Puppetry

   Puppets, inanimate figures manipulated by a puppeteer, have been seen by audiences since the beginning of American theatre. Whether hand puppets or marionettes (puppets manipulated by strings), these iconic human symbols date to the beginning of theatrical history. Spanish puppeteers first performed in North America as early as the 16th century and Native Americans were known to use puppets in ritual performances. English puppet shows were frequently seen during the 18th century, with the earliest documented performance in Barbados in 1708. Chinese shadow puppets were seen in America in this era, as were puppet performances from Central and South America, France, Italy, and elsewhere. Puppets were popular with American children from the early 18th century and many shops sold puppet stages and puppets to youngsters. Tony Sarg (1880-1942) was perhaps the first important modern puppeteer, beginning with performances in his studio in 1915. He toured and performed The Rose and the Ring, Don Quixote, and Rip Van Winkle with frequency. Prior to 1930, other major American puppeteers included Helen Haiman Joseph, Edith Flack Ackley, Remo Bufano, Marjorie Batchelder, and especially Paul McPharlin (1903-1948), whose seminal book, The Puppet Theatre in America: A History (1949), provides a detailed record of the often overlooked history of the puppet and its manipulators in the United States.