From traditional shadow puppets and lion dance celebrations from China, to bringing the beloved characters of children’s book authors Leo Lionni and Mo Willems to the stage, to very different interpretations of the legend of The Lion King from both Disney and Sogolon Puppet Theatre from Mali—discover the vast world of puppetry, including activities on how you can make your own puppets at home.
A conversation with members of the touring production of Disney's The Lion King: Deborah Shrimpton (Resident Director), L. Steven Taylor (Mufasa), Tshidi Manye (Rafiki), Drew Hirschfield (Zazu), Michael Reilly (Puppet Master), and Ken Davis (Production Stage Manager)
In this 6-8 lesson, students will gather information about the first ruler of Mali, Sundiata Keita, known as the Lion King of Mali. Students will explore the Dama and Sirige masqueraders and the traditions of Malian music, dance, puppetry, and storytelling. Students will learn African drumming and create puppet masquerades.
Sogolon is the puppet show and theatrical company created by Yaya Coulibaly in order to perpetrate and promote the Mali puppet tradition. The group's core mission is to contribute to develop and promote the Bamanan-Somono-Bozo puppet show.
In this K-2 lesson, students will learn the history of the Chinese Lion Dance and create lion head puppets to perform in a parade. Students will learn about the traditional dance, the costumes that are worn, and the music that accompanies the dance performance.
In this 3-5 lesson, students will infer the moral of a story and compare two mediums of Aesop鈥檚 fable, 鈥淭he Crow and the Pitcher.鈥 Each student will design their own puppet to act out the fable using pebbles and water in containers. Students will make predictions about Crow鈥檚 strategy then make comparisons with their findings.
In this 6-8 lesson, students will learn how light interacts with matter through the creation of puppets in shadow plays. Students will examine how light travels and how an object's shadow is affected by the intensity and position of the light in relation to both the object and the surface on which a shadow is cast.聽This is the first lesson designed to accompany the Shadow Puppet Plays lesson.
Help English-learning students build language and communication skills through poetry and puppetry
Have you heard the news? You can use yesterday鈥檚 newspaper and turn it into a tabletop rod puppet! All you will need is newspaper, tape, some sticks, and a bit of imagination. Puppeteer Julie Dansby Scarborough will guide you through easy step-by-step instruction so that your simple materials transform into a puppet that walks, moves, and dances!聽聽聽
You can make a puppet from a common material found in your home. Find inspiration from Iranian teaching artist and puppeteer Ayrin Gharibpour, who created finger puppets to represent members of her family. The main material? A toilet paper roll! Follow along and create puppets that remind you of someone you love or invent a whole world of characters!
Anything can be a puppet鈥攁nd teaching artist Sam Jay Gold is here to show you how! Journey with Sam as he demonstrates how to create a rod puppet from any object in your home鈥攁ll you need to do is 鈥淧ut some arms on it!鈥 Sam also demonstrates professional puppeteering techniques that transform simple movements into lively gestures and actions!
It鈥檚 a mountain, a house, a monster! Join teaching artist Sam Jay Gold into the darkness...to create shadow puppets. With a pair of scissors, a cereal box, and a flashlight, you are ready to develop a dynamic story. Watch how light and shadow can form multiple settings, shift focus, and produce plot twists all with one simple puppet.
Turn trash into artistic treasure with puppet maker and craftsperson teaching artist Matt McGee. Join Matt in his workshop as he walks you through the process of creating your very own robot using everyday objects! All you need are some recycled and found objects from around your house, mixed with a bit of imagination, and you can make your own unique creation.
Have you ever wanted to create your own magical world for stories to come alive? In this video, join puppeteer and teaching artist Cecilia Cackley as she reveals the magic of teatro lambe-lambe. Learn about this puppetry style that originated in South America so you can create your own tiny, special world.
Follow the process of bringing Mo Willems鈥檚 beloved children's book to the stage. It鈥檚 the story of Trixie, her parents, and Trixie鈥檚 favorite stuffed animal, Knuffle Bunny.
Go backstage with the puppeteers of Mermaid Theatre of Nova Scotia as they demonstrate the techniques they use during a performance of stage adaptations of Leo Lionni's classic children's books, Swimmy, Frederick, and Inch By Inch, as well as the logistics involved in taking their show on the road.
Irish puppeteer Miriam Lambert presents 鈥淕oldilocks and the Three Bears.鈥 Lambert has been at the heart of the Irish puppetry industry since her childhood, having grown up with the Lambert Puppet Theatre in Dublin.
Together with his team of adorable "Foamies," Hobey makes animals of all sorts emerge in movement and music to form a full-on puppet ballet.
With puppets of various sizes, the Tianjin Puppet Troupe brings Chinese folk stories to the stage that appeal to audiences of any age.
Explore the history and diversity of China鈥檚 performing arts, including highlights from the聽Beijing Traditional Music Ensemble, the聽Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra, a shadow puppet performance from Shaanxi Folk Art Theater, a look at the exhibition of Terra Cotta Warriors, and an excerpt from Cai Guo-Qiang鈥檚聽Tornado: Explosion Project for the Kennedy Center.
