Acting with Objects: Puppetry

4.0 credits

Puppetry has a history dating back thousands of years. In this course, class participants will be introduced to the breadth, scope, and history of puppetry arts, including traditional Japanese forms (Bunraku-style, kuruma ningyo-style), shadow puppetry (wayang kulit and overhead projectors) and object performance. Students will learn style-specific manipulation techniques through hands-on exploration of breath, eyeline, focus, and micromovement. Students will have the opportunity to make their own Bunraku-style puppets, and explore how to tell stories with objects, using non-verbal communication and gesture. This class is great training for actors, dancers, and performers to explore subtlety, nuance, and how to make your performance secondary, and in service to the puppet/object, which is the primary focus of storytelling.