It is not unusual for people who are interested in magic, to be fascinated with other forms of entertainment. Known as the allied arts, Juggling, Clowning, Balloon Twisting, Storytelling, Ventriloquism and Puppetry all have a place in the hearts of many magicians. In fact, there are very few magicians that have not wished to try or have tried their hand at one or more of these other venues. One has to wonder why that is since they all seem so far apart from one another? I suppose it all has to do with the creation of wonder.
One of the most wondrous things is to create life. It is this creation of life in an inanimate object that draws children and adults alike to puppets. Through the use of a puppet, a puppeteer can make people laugh, cry, dream, wonder and travel to far away lands. Through the interaction of the puppeteer and his puppet(s), life lessons can be taught. Object lessons as they are known can be passed on through the actions of the puppet and his relationship with his owner. One of the most difficult parts of puppetry is knowing what message you want to convey and how you wish to convey it. Herein lies one of the challenges of puppetry which is what will your puppet look like and what character it will play?
There are several sources for puppets online and in stores. The prices like their quality will range greatly. Options range from the inexpensive finger puppets you can find in bargain stores to handmade puppets made out of the latest fabrics and materials. If you wanted to “break into” puppetry and can’t decide in which direction you would like to go, maybe you can run down to your local Barnes and Noble and check out the children’s area there. If the store is decent in size more than likely you will find a display of Folkmanis Puppets. A Folkmanis Puppet is a great option for someone who wishes to discover puppetry but does not want to make a major investment. These puppets have the look and feel of quality. Over the years Folkmanis has won dozens of awards for their designs.
Folkmanis produces over 200 different puppets to choose from. They are virtually all animals both realistic and fantastical. Although seemingly limited, an animal puppet will eliminate the “need” for you to feel that you have to speak two parts. The animal can just nod or whisper to you and being it is an animal, nobody will wonder why it can’t speak. All you would need to do now is script a routine that would just require the puppet to react. Check out the Folkmanis display at your local B & N or click on the link below.