Can Anybody Be Puppeteer?

[Buck-Beaver]

I read a great quote today from Alan Cook, who runs the Int'l Puppet Museum in California and has got to be one of the most knowledgeable puppeteers I have ever met:

"...one phrase Betsy used frequently in her puppet courses, was "anyone can be a puppeteer". My brain would say to itself, "anyone can be a brain surgeon too, but I would be careful which one I picked."​

Call me elitist if you will, but this made my day.

 

[CoOKiE]

I too disagree. I've seen REALLY bad puppetry. And its NOT for everyone. Its a talent you either have or don't.

As it may come easier to me then others, I too once thought its for everyone, but was sooooo wrong. Not everyone can move the mouth correctly... they open their whole hand and not just move their thumb.

Thats the hardest... however the most common is not matching the mouth with your words.

 

[Frogpuppeteer]

Thats the hardest... however the most common is not matching the mouth with your words.

when i started puppeteering at my church this was the issue i had with the other kids, they could grasp the mouths move to words concept

 

[practicecactus]

My high school music teacher would say "everybody can sing.. Absolutely everybody can sing. Some are terrible, and some are better than others, but everyone can sing."
Just because ya can do something, doesn't mean ya should.

 

[wes]

Of course do not think any body can be a puppetry, I can give you a few examples.

1. I had a Young Girl that was real smart(book smart) top of her class, I tried teaching her the skills need to work a puppet properly. She could never put it together I explained how to do it and i worked one on one with her but she never could pick it up. And she was not stupid, she was really upset that she could get it.

2.My sister knows how to do puppets very well we learned growing up together. i mean she can do it as good as me, She just doesn't like it. She needed a job and i gave her one working for me at Zoo city's puppet theater and after years of not doing it she pick it up like she had been doing it for years, I was floored!

these two events makes me think that not everyone can do it and other may do it flippantly, but who would wnat to watch a show they do.

My three cents worth.

 

[Buck-Beaver]

This is really a tricky issue; on the one hand I think it's important to be as supportive as possible of anybody who wants to be involved with puppets and resist the urge to be dismissive or discouraging. On the other hand, I also think it's equally important to acknowledge just what a difficult art form it is and that there is a great deal of skill involved.

 

[Melonpool]

I think it is something that can be learned -- although it's a lot more commitment than a lot of people want to put into it. I had to work really hard to get to the skill level I'm at now, but truth be told, I'm still not the best puppeteer in the world. I'm a much better builder than a puppeteer -- but I've been blessed to know three very natural puppeteers and have learned a lot along the way.

I think the biggest mistake a lot of potential puppeteers make is that they believe that they're brilliant puppeteers from the get-go -- and they refuse to listen to any criticism they get along the way. But, these are the same people believe that they can do-no-wrong at baseball, retail work, acting or art. Or, they give up really soon when they realize they aren't the best thing since sliced bread in these fields.

 

[D'Snowth]

Reminds me of the movie Ratatouille where Chez Gusteauv's motto is "Anyone can cook".

My opinion, is similar to that of CoOKiE, SOME people CAN pick it up, BUT, SOME people CAN'T.

The main problem? It's like just about every muppeteer have said over the years: it LOOKS easy, but it isn't necessarily so. Especially when you're doing SERIOUS multitasking (working the head with one hand, working the hands with the other, watching the monitor to make sure the set up looks right, reading your lines at the same time).

However, I'm sure if some people who are genuinely interested in puppetry, and practice at it long enough, they can get it; even Frank Oz says it took him about ten or fifteen years to get used to the whole production of all of the multitasking, but he did say some people just simply can't.

 

[KaityDid]

i'm in a group at school, we do educational theatre (ironically, we're called the Educational Theatre Company, ETC if you will) and we do puppets sometimes. we use the Kids on the Block puppets. it's really hard to the syncing down right between your words and the movement of your hand for the puppets mouth. and then holding up the puppet is a lot of hard work. one of the puppets has a really huge head and is really heavy and makes it hard to hold her up. at the most we're holding the puppets up in the air for about 5 minutes or so, it gets to the point where you have to hold your arm with the hand that isn't holding the puppet. it's fun, but it's a lot of hard work.

 

[Teenager's]

I believe that Puppetry can really only be learned by the individual...and Not taught...
it takes too long to learn for it to be taught by an institution.

I also believe that Puppetry chooses the person...and they're born with the ability to perform the tool......It may take years for them to realize it....but it'll come out eventually.