Open Forum

Happy Friday!

I'm looking at creating a shadow-puppet stage as an element of our set design, to creatively handle some storytelling elements.

Does anyone have experience constructing, rehearsing with, or using shadow puppetry on your stages? How best to light, best materials to use? I'm doing plenty of online research, but nothing like experienced voices to lend some perspective.

"What's the play?"

It's The Witch's Princess by Don Zolidis, which I heartily recommend everyone read! It's here and you can read it for free.

------------------------------
Josh Kauffman
Teacher, Thespian Society/Drama Club sponsor
Winfield City Schools
Winfield, AL
------------------------------

Hi- happy to help/support! Pop off an email to me at arettabaumgartner@puppet.org (feel free to cut and paste this post)! I'll be teaching at Alabama Thespian Festival if you happen to be there- we could connect there, too.

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

I've been obsessed with shadow puppets with my last few shows!  So, last year I built me a puppet screen for about $125 out of a round balloon arch from Amazon and some upgraded bulletin board cover called Better than Paper.  (I really wanted a black circle that blended seamless with my set, so it wouldn't be a focal point, and this made finding the right screen a challenge). The Better than Paper is like a non-knit fabric material backed in white. This material carried the light really well (better than scrim and poly silk that I tried) and we did not have a noticeable hot spot! I was amazed. I used my short throw projector because I wanted my background image to move as the puppets moved. I had two shows: I had one where a man was walking through trees and came across a panther. And one where a sweet potato grew really large and needed harvesting.  So I created my own black and white background animations in Keynote. Then my man and the panther puppets, I created using my Cricut and some clear flower picks, and good o'le hot glue. I was hoping the clear picks would not cast much of a shadow, but they did... I also had some seams on my screen because the material wasn't quite as large as my frame...but neither were noticeable because everything else was just too magical to notice.  These two scenes were probably my favorite of the whole show!  Feel free to reach out with questions! I am hoping to incorporate the same set up in my spring show, so I will be brainstorming about this too! (I attached a pic, not the greatest clarity and my man was behind the tree...but you get the idea!)

------------------------------
Analiese Hamm
ECHS Drama Director
Echols County High School
Statenville GA
------------------------------

I have done Shadow Puppetry before and on a large scale. Best to use rear projection screen or fabric that is mounted on a frame to be very taught.


Secondly, use a heavy cardstock or poster board, or light foam core board. You need to have lots of cut out areas to provide texture and quality.


If you want to do color panels in the puppets, lighting gels work wonders for this. Cut the area out of the puppet you want color in and then apply the gel with glue or tape.


It is best if front lighting is minimal and rear lighting is strong. The puppets should be close to the screen.


The students might have to lay down to not be seen, depending on your screen set up. Use dowels to hold the puppets


Use brads for the joints of the puppets, so they can move body parts.


I have also done front lighting and projected the puppets on the cyc in the mainstage.


Puppets who have dialogue also have the movement. Other puppets need to refrain from strong movement when it is not their line.


Experimentation will get you far.


Break a leg and may all your theatre seats be filled.


Kelly Thomas