The Basic Techniques of Puppetry Although these basics are important to all levels of puppetry, the beginner must become proficient enough in these techniques to the point that they become second nature. It is important to know that all the basics can be practiced without a puppet, but you must also know the correct way to hold a puppet. Insert one hand through the body of the puppet and into the mouth. Your hand should feel comfortable with four fingers curled over the *HandiSphere™ in the top of the mouth and the thumb in the jaw below. All the fingers and the thumb should be touching the cloth-covered mouth.

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1. Lip Synchronization

Synchronize the opening of the puppet's mouth with the spoken word. Avoid moving the mouth at random during a sentence. Do not open the mouth all the way with each word. Save the wide mouth openings for exaggerated or loud expressions.

2. Mouth Action

Correct mouth action is necessary in good puppetry. Practice opening the puppet's mouth by moving your thumb downward without moving your fingers upward. A slight forward thrust of the hand may help when first starting out. This is to make sure the bottom jaw moves and not the top of the puppets head, what we call "flipping the lid."

3. Eye Contact

Remember to look at the audience regularly. If your stage is elevated, you will want your puppets to look down a little more than might feel comfortable, rather than over the heads of your audience. This will ensure more effective eye contact. This is achieved by simple adjustments of the wrist angle.

4. Posture

If you want your puppet to appear natural, good posture cannot be ignored. To achieve this, the puppeteer's arm must be held at right angles to the floor with the hand level. Do not allow puppets to lean from side to side nor lean on the stage.

5. Entrances and Exits

While there are many ways to enter and exit a puppet, the one we recommend using most often is to make your puppet appear as if he is walking up or down a ramp or flight of stairs. This movement uses the whole arm and requires the puppeteer to keep his forearm straight up and down while the wrist remains relaxed. Using a fluid motion, the puppeteer moves forward as he "bounces" the puppet onto the stage. With each bounce of the arm, the puppet comes more fully into view. When the puppet leaves the stage, this process is simply reversed.

Special Notes:

-The conscientious puppeteer will want to practice in front of a mirror or on video whenever possible to observe his techniques.

-Holding the fingers immobile with the other hand while working the thumb will accustom the thumb muscles to this new movement.

-Whenever possible a beginner should use taped performances, fully memorized so that the added distractions of voice work and scripts are eliminated.

* HandiSphere used in Puppet Productions puppets by special arrangement with David Pannabecker.