We've used puppets generously provided by April Ross (formerly of the Heights Toy Center in Little Rock). The idea of using puppets came from my good friend from Stage One Children's Theatre in Louisville, Talleri McRae. Talleri suggested I use puppets when she read my previous Cabot observations blog in which I mention my challenges in using Augusto Boal's Forum Theatre techniques with young children. In forum, you stop a scene at the climax and have audience members "rehearse" different solutions to the problem by standing in for actors. When I tried this with children, the childrens' reactions ranged from completely freezing up to self-conscious giggling but rarely had I been successful in these facilitations. Talleri suggested having the students whisper what they would say and do to me and then using a puppet to actually stand in. This technique really seemed to free the students up, so I decided to use puppets in the actual show. Now I'm wondering....puppets or no puppets?
Pros:
1) The students really do like the puppets.
2) I think the puppets allow our adult actors to convincingly deliver lines a child would say without the awkwardness that usually accompanies adults performing as children.
Cons:
1) I don't know how necessary the puppets are. Could we deliver these lines as effectively without puppets?
2) The puppets we have are wonderful, and I am so thankful to April for letting us borrow them. If I decide to go with puppets, however, I think I would want really spectacular puppets, i.e. larger, that are (possibly) created specifically for the show.
3) Since this is part of a larger series, I want to ensure that the series is unified. Do puppets in one show and not the others seem random?
4) We try forum out tomorrow. Do the puppets really help students stand in for actors?
5) I would need to really work with actors on animating their puppets.
1) The students really do like the puppets.
2) I think the puppets allow our adult actors to convincingly deliver lines a child would say without the awkwardness that usually accompanies adults performing as children.
Cons:
1) I don't know how necessary the puppets are. Could we deliver these lines as effectively without puppets?
2) The puppets we have are wonderful, and I am so thankful to April for letting us borrow them. If I decide to go with puppets, however, I think I would want really spectacular puppets, i.e. larger, that are (possibly) created specifically for the show.
3) Since this is part of a larger series, I want to ensure that the series is unified. Do puppets in one show and not the others seem random?
4) We try forum out tomorrow. Do the puppets really help students stand in for actors?
5) I would need to really work with actors on animating their puppets.
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