Info regarding "rod arm" puppetry
and "human arm" puppetry.

"Rod arm"
"Rod arm" puppetry refers simply to operating a puppet as follows: with your dominate hand working the head and mouth (a) of the puppet, while your other hand operates the puppet's hands via long rods that hang from the wrists of the puppet(b).

I. Most rod actions will be done with only one arm. Let the other arm hang limp. Don't try to do all your motions with both rods; you'll be limiting the believability of your puppet. Most people gesture with one arm at a time. Have your puppet behave accordingly. When your actions have become smooth and you are comfortable in your performing, try shifting from one arm to the other by gently dropping one rod and picking up the other. Practice this method until you are confident in your moves.

2. Manipulating two rods with one hand is not as difficult as it may appear. Cross the rods and, with your palm toward your body, place your little finger beneath the "X" formed by the rods. The ring and middle fingers should curl snugly around the rods, while the thumb and forefinger are used for moving the rods (see illustration

B). By pressing them together, the puppet's hands move together. Some two-rod motions fairly easy to learn are:

a. Clapping Hands - Keeping the puppet's arms straight out, bring hands together and apart quickly.

b. Bowing - Hold both arms out from the body. Bring the outside arm (manipulated by the forefinger) across the puppet's stomach while turning the back of your hand toward yourself Use your thumb to bring the inside arm behind the puppet's back. You are now ready to bow.

c. Spreading Arms - Lift the rods as you release your grip with your ring and middle fingers. Open your thumb and forefinger as wide as possible while still retaining control of the rods.

 

"Human Arm"
The human arm puppet provides more realism to a puppet show. It can be operated by one or two puppeteers. With one puppeteer, one hand will go in the head while the other goes through a sleeve. In this case, care must be taken to not let the "stump" of the unused arm show . With two puppeteers, one will operate both hands while the other works the head.

To operate the hands, put on the matching gloves. Holding the puppet facing away from you, put your hand through the fully elasticized end of the sleeve and work it through to the other end. Pull the sleeve to fit around the wrist. (The puppet's elbow need not coincide with the puppeteer's.) 'ne puppet is now ready to be operated.

If two puppeteers operate the puppet, the taller puppeteer should work the head. The puppeteers should be positioned as close as is comfortably possible. The best position will depend on the relative heights and arm lengths of the puppeteers. A goo-d position for kneeling or standing is the alternate leg position, where one kneels or stands slightly behind the other. Example: the first puppeteer's right leg, the second puppeteer's right leg, the first's left leg, the second's left leg. The taller puppeteer should be stationed behind his partner so that he can reach over him to work the head.

Eight to twelve inches of depth between the stage and the puppet's body will provide space for arm movements. The puppet director should stand in front of the stage to guide the puppeteers in their positioning. Do actions with these puppets just as if they were real people on stage. They are simply an extension of your personality, so have them do what you would do on stage.