“Masks and Puppetry as a Medium for Instruction and Information”
Puppetry has played an important role in disseminating knowledge in most parts of the world. Puppetry imbibes elements of all art forms such as literature, painting, sculpture, music, dance, drama, and enables students to develop their creative abilities. Puppetry has been used traditionally in India as a popular and an inexpensive medium to transmit knowledge about Indian myths and legends. Since puppetry is a dynamic art form that appeals to all age groups, this medium of communication has been selected to serve as an aid for imparting education in schools.
The most commonly used puppets are (1) Hand puppets, (2) glove-and-finger puppets, (3) Rod puppets, (4) Marionettes, and (5) The most commonly used puppets are (1) Hand puppets, (2) glove-and-finger puppets, (3) Rod puppets, (4) Marionettes, and (5) Shadow puppets.
° Hand Puppets- A hand puppet (not to be confused with a glove puppet) is a type of puppet that is controlled by the leg or face that occupies the interior of the puppet. The simplest hand puppets are those with few or no moving parts. They can be stiff, made from e.g. a hard plastic, but are more often flexible, made from fabric, possibly with some stuffing and attached decorations for eyes, nose, and so on. The mouth may be a mere decoration that does not open and close, or the thumb may enter a separate pocket from the rest of the fabric and so simulate a mandible, allowing the puppet to talk.
Glove-and-Finger Puppets – make use of gloves which small costumed figures are attached. To make them, cut off the first and second glove finger. The operator uses the index and middle finger as puppet legs. Puppet bodies can be either flat cutouts or doll-like fingers. These puppets are operated from the back of the stage.
° Rod Puppet- A rod puppet can include a range of things, but generally speaking, it is inclusive of any puppet that uses rods as the sole mechanism for operation. Rod puppets can include other puppet types, like muppet-type puppets, marottes, and the Japanese art of bunraku, or the more bastardised Western version of bunraku, known as table-top puppetry. However, rod puppets can be made out of anything and everything - household items, clothes, toys… The list goes on. Additionally, more complicated rod puppets use ‘cable-control’, a wire or string which, when pulled by a trigger, moves the puppet in a certain way. Rod puppets are most frequently used in productions using blacklight theatre and productions that use a light curtain. This is a special lighting effect, where the puppet is visible, but the puppeteer is not. Rods are particularly used in this situation because the puppeteer is required to perform from behind the puppet at all times, making rods an easy, efficient and precise method of manipulation.
Marionettes- A marionette is a puppet controlled from above using wires or strings depending on regional variations. A marionette's puppeteer is called a manipulator. Marionettes are operated with the puppeteer hidden or revealed to an audience by using a vertical or horizontal control bar in different forms of theatres or entertainment venues. They have also been used in films and on television.
Shadow Puppets- Shadow play (Chinese: 皮影戏, pí yĭng xì) or shadow puppetry is an ancient form of storytelling and entertainment using opaque, often articulated figures in front of an illuminated backdrop to create the illusion of moving images. It is popular in various cultures. At present, more than 20 countries are known to have shadow show troupes.
The History of Mask Making
Although the origin of the mask is not known, evidence of its presence as covering, disguise, and adornment of the human face has been found in artifacts, literature, and folklore of primitive, as well as, sophisticated societies, thereby revealing the important role it has played in human life.
The earliest known allusion to mask use is found in a cave in Southern France. It is believed to have been painted around 20,000 BC and depicts a person masked in the skin and antlers of a deer.Believing the world to be ruled by spirits or supernatural beings, many cultures devised masks to be worn ceremonially for the purpose of appeasing and communicating with these forces. Among the Pueblo Indians of the Southwestern United States, the Hopi Kachina masks, made of leather, gouds, evergreen boughs, feathers, earthen pigments and today, tempera paints, allow the Hopi to participate with the spirits of their ancestors and to facilitate the rising of the sun and the control of rain for which the Hopi believe they are responsible.
Types of Masks
There are many different types of masks with their own meanings and interpretations. The traditional Bauta was the most common mask worn. Originating around 1600, the Bauta mask was worn by both men and women of different social status. The main purpose of wearing this mask was for the person to stay concealed; the mask’s form enables the wearer to eat and drink while still being hidden. The Bauta was not usually worn alone, but with a typical wardrobe. The outfit included a cloak and a tri-corn hat
Bauta- the .most common mask worn
Moretta- a mask exclusively worn by patrician women.
-The petite oval shape of the mask although has no opening for the wearer’s mouth.
Gnaga Mask- was usually reserved for patrician men who enjoyed indulging in homosexual rendezvous.
Through masks and puppet theater activities, students may become more creative and free to communicate, either as themselves or as other personalities whose identities they temporarily assume. These activities must be pleasant and rewarding. In addition, they should be conducted in an atmosphere of freedom and self-imposed responsibility.
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