing exercises for student actors transitioning into puppetry work (voice body and manipulation).

Feel free to reach out if I can be of support/assistance!

Best,
Aretta
arettabaumgartner@puppet.org

------------------------------
Aretta Baumgartner
Education Director
Center for Puppetry Arts
Atlanta, GA
www.puppet.org
arettabaumgartner@puppet.org
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 04-07-2021 14:51
From: Shanda Bonn
Subject: Puppets and Shakespeare?

Has anyone combined their puppetry unit with Shakespeare? I will do some research online, but I wanted to see if anyone had already created a unit for their classroom before I recreate the wheel. Like most of you, some of my students are in person and many opted to stay at home. So our 3rd and final production of the year will be some kind of hybrid thing on Zoom (via On the Stage). I have never taught puppetry but found a great tutorial for making simple but effective sock puppets with moveable arms. And I think it would be super fun to do Shakespeare scenes with the puppets (not necessarily comedic or irreverent). The student actors would really have to focus on their vocal techniques and physical expression through the puppets. Anyway, let me know what you've got. Thanks.

------------------------------
Shanda Bonn
Theatre Teacher
Simi Valley High School
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 4/8/2021 4:18:00 PM
From: Aretta Baumgartner
Subject: RE: Puppets and Shakespeare?

Hi, Shanda--

I have had the pleasure of using puppets to support Shakespeare--not an entire unit, but a 3-class mini-unit. I've worked with teachers to create object puppets and object collage puppets (multiple objects unified to create one character) for this work, with session one being an intro to puppet manipulation, session two being selection of scenes/monologues and designing/selecting puppets, and session three being blocking and performing.

I've not used sock puppets with moveable arms as I find that beginning puppeteers using that style of puppets aren't as successful as they'd hope/want as they need to master both lip sync (talking) and arm rod gestures. That, alongside getting comfortable with verse and the more challenging language/vocabulary has meant in my experience that the scenes aren't reflecting the talent of the students since they are needing to do so many complicated things at once, most of which is new. For that reason, I might suggest using rod puppets, object puppets, something without moving mouths. Of course if you choose to do the sock and arm rod puppets, that's great--I'd just make sure to leave plenty of time for them to work just on lip sync, then add arm rods (encouraging as little gesture as possible)--and  once they are comfortable with these puppets as actors THEN move them into the scenes.

Attached is a resource sheet with some great puppetry books--pay special attention to The Complete Book of Puppetry by George Latshaw. It's got amazing exercises for student actors transitioning into puppetry work (voice body and manipulation).

Feel free to reach out if I can be of support/assistance!

Best,
Aretta
arettabaumgartner@puppet.org

------------------------------
Aretta Baumgartner
Education Director
Center for Puppetry Arts
Atlanta, GA
www.puppet.org
arettabaumgartner@puppet.org
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 04-07-2021 14:51
From: Shanda Bonn
Subject: Puppets and Shakespeare?

Has anyone combined their puppetry unit with Shakespeare? I will do some research online, but I wanted to see if anyone had already created a unit for their classroom before I recreate the wheel. Like most of you, some of my students are in person and many opted to stay at home. So our 3rd and final production of the year will be some kind of hybrid thing on Zoom (via On the Stage). I have never taught puppetry but found a great tutorial for making simple but effective sock puppets with moveable arms. And I think it would be super fun to do Shakespeare scenes with the puppets (not necessarily comedic or irreverent). The student actors would really have to focus on their vocal techniques and physical expression through the puppets. Anyway, let me know what you've got. Thanks.

------------------------------
Shanda Bonn
Theatre Teacher
Simi Valley High School
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 4/7/2021 2:51:00 PM
From: Shanda Bonn
Subject: Puppets and Shakespeare?

Has anyone combined their puppetry unit with Shakespeare? I will do some research online, but I wanted to see if anyone had already created a unit for their classroom before I recreate the wheel. Like most of you, some of my students are in person and many opted to stay at home. So our 3rd and final production of the year will be some kind of hybrid thing on Zoom (via On the Stage). I have never taught puppetry but found a great tutorial for making simple but effective sock puppets with moveable arms. And I think it would be super fun to do Shakespeare scenes with the puppets (not necessarily comedic or irreverent). The student actors would really have to focus on their vocal techniques and physical expression through the puppets. Anyway, let me know what you've got. Thanks.

------------------------------
Shanda Bonn
Theatre Teacher
Simi Valley High School
------------------------------

Hey Shanda  -The puppeteers being shown in a artistic decision. Puppets being visible or hidden are both welcome and part of the art form. My middle school students don't like to be seen on camera so they zoom in the camera or use their laptops. The one student who didn't mind being scene was my student who was on the autism spectrum - no fear of judgment. :-) I'll DM you on FB my puppet mash-up video from my Fall Semester. 

Side Note: Aretta is the best! She is the Director of Education for the Center of Puppetry Arts which is a MUST visit both online and in person. And, she is the President of the Puppeteers of America of which I am a Board Member. Feel free to join us at Puppeteers.org. 

Edna Bland

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Edna Bland
Theatre Arts Teacher/MMS Puppet Director
Millennium Middle School
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 04-08-2021 21:30
From: Shanda Bonn
Subject: Puppets and Shakespeare?

P.S. I want the actors to be visible like they are in Avenue Q. What do you think of that? The whole reason I want to use puppets is because performing pre-recorded scenes on Zoom, the actors' movements are limited. I think they can do more movement with a puppet??

Sent from my iPhone

On Apr 8, 2021, at 6:23 PM, Shanda Bonn <shandabonnda@gmail.com> wrote:

Thanks very much. Lots to consider. Our district adopted an insane schedule this year. We do an entire semester in just 7 weeks. 2.5 hour block classes every other day and 95 minutes required homework every other day. Only two classes at a time. So we are just about to wrap up periods 3 and 4 (French classes for me). Then in late April we start periods 5 and 6 (for me that's French 3/4 as well as Theatre Arts I/II). It's so compressed and class sessions are so long that going in depth in one area is a good thing. I could just stick to straight Shakespeare but I feel so limited with half the students at home and half in person (masked and distanced). So I thought puppetry could really stretch it out. I will definitely be starting with object puppets. Then I have some friends coming in from Will Geer Theatricum Botanicum to guest teach Shakespeare Voice and Text. After that I'm on my own. I will take your advice into consideration. Thanks again for your input!

Shanda Bonn

Sent from my iPhone

Original Message:
Sent: 4/7/2021 2:51:00 PM
From: Shanda Bonn
Subject: Puppets and Shakespeare?

Has anyone combined their puppetry unit with Shakespeare? I will do some research online, but I wanted to see if anyone had already created a unit for their classroom before I recreate the wheel. Like most of you, some of my students are in person and many opted to stay at home. So our 3rd and final production of the year will be some kind of hybrid thing on Zoom (via On the Stage). I have never taught puppetry but found a great tutorial for making simple but effective sock puppets with moveable arms. And I think it would be super fun to do Shakespeare scenes with the puppets (not necessarily comedic or irreverent). The student actors would really have to focus on their vocal techniques and physical expression through the puppets. Anyway, let me know what you've got. Thanks.

------------------------------
Shanda Bonn
Theatre Teacher
Simi Valley High School
------------------------------