After speaking with the director of our group, I have decided that this would be a great opportunity to post some of our goals and ideas for the coming year. These goals will be chronicled in upcoming posts, but I need a way to list them out so that we remember what needs to be done.
These projects are intended to help push the group forward, something we as a group need since one of the main driving factors of our group (namely the Director) is away for a year.
Phase Two Marionettes
Moving from doll accessories, namely the heads, and into real puppet pieces is the next step on our list of improvements. Wooden or paper mache heads might not be the easiest to complete this year, but it is a necessary step if we are to continue moving in the right direction. We have to remember that the goal is a worthy production, and we can't expect our audience to take us seriously if we still use heads from scavenged dolls.
Currently, the team has very little skills in wood carving, but I have contacted a friend who is knowledgeable in this area. If the wood fails, we have our back up plan of paper mache, which, I believe is a period technique that might be able to fit the bill. More research on this idea will be forthcoming.
A Shadow Puppet Stage
A friend has asked us to create a shadow puppet stage for her event in March. While this type of project was not necessarily our main focus, it will be interesting to create such a contraption. Further study and creative ingenuity are required to complete this task on time.
The first step is obviously research. What would a shadow puppet stage from this culture look like? What types of materials are needed to make it? And, obviously the most important question; can it be completed in time?
The Guild
While not as important as some of the other items listed above; creating a guild charter and heraldic device can be considered helpful in the long run. The director's views are important when creating the defining documents of the guild, and will require constant communication to make sure we get it right.
The first steps are, again, research. By looking at existing guild charters, we can easily see what is needed in the founding documents. From there, more information can be added to the document to make it workable for us.
A guild would be helpful in several ways, most notably by encouraging others to participate in our endeavors. With more people, we can produce more performances and items and move forward into more period styles of performances and artwork quicker.
Blog d'Arthur Revamp
As we progress further and further into our goal, we have found that the need to stylize and freshen up this blog is important. We want to be able to communicate what we are doing so that other groups can learn from our experiences. This involves a clean forum of communication and, dare I say, more pictures.
Some people would say to create a website, however, we are not ready for this monumental task at this time. We have decided to keep up with the blog style until we have enough research and material to make a truly dedicated website to our process, style, and plans. What we can do is make the blog more user-friendly.
Expect to see subtle changes soon.
Performance Ready
I won't say that we will have a performance within the next year. What I will say is that we want to be ready. This task, divided up throughout this year, includes script writing, tweaking the stage, marionette construction and styling, technical aspects of marionettes and stage, and practicing with the marionettes. It may seem like a very large list, and trust me it really is, but it is vital to our group to move forward (I think I mentioned this several times before).
Sunday, January 29, 2012
Friday, January 20, 2012
A Few Good Examples: Beauty and the Beast
Recently, I went to go see the Broadway production of Beauty and the Beast. While the show itself was fun and entertaining, it was the theatrical magic that captivated me. Understanding that this was high technology developed with an equally high budget; it is still possible to glean ideas and techniques from this experience.
All we have to do, then, is to render it in a medieval fashion.
The techniques of medieval theatrics, and in this case puppet shows, was usually a very well guarded secret. Only the troupe which employed the techniques and devices would know how they operated and what they actually were. This in itself isn't unique, many medieval techniques applied to guilds were secretive, but it does cause problems when looking for resource material.
However, not letting that stop me, I can suppose what could have been used in the time period I am looking at and make reasonable facsimiles without compromising our original goal.
Example 1: A Front Scrim
A scrim is a commonly used device in theatre. The fabric has unique properties so that when it is lit from the front the screen is opaque. However, when the theatre is dark and objects behind the scrim are lit, the fabric is translucent. While scrims are often used as the backdrop for a performance, in some instances they are used between the actors and the audience.
Looking back at Beauty and the Beast, the stylized front scrim was used for several purposes. Mainly, it was used to frame a certain part of the story that was important; very much like watching a story book. Additionally, the scrim was used to add depth to the wooded scenes by projecting shadows on it. This made it appear that the actors were deep in the woods. Lastly, the scrim was used for special effects, such as rain.
Now the question is: Could we use something like this in our performances? I think the answer is a definitive yes. A stylized front scrim could be used when performing a fairy tale or an underwater scene. The trick, however, is not using modern equipment that would normally be used to accent the scrim itself. We would need to find another way to cast shadows or give it the blue hue to make it work. In modern times, this is done by powerful lighting systems with colored gels; but these things were not available to the medieval puppeteer.
Obviously, this idea requires more research and thought.
Example 2: Set Pieces
Set pieces are important to have. They portray the setting in a three dimensional way that a simple painted backdrop cannot. Additionally, set pieces offer the actors or marionettes a way to interact with the world that has been created for them.
While The Batty Puppeteers has been good about set pieces, we haven't fully realized what can be done with them. Going back to my experience at the theatre, set pieces had one or two different sides. For example, the front of a house could be seen and when turned around, the inside could be seen.
Incorporating two sided set pieces would not only help cut down on cost of materials, but help alleviate space requirements for transport or storage. A castle wall, in this case, could be turned around and become something totally different, like a hedge of shrubbery.
This type of project would be rather simple to accomplish and would require critical thinking on what types of scenery could be grouped together.
Example 3: Basic Stage Magic
The show, Beauty and the Beast, relied heavily on stage magic. Thunder, lightning, flashes, fog, and even a magical transformation. While we are currently developing a thunder machine, how do we incorporate other items, like fog?
This will obviously require more research and experimentation. We need to understand what could be used for these basic items of stage magic an if they could have been understood by medieval man. This topic will, undoubtedly, be commented on in further editions of this blog.
In Essence...
In all, my trip to the theatre was a fun experience and I was able to walk away with not only a well told story, but thoughts and ideas of how these items could be incorporated into our own humble troupe.
The whole purpose of any performance, be it actors or marionettes, is to tell a story and have the audience walk away with an experience that they will remember. It is my belief that incorporating these few ideas that we can achieve our goal.
All we have to do, then, is to render it in a medieval fashion.
The techniques of medieval theatrics, and in this case puppet shows, was usually a very well guarded secret. Only the troupe which employed the techniques and devices would know how they operated and what they actually were. This in itself isn't unique, many medieval techniques applied to guilds were secretive, but it does cause problems when looking for resource material.
However, not letting that stop me, I can suppose what could have been used in the time period I am looking at and make reasonable facsimiles without compromising our original goal.
Example 1: A Front Scrim
A scrim is a commonly used device in theatre. The fabric has unique properties so that when it is lit from the front the screen is opaque. However, when the theatre is dark and objects behind the scrim are lit, the fabric is translucent. While scrims are often used as the backdrop for a performance, in some instances they are used between the actors and the audience.
Looking back at Beauty and the Beast, the stylized front scrim was used for several purposes. Mainly, it was used to frame a certain part of the story that was important; very much like watching a story book. Additionally, the scrim was used to add depth to the wooded scenes by projecting shadows on it. This made it appear that the actors were deep in the woods. Lastly, the scrim was used for special effects, such as rain.
Now the question is: Could we use something like this in our performances? I think the answer is a definitive yes. A stylized front scrim could be used when performing a fairy tale or an underwater scene. The trick, however, is not using modern equipment that would normally be used to accent the scrim itself. We would need to find another way to cast shadows or give it the blue hue to make it work. In modern times, this is done by powerful lighting systems with colored gels; but these things were not available to the medieval puppeteer.
Obviously, this idea requires more research and thought.
Example 2: Set Pieces
Set pieces are important to have. They portray the setting in a three dimensional way that a simple painted backdrop cannot. Additionally, set pieces offer the actors or marionettes a way to interact with the world that has been created for them.
While The Batty Puppeteers has been good about set pieces, we haven't fully realized what can be done with them. Going back to my experience at the theatre, set pieces had one or two different sides. For example, the front of a house could be seen and when turned around, the inside could be seen.
Incorporating two sided set pieces would not only help cut down on cost of materials, but help alleviate space requirements for transport or storage. A castle wall, in this case, could be turned around and become something totally different, like a hedge of shrubbery.
This type of project would be rather simple to accomplish and would require critical thinking on what types of scenery could be grouped together.
Example 3: Basic Stage Magic
The show, Beauty and the Beast, relied heavily on stage magic. Thunder, lightning, flashes, fog, and even a magical transformation. While we are currently developing a thunder machine, how do we incorporate other items, like fog?
This will obviously require more research and experimentation. We need to understand what could be used for these basic items of stage magic an if they could have been understood by medieval man. This topic will, undoubtedly, be commented on in further editions of this blog.
In Essence...
In all, my trip to the theatre was a fun experience and I was able to walk away with not only a well told story, but thoughts and ideas of how these items could be incorporated into our own humble troupe.
The whole purpose of any performance, be it actors or marionettes, is to tell a story and have the audience walk away with an experience that they will remember. It is my belief that incorporating these few ideas that we can achieve our goal.
Monday, December 26, 2011
Stage Magic: A Thunder Machine
This is the first part of a series that explores medieval special effects as used in classical and medieval theater. From the simple to the extreme, we will explore different examples of mechanical devices that could be used in our modern medieval marionette theater.
_____
_____
Stage magic in a marionette theater can be done in several ways. For those who are modernly inclined the use of various technological gadgetry, like stereo systems, iPods, and electric lights; sound effects can easily be used in almost any situation.
But what about our medieval project? What if we wanted to keep a medieval feeling in our marionette performances but give the audience something more? In order to ensure that we have special effects without high end technology, we have to do some research and find alternatives to what was used in the past.
Heron of Alexandria
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| Heron of Alexandria, known as "The Mechanical Man" |
Around 100 BC, Heron of Alexandria was busy making inventions; a lot of them. While much of his time was spent designing "miracles" for temples and weapons, Heron also developed mechanical stage apparatus which varied from the simple to the extravagant. Luckily, his work has been preserved throughout the ages and we can look deeper into the mind of "the Mechanical Man".
The Thunder Machine
Looking at some of the works of Heron, we were able to find a Thunder Machine. Thunder would often be used in classical Greek theater whenever a god appeared or left. Heron's description of the device can be used to make on of our own, albeit a smaller scale.
But what did Heron's machine look like. Luckily we have a reproduction of one of his drawings so we can look at it in further detail.
 |
| Reproduction drawing of Heron's device |
Brass balls would be released from a hopper by a lever. The balls would then roll down a series of shelves before finally resting on a tin sheet. The sound would be a deep bass tones that would, effectively, sound very much like thunder.
Luckily there a few people who have reproduced this machine in modern times, and we can see examples of both Heron's work and the modern equivalent.
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| Smith College Museum of Ancient Inventions reproduces Heron's work |
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| By contrast, a modern thunder machine; commonly used in modern theater |
What Can It Be Used For?
Incorporating the Thunder Machine into our marionette theater could serve several purposes. For example, the machine could be used for dark and stormy nights, the sound when the devil appears (or other nasty characters come on to the stage) or even for when a marionette casts a spell or breaks a curse. There are many different ways that thunder could be appropriate for any number of marionette performances.
Final Thoughts
When The Batty Puppeteers creates this contraption, we need to be aware of the size issue. Unfortunately, we have limited space when we perform our shows, so the Thunder Machine cannot take up a lot of space. We will need to explore and experiment with different sizes to find the smallest size we can go while still getting the deep sound we desire.
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Inspiration Found Online: The Puppets
Let's get inspired, shall we? After looking around the Internet for resource (more on that coming soon), I have found several videos and pictures of marionettes and productions that I have found absolutely inspiring.
The Rose Marionette
While built in 1942 and not a medieval marionette by any stretch of the imagination; this marionette shows amazing human body expressions. Notice the intricate body movements that make the marionette appear to be a real person. The Rose Marionette is a gorgeous example of stunning craftsmanship. When I envision our plans for Stage 3 marionettes, this is what I see.
While I am sure that the controls are modified from the basic "airplane" style, it is the joints that help add to the realism of this marionette. Notice how the head moves forward, back, and from side to side. Additionally, play close attention to the hand movements and how the wrist joints work to create the illusion of reality.
How The Marionette Comes Alive
Note the control mechanism and how the joints are created; it looks like they were pegged with wood, a concept that I never put a lot of thought into until now. Although the clothes are sewn directly onto the marionette (a technique that The Batty Puppeteers may or may not do), the whole video shows what needs to be accomplished and in what order to create these Stage 3 marionettes.
This descriptive write-up on Italian rod puppets is full of inspiration. The author goes into moderate detailed research on types and styles of marionettes, and documents his creation of his rod puppet. The real treasure is in his notations on the creation of the rod puppet itself. Additionally, the detailed images of the joints of the author's rod puppet is a good option to incorporate when working on additional marionettes in the near future. The link to his article can be found here (PDF).
Popular Science: The Art of Making Lifelike Marionette Bodies (Feb, 1936)
I know that I am. The goal is to progress to the next level; to develop and create an intricate marionette that is pleasing to the eyes and functional. Observing what other people have created and catching glimpses of how they do it will further my ability to create the next level of marionettes for The Batty Puppeteers.
The Rose Marionette
While built in 1942 and not a medieval marionette by any stretch of the imagination; this marionette shows amazing human body expressions. Notice the intricate body movements that make the marionette appear to be a real person. The Rose Marionette is a gorgeous example of stunning craftsmanship. When I envision our plans for Stage 3 marionettes, this is what I see.
While I am sure that the controls are modified from the basic "airplane" style, it is the joints that help add to the realism of this marionette. Notice how the head moves forward, back, and from side to side. Additionally, play close attention to the hand movements and how the wrist joints work to create the illusion of reality.
How The Marionette Comes Alive
An amazing example of how wooden marionettes are created, from conception to stringing. While The Batty Puppeteers are not at this stage of construction yet, however, this video makes a welcome addition to the inspiration list.
Marionette, Italian c1500 by Matheus Bane
Popular Science: The Art of Making Lifelike Marionette Bodies (Feb, 1936)
This was a find that completely astonished me. Back in the 1930's, marionettes made a huge comeback in America. As such, the vast majority of resource materials, such as "The Beaton Bible", come from this time period. The article encompasses a lot of information from construction to stringing and is a good source of inspiration with all of the pictures supplied. The link to this article can be found here.
Inspired Yet?
Saturday, November 26, 2011
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
Understanding the Purpose
A while back ago, I mentioned two reasons why we decided to work on our marionette project. The first reason was to entertain and the secondary reason was to preserve our group history. Keeping these two goals of The Batty Puppeteers in mind; I want to expound upon those thoughts for a moment.
Why a Purpose?
It is my belief that a purpose statement should be made when starting any endeavor. Why are you making this? Why are you doing this project that consumes your time and finances? People want to know "why". Even if you are the only person that knows the purpose of your project, this tool allows you to go back to it from time to time and become inspired to continue work on a seemingly endless project.
A purpose statement should never be static; it should always grow and evolve as time passes. The changes don't have to be earth-shaking; but they should reflect what keeps you coming back to the project from time to time. For example, you may be working on an illuminated promissory scroll because it needs to be done. However, over time, you may want to continue to work on illumination because you want to study a certain style or design concept that you became interested in during the creation of the first scroll. The marionette project is no different.
To Entertain
Some events can be extremely boring or need something to keep people occupied between activities. The events held by The Society for Creative Anachronism are no different. By producing a marionette play for these lulls, we can help make events fun and interesting to attend. If we can get the audience members excited about attending events, we can help all groups by enhancing the events they hold; which benefits everybody in the long run.
The idea is to entertain both young and old, and so productions that cater to all age groups is vital. While understanding that a new spin on "Three Billy Goats Gruff" or "Snow White" could keep adult audience members interested, we also need to provide different stories in our performances that aren't directly targeted to our younger audience members. This will allow The Batty Puppeteers to fit any need at events; be it Children's Hour or bardic entertainment.
To Teach
Our group holds a high regard for history. However, our groups (an indeed, groups throughout most of the Society for Creative Anachronism) are loosing this history at an alarming pace. What happened at the first Knighting Ceremony in the Principality of Oertha? Who was the first Prince and Princess of that fair land? What was the First Birthday Party of the Society like? We can answer these questions by researching collected history; but what about those that don't know where to look?
Presenting our history as entertainment could be the best way to preserve that history. Early period bards did much the same thing. They told stories that both entertained and taught important concepts and ideas passed from one generation to the next. These early bardics were entertaining as well as educational; that is our goal.
The Mission Statement of The Batty Puppeteers
Our mission statement, our purpose, is quite simple:
Why a Purpose?
It is my belief that a purpose statement should be made when starting any endeavor. Why are you making this? Why are you doing this project that consumes your time and finances? People want to know "why". Even if you are the only person that knows the purpose of your project, this tool allows you to go back to it from time to time and become inspired to continue work on a seemingly endless project.
A purpose statement should never be static; it should always grow and evolve as time passes. The changes don't have to be earth-shaking; but they should reflect what keeps you coming back to the project from time to time. For example, you may be working on an illuminated promissory scroll because it needs to be done. However, over time, you may want to continue to work on illumination because you want to study a certain style or design concept that you became interested in during the creation of the first scroll. The marionette project is no different.
To Entertain
Some events can be extremely boring or need something to keep people occupied between activities. The events held by The Society for Creative Anachronism are no different. By producing a marionette play for these lulls, we can help make events fun and interesting to attend. If we can get the audience members excited about attending events, we can help all groups by enhancing the events they hold; which benefits everybody in the long run.
The idea is to entertain both young and old, and so productions that cater to all age groups is vital. While understanding that a new spin on "Three Billy Goats Gruff" or "Snow White" could keep adult audience members interested, we also need to provide different stories in our performances that aren't directly targeted to our younger audience members. This will allow The Batty Puppeteers to fit any need at events; be it Children's Hour or bardic entertainment.
To Teach
Our group holds a high regard for history. However, our groups (an indeed, groups throughout most of the Society for Creative Anachronism) are loosing this history at an alarming pace. What happened at the first Knighting Ceremony in the Principality of Oertha? Who was the first Prince and Princess of that fair land? What was the First Birthday Party of the Society like? We can answer these questions by researching collected history; but what about those that don't know where to look?
Presenting our history as entertainment could be the best way to preserve that history. Early period bards did much the same thing. They told stories that both entertained and taught important concepts and ideas passed from one generation to the next. These early bardics were entertaining as well as educational; that is our goal.
The Mission Statement of The Batty Puppeteers
Our mission statement, our purpose, is quite simple:
To provide period entertainment using marionettes and puppets for all groups that desire our services. Additionally, we wish to preserve our local history and portray it in a way that is both educational and entertaining.
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
Commedia dell'arte and Teatro Humberto
A while back ago I became fascinated with Comedia dell'arte. In essence, Comedia is a form of theatre that is characterized by performers wearing character masks. This type of theatre was popular in 16th century Italy and has its roots dating back to the Roman Empire and even Greek theatre. However, Comedia goes deeper than just the masks; as performers would be well known for playing a certain type of character throughout their acting career.
So, how does this apply to the marionette project? Good question.
Marionette Masks
Our modest company has understood for quite some time that marionettes are not easy to create. Our company is limited in our production of an army of marionettes because they require skills and resources that we do not have at this time. Add this quandary to our desire to produce multiple plays with multiple characters, and we are left with a problem.
However, by creating different masks for the character roles that are to be played we can effectively produce entire performances using only four to six marionettes. Masks can be easy to create; clay being the preferred medium along with paint for decoration. Add the mask with quick costume changes and we can make the illusion of an entire cast of marionettes more believable.
But Lets Go Further...
Taking this idea one step further, we can possibly create actor personas for each marionette. In essence, each marionette would have his or her own permanent look and style and wear masks when they play different characters in different performances. For example, the marionette Arthur, with dark hair and a muscular build, could easily play a beast, a knight, or an old man much in the same way that an actor plays different roles during his acting career; and this can be done just by adding a mask and changing out his wardrobe.
Eventually, the goal would be to have the marionettes be thought of as actors. Imagine for a moment that an expectant audience would be excited that the marionette Arthur will be playing their favorite roll, or the shock when they find out that in this performance he decided to play the villain. We could even include a playbill to hand out before events to get people interested in watching the production. This would help add to the illusion that the marionettes are actors, albeit small ones.
Benefits and Problems of Comedia Style Masks
In reality, there is always benefits and problems associated with any idea. However, in this case, the problems aren't really problems but simply things that the members of The Batty Puppeteers would have to work around.
Benefits. Quite simply, we would have more character possibilities with a limited number of marionettes. Additionally, we would be able to develop a character familiarization with the audience; possibly adding to the demand for new performances.
Problems. Besides the actual task of making the masks, the designers would need to solve the problem of how to attach the masks to the marionettes and design it in such a fashion that it is easy to put on and take off the marionette and is easy to reproduce during the construction of the masks.
So, how does this apply to the marionette project? Good question.
Marionette Masks
Our modest company has understood for quite some time that marionettes are not easy to create. Our company is limited in our production of an army of marionettes because they require skills and resources that we do not have at this time. Add this quandary to our desire to produce multiple plays with multiple characters, and we are left with a problem.
However, by creating different masks for the character roles that are to be played we can effectively produce entire performances using only four to six marionettes. Masks can be easy to create; clay being the preferred medium along with paint for decoration. Add the mask with quick costume changes and we can make the illusion of an entire cast of marionettes more believable.
But Lets Go Further...
Taking this idea one step further, we can possibly create actor personas for each marionette. In essence, each marionette would have his or her own permanent look and style and wear masks when they play different characters in different performances. For example, the marionette Arthur, with dark hair and a muscular build, could easily play a beast, a knight, or an old man much in the same way that an actor plays different roles during his acting career; and this can be done just by adding a mask and changing out his wardrobe.
Eventually, the goal would be to have the marionettes be thought of as actors. Imagine for a moment that an expectant audience would be excited that the marionette Arthur will be playing their favorite roll, or the shock when they find out that in this performance he decided to play the villain. We could even include a playbill to hand out before events to get people interested in watching the production. This would help add to the illusion that the marionettes are actors, albeit small ones.
Benefits and Problems of Comedia Style Masks
In reality, there is always benefits and problems associated with any idea. However, in this case, the problems aren't really problems but simply things that the members of The Batty Puppeteers would have to work around.
Benefits. Quite simply, we would have more character possibilities with a limited number of marionettes. Additionally, we would be able to develop a character familiarization with the audience; possibly adding to the demand for new performances.
Problems. Besides the actual task of making the masks, the designers would need to solve the problem of how to attach the masks to the marionettes and design it in such a fashion that it is easy to put on and take off the marionette and is easy to reproduce during the construction of the masks.
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