This document provides guidance on effective puppet shows. It covers topics such as scripts, characters, plot, humor, rehearsals, logistics, staging, special effects, electrical and lighting, and music. The document emphasizes knowing your audience, practicing with puppets, making the show fun and action-packed, and using effects like music, lighting, and video to enhance storytelling.

1. Puppets Galore
Fundamentals of
Effective
Puppet Shows
http://puppetsgalore.wordpress.com
Glenn McKnight

2. Topics
● Part One  Part Two
–Scripts ­Logistics
–Characters ­Staging
­Extra Staging
–Protagonist
­Special Effects
–Plot
­Electrical and Lighting
–Humour
­Music
–Rehersals
–Having Fun

3. Scripts
 Know your audience and know
what you can or cannot write
about. If your skit will be put on
in a church, make your skit
about Biblical principles and so
forth.
 If your skit will be put on in
front of an organization run by
the government or in a
government building you may
not be allowed to use religious
beliefs in your skit.

4. Characters
 Know the characters that will
be in your play. Look at what
you have to work with and
write your script around that.
 Pick a main character
(protagonist) from among the
puppets you have in your
selection.

5. Characters: Antagonist
 Choose a bad guy (an
antagonist) who will make
life hard for your hero.
 When choosing this
character, which can be a
boy, girl or animal, make sure
it is one that is believable in
appearance.
 For example, don't choose a
sweet looking little boy to be
your villain.

6. Plot
 Come up with a plot. Along
with who your character is,
you need to know what your
play is about, where it is
happening and what is wrong.
 Your character must desire
something, but is unable to
get it for some reason.

7. Humour
 Come up with some humour.
Children love slapstick humor
and lots of animation.
 Make it fun and exaggerate
everything to the hilt

8. Rehersals
 Practice your skit with your
puppets. Check out their
expressions as you go
through the play which will
give you inspiration.
 Use improvisation as you go
and write down any new
ideas or dialogue that comes
to you in this process.

9. Have Fun
 Try to avoid preachy
language or longwinded
dialogue.
 Make your skit full of action
and try not to let the scenes in
your script be stagnate. The
most important rule in
creating a puppet skit is to
make it fun and enjoyable.

10. Logistics
 If you have alot of stuff,
ask for suitable truck
size parking near
unloading doors
­Ice/snow free path
­Access to
ramps/elevators
 Adult assistance if
equipment must be
carried up/down stairs

11. Staging
 Shape: A stage is a triangle
 Size: 14' wide x 7'deep x 9'high.
 Pathway: A path 3'wide must be left on all sides.
 Location: The stage is most often set in a corner of the
room with diagonal seating.
 Height: The puppets' playing floor is 6' off the actual floor -
we do not need or want a raised stage.
 Viewing: From chairs are set back ten feet
 Viewing: From the floor are set back fifteen feet .

12. Extra Staging
 Video screen & projector
(placed to the SL side)
 Picture props are place in
the front of the stage
 Mood and spot lighing
attached on the frame or at
the

13. Special Effects
 Dramatic effects to showcase the action including:
 Use of "smoke"/fog machines to create a mood for scary
or compelling stories
 Video projection
 Projection of pictures, videos and on location cameras to
enhance the story
Others
 ­micro pyrotechnics
­bubbles
­"snow"

14. Electrical and Lighting
 Standard electrical outlets
 CSA rated Extension cords
 2 separate circuits
preferred
 LED lighting
 Strobe light/Kaleidoscope
light
 Spot lighting on stage

15. Music
 Music enhances the performance
 Select free music from Internet Archives.
Http://www.archive.org
 Songs can be saved as a MP3 file or Wav format
and played during the performance
 If you have any musical volunteers or performers
have them be creative and provide music interludes
or character music forms ie. Peter and the Wolf

16. Thank you
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