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The Complete Book of Marionettes

by Mabel And Les Beaton

A practical guide to making and performing with marionettes

Regular price $14.59 USD
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Awards & Recognition

  • Critical praise

    Highly recommended by Library Journal

    Library Journal described the book as “Highly recommended.”

AlbakiReads Editorial

A practical guide to making and performing with marionettes

This manual treats marionette work as both a craft and a stage art. Its illustrated instructions cover the construction of heads, bodies, wigs, and clothing, then turn to strings and movement, stage setup, lighting, and miniature furnishings. A production section addresses music, sketches, celebrity parody, and program planning; the book also includes a complete script for *Beauty and the Beast* and a history of puppeteering. With more than 200 sequenced photographs and diagrams, it brings object-making and performance preparation together in one volume.

Good fit for readers who enjoy

  • Beginners interested in building marionettes and preparing them for performance.
  • Experienced puppeteers seeking practical reference material on construction, manipulation, and staging.
  • Readers curious about puppetry history or production planning.

Themes

Marionette constructionPuppet manipulation and performanceStagecraft and productionHistory of puppeteering

Based on publisher information and book metadata.

Book overview

"Highly recommended." -- Library Journal
Marionettes, those beguiling, animated little actors on strings, have endeared themselves to puppet show lovers for generations. Constructed to approximate most nearly the movement and appearance of humans and animals, the jointed figures appear today in a variety of places -- in the theater, motion pictures, schools, and even as an advertising medium. This instructive and engaging guide, written by professionals with a passion for their art, provides everyone from beginners to veteran performers with all the information needed to create these beloved figures and the stages on which they perform.
Enhanced with more than 200 sequenced photographs and diagrams, the comprehensive manual contains valuable advice for making heads, bodies, wigs, and puppet clothing and includes entire chapters on how to manipulate the puppet, set up and furnish a stage, light scenes, and even how to build miniature pieces of furniture. A production chapter tells how to incorporate music, put on sketches, parody celebrities, and arrange programs. There's even a complete script for Beauty and the Beast, as well as a section on the history of puppeteering.
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