It’s All in the Strings

The Marionettes panel took place Sunday at 2:30PM in M101 (Marriott). This cheery panel consisted of three makers of puppetry, their experience and love of the art clearly evident.

Marionettes are considered to be the most technically challenging puppetry style. Learning the basics in this workshop with audience participation was a lot of fun.

There are three things one must know about operating a puppet: focus, energy, and stillness. You must keep your eye on the marionette as you directly or indirectly manipulate the stings.  The more stings a puppet has, the more complicated maneuvers can become.

The participants got to practice with an apple on a string.  This may sound mundane, but it was a lot harder to control than originally thought. It was enjoyable to watch as each apple started to take on a persona.

After a short time with the apples, participants were invited to try the puppets. Some of the marionettes had six strings, some double that amount. There was a steep learning curve, but it was great fun.

Everyone seemed to enjoy themselves. With the basics under our belt, we’re all looking forward to becoming part of the world of the puppeteer.

Author of the article

Award-winning author Amanda Faith may have been raised in Dayton, but her heart and home is in the South. With a lifelong love of teaching and writing, she had plenty of encouragement from teachers and friends along the way. Loving a good puzzle has always been a fascination, and writing gives her the outlet to put all the pieces together. Being adventurous and loving to try new things, it wasn’t long before her characters found themselves in unusual situations. She loves to put people from two different worlds into new situations and to see how they interact, taking them on journeys they would never have normally experienced. Her current adventure working as a high school English professor turned Media Specialist, writing, and doing paranormal investigations doesn’t slow her down from having a great time with a plethora of hobbies. Her published credits include several short stories, poetry, several journal articles, her doctoral dissertation, and her award-winning book Strength of Spirit. With multiple degrees, she has a passion for learning and exploring new venues. She is a staff writer for The Daily Dragon at Dragon Con. Check out her new website (www.amandafaith.net) or on Instagram (@dramandafaith)