Tabletop puppetry is a puppetry technique that has been evolving in the Americas and Europe ever since the first international tours of Japan’s famous Bunraku Theatre Company. A few generalities about the style would be:
- The puppets are complete sculptural figures, fully three-dimensional.
- As the manipulators work in full view of the audience and close up to the figures, their relationship to the puppets and the action must be taken into consideration.
- The performance no longer fits in a booth, and, with the manipulators visible, the full stage area comes into play.
Ann & David will help participants to design, construct, dress and give life to their own puppet figures. Some experience with saws and other tools is useful, but not essential.
Ann Powell& David Powell, the Puppetmongers have spent fifty plus years developing their own version of tabletop puppetry, generating a great store of information, techniques and skills in this style. Puppetmongers Theatre now in its 51st year, has performed across Canada, the US, Europe, and Iran. Nominated for two Chalmers Play Awards and eleven Dora Mavor Moore Awards, we have received five Citations for Excellence from the Union International de la Marionnette USA, plus the Award for Artistic Excellence and The President’s Award from the Puppeteers of America.
