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Before you start

Six of these tr ick mar ionettes were shown in the pages of The Drama, now de parted, during 1 927 and 19 28. Conde nsed an d revised in text, they are here
offered with descr iptions of severa l other tr icks, all newly illustrated.
Most of the tricks a re traditional. Others a re comparati vely recent, and a few
points are perhaps origina l here. Every inventi ve showman wil l stage them in his
own way and devise va riations. Li ke all time -honored tricks, they are a lways fresh
to a new generat ion.

What is impossible for a human being may be easy for a marionette. In the group
of transformation, inside-out, break-away and pop-out figures a re tricks pecul iar
to marionettes only. They are amaz ing as mag ic, susceptible of endless changes,
and tem pting for the ingenious. Other stunts, walk ing a tight-rope or f lying on a
trapeze, require skill and specia l management, whether for men or marionettes.
Still others, breathing visibly or pic king up an object, are everyday acts for men,
but tricks for mar ionettes. The last two c lasses are amusing or astonishing only in
their c lever imitation of men. They may appeal to the real ist, but are sometimes
more trou ble than they are worth.
Circuses and revue scenes are enl ivened by these tricks, or indeed comp osed
mostly of the m. Dramas may make use of the m, but there the y should never delay
action. On princ iples of the dev ices shown, almost any sort of a tric k can be
worked out. This little book is intended to s pur invention. (Page 31 is for your
own notes.) The illustrator has therefore drawn unclothed those marionettes
whose dress is not integral , so that if you follow the tr ick you may ind ulge your
fancy in g iving them cl own suits, acrobats' f leshing or fancy costume.

Splitting In Two
When R umpelstiltskin dashes himself apart in a rage, or
the knight c leaves the sorcerer in twa in, a spec ial splitting
marionette may be provided for the purp ose.

Its head and tor so are made in halves to join neat ly

together along a vertical line. Each hal f of the neck is
linked separately to the shoulders. In the upper parts of
the head an d in the sho ulders and hips are lead we ights,
the lowest the heaviest. The limbs are attached in the
usual way; kneestrings run up to one control stick, and the
hand-, shoulder - and head-strings to anot her. Pairs of wire
loops are set into the top of the head, t he chest and t he
pelvis on either s ide of the spl it. From one loop, where it
is tied, a string passes freely through the other and up to
the secon d contr ol stick. these three spec ial strings, pul led
tight, a re caught in a cut in the stic k and secured on a
button.
When the button is released and lowered, the weighted
halves of the mar ionette will separate as far as the strings
allow, and may be hopped about. If the two halves are to
run off in separate di rections, the control sticks may pull
apart in the center, where they were butted in a metal
sleeve; the strings hold ing the hal ves together may double
down t hrough t he loops an d up again, w ith one end free so
that they may be released and pulled entirely out of the
loops; the n two p uppeteers may rus h the two halves off.
The costume covering the torso must be made with overlaps front and back, held
together with smal l pins which pul lout readi ly, or, better st ill, held merely by the
friction of the materia l.

Lady Into Balloon

Whether or not this trick dates from the eighteenth century,
when h oop -skirts and bal loons were the latest fashion, i t
has enjoyed long popularity. A lady in court dress flounces
in, flutter ing her fan and cocking her head coquettishly.
She turns aro und com pletely once or tw ice; one sees
nothing concealed behind her. Then, at a sudden blare of
music or flash of light (wh ich dazes the spectator just long
enough for him to miss seeing what happe ns) a bal loon
with two l ittle passengers holding f lags floats off where she
had sto od.
The lady is complete to the wa ist only, but by swinging her
slightly from the sho ulder -strings the motion of her ful l
skirt suggests legs that wa lk. Under the sk irt hangs the
basket of the bal loon with its passengers. Sometimes the
two little figures emerge from the lady's arms, unho oked
and turne d inside out l ike the G rand Tur k's. A hoop in the
bo ttom of the skirt is pulled up by fo ur strings passing
through a h ole in the center of the control stic k and tied to a
Ring. The skirt turns inside out l ike an umbrel la on a w indy
day, closing on top with a drawstr ing, and hides the lady.
Strings for hands , shoulders and head are attached to a
single stick.
The success of the tri ck depends not only upon quick manipulat ion but upon the
construction of the skirt. The bal loon bag is first made of heavy, f lexible mater ial,
possibly in vertical segments of contr asting colors. A draw -string is run through a
hem to round it together at the top. It is then turned inside out and the lady's skirt
and ruffles are appl ied of a soft, light stuff, the hoop being hidden by t he bott om
ruffle, wh ich comes at the widest ci rcumference of the bag. The rest of the bag,
with its loose draw -string, is tuck ed up un der the skirt.

Turn-Around & Upside Down Transformations

When t he witch turns into the good fairy, or the b east into the
handsome prince, the turn may be h orizontal or ve rtical. And
the marionette sho uld have ful l skirts or a flowing c loak.
The hori zontal turn is very s imple. A two -faced head is made,
with a fa ce front and back (if there may be considered to b e a
back). Fuzzy or f lowing hair divides the two, which should
differ from each other as much as p ossible in form and colour.
The costume is in two simi lar contrasting ha lves. A single
stick supports hand, shoulder and head strings. No legs are
necessary with the flow ing costume; a wal k is suggested by
the motion of the sho ulders.
This mar ionette must walk on stage in " a cautious, sid ling
manner, lest the other side be seen too s oon. And at the pro per
moment it must turn very neatly, and n ot too far aroun d. If the
back is made a ll of dul l black, and it turns before a dul l black
background o n a not to o -brightly lighted stage, it will
disappear.
The vertical turn is almost as simple. W ith this type the
marionette may sh ow its back w ithout revea ling its split personal ity. Two
complete characters are made to the waist only, and there joined. A fu ll skirt, each
surface of contrasting colour, is attached at the wa ist. There are two control stic ks,
each sup porting the hand, s houlder and head strings of one character .
By lower ing one and raising the other, the marionette is made to turn, and the
skirt hangs over the lower characte r.
This turn must be made very quick ly, "with the audience's attention defle cted by
some o ther moveme nt, a sud den noise or l ight. And the sk irt should be weighted
to turn without sticking.

Break-Away Skeleton
The o ld-time mar ionette showma n never fa iled to thri ll his
audience and m ystify it by a dancing figure, genera lly a clown
or skeleton, whi ch flew apart and came back together a gain.
The ske leton's head was of woo d, with a hinged jaw that
clacked as it shut. The r est of the f igure w as also carved of
wood, s ometimes with covered -wire ribs. Wr ist, elbow, ank le
and knee joints were made of inter locked screw -eyes, a ll-tooflexible and cl icking. But screw -eyes at the shoulders and hips
were not fastened together. There in was the tr ick!
From o ne control stick ran str ings to sup port the sh oulders and
head, and the jaw-string. The head was not fastened to the
neck at a ll, but hung from a sing le string. Screw -eyes at the
temples, through which the sh oulder strings passed without
fastening, kept it from turning.
From a secon d stick ran a pair of str ings through the sh oulder
screw-eyes, fastened to the up per -arm screw-eyes; and anot her
pair through the hip screw-eyes, fastened to the thigh screweyes. From a third stick ran str ings through elbow screw eyes,
fastened to screw-eyes at the knees.
The mar ionette dances in a low light aga inst a dark backg round. The f irst two
control sticks a re he ld in one hand, the third in the other. By ra ising its end
alternate ly the marionette is made to wave its arms and legs about. Pull up on the
central str ing that supports the hea d; it w ill float and drop back into place. Ho ld
the first st ick in the teeth, lower the second with one ha nd and continue to
manipulate the third in the other. The a rms and legs w ill dance off into the air , and
reunite with the trunk when the second stick is brought up again.

Grand Turk and Fami ly

To the lively stra ins of Mozart's Tur kish March he stamps out,
halts, seems about t o salaam, and in his p lace there stand six
little figures which, hopping in glee for a moment, scam per out
of sight.
Like buxom ladies who turn into laden auto mobiles at the crac k
of a revo lver shot, he comes apart and each part turns inside out.
The trick takes a perf ectly adjusted marionette and long practice
so that it may go off without a hitch.
One stick w ith knee -strings makes the Turk walk. Another
supports his sh oulder -strings and six str ings which lead to the
heads of the co ncealed f igures. One deft je rk pulls all to light.
This is how it happens:
His neck pul ls out of a socket in his shoulder block. The
garment of the fi rst figure, wrapped around its head to form t he
turban, jerks loose and fal ls over the Turk's head.
His sleeves are gathered at his shoulders by small r ings ove r
hooks in the end s of the sh oulder block. The we ight of his arms keeps them
suspende d until the jerk on the strin gs attached to the head s inside, when they
come off and fal l inside out, cover ing the arms and revea ling the heads. In the
same way the trousers unhook from the hoop which forms his girdle. His knee bar
must be lowered so that its str ings do not keep the trou sers from turning down
over the feet.
The head inside the ches t, fixed to the sh oulder block, is pulled with the block
through t he girdle hoop (which must be s ufficiently large), the shoulder -strings
are released f rom cuts in their st ick, where they were he ld with butto ns, and t he
last head dangles w ith the Turk's inside-out tunic for a dress.

Giant -Dwarf
A gentleman w ith a ta ll hat, ulste r and wal king stick strolls out
upon the stage; he may even be s moking,a c igar (Se e page 127.)
,With a little shudder, he starts to s hrink, going down, down, til l
his hat is lower than the knob of his stick . Then, w ith another
convulsive start, he grows up to his former, height -and beyon d.
His legs, body, arms an d the neck elongate like, a concert ina,
till his stick seems a toy. And so he may rus h off.
The mar ionette is made of a few we ll-weighted parts held
together by cord thr ough eyelets, and b y the cost ume. The neck
rises on a cord wel l above the shoulders, but is secured by a tall,
soft colla r. And there are no up per arms or thighs, merely cords
and the hallow tube of sleeve - and trouser-cloth. Between the
shoulder and hip blocks there is only nylon cord; the ulster
suggests the bo dy.
Walking is managed by one stick w ith knee -strings. The other
stick has the hand-strings (one is attached to the knob of the
cane, which sl ips freely through a hole in the f ist as the hand
grasps it) , elbow -strings (passing up inside the s leeves, out at the sho ulders and u p
through h oles in the stic k, where they join at a r ing on top), shoulder -strings, and
head-strings (a lso going up through the stick w ith a ring on top).
When he shrinks, the gentleman is lowered by the stick w ith the shoulder -strings,
and the ring on the elbow-strings is pulled up. This causes his body an d arms to
collapse. The wa lking stick, resting on the f loor, rises thro ugh the fist as the arm
drops. W hen the gentleman grows, the main st ick is raised above its normal
height and the ring on the head-strings is pulled up.
Many vari ations on growing, shrink ing and neck stretch ing may be preformed in a
similar way.

Pop-Outs
As one variat ion of the g iant -dwarf t rick, a bright box
with a h inged cover is placed centre stage , the
marionette col lapsed into it w ith its strings coming out in
the crack between the box an d cover. An inquis itive
little mar ionette enters and ins pects the b ox. After
hesitating and making two or three false moves to touc h
it, he releases the cover, which f lies back (pulled by a
string from above) and revea ls the marionette inside,
made in the character of a Go llywog or other startl ing
jack- in-the-box figure. The little mar ionette runs away
and the dwarf stretches u p into a g iant, c limbs out,
prances around, shrinks again and gets back into the box,
pulling the cover shut. The whole figure may be only a
hollow costume, except for weighted hands an d f eet.
Strings f rom the feet run up thro ugh the inside, emerge
at the sho ulders and are attached to a stick of their own.
The head-, hand- and knee-strings a re attached to
another stick. Pul ling up the foot -string st ick causes the
marionette to telescope and shrink.

Pop-out marionettes are made with hollow bodies so that

they crum ple into smal l quarters. A Dutch mi lkmaid
carrying two pai ls may come ou t and clog. At a ce rtain
point in the dance a tiny Dutch bo y and girl hop o ut of
the pails and c log also. In order to dance wel l they
should be on a tan dem co ntroller; one pup peteer
operates them, an d another the milkma id. Or se ven or
eight chi ldren may po p out of the pockets of the full sk irt
of the Old Lady who Lived in a Shoe. Or animated toys
may ju mp out of Santa Claus' pack.
One marionette which was popular with English puppet showmen of the last
century was a clown with a hol low body, wh ose head an d neck rose, showing
another hea d and neck below, and so on till a whole str ing of heads had risen from
its shoulders.

Pole Tosser
Boswel l, in his life of D r. Johnso n, writes that O liver
Goldsmith "once at the exhibition of the fantoccini in
London, whe n those who sat ne xt to him o bserved with
what dexterity a pup pet was made to t oss a pike, could
not bear that it should have such praise, and exclaimed
with some warmth, 'Pshaw! I can do it better myself. ' "
When one remem bers that Goldsmith ha d a keen and
delicate sense of hum our, and that Boswell had none, the
story bec omes an il lustration of Boswe ll's (utter inabi lity
to understan d the gazel lelike qual ity of Goldsmith's
mind.

The marionette which Goldsmith and his friends enjoyed

was probably very simply strung, l ike the one here
pictured. Strings to head and back are attached to one
stick; the centre string effects a bow. Str ings from the
hands go up thr ough h oles in the pole to a second stick;
when raised sharply, it causes the hand s 10 be tossed u p
and the pike, or bar, to tra vel up into the ai r seve ral
inches. Then it s lides down the strings by grav ity and is
neatly caught in the upl ifted hands.
Perhaps this is a ll that the e ighteenth century figure
could do. But by ru nning two more strings from the toes
through t he bar to a third stic k, one can make the
marionette toss the bar from its hand s to its feet and back
again as it lies on its back. This is done by p ulling up
sharply on the hand -string stick and the footstring one
alternate ly. The figure may also be made to balance the
pole on its head if two smal l nails are driven into it,
about a n inch apart, to k eep the pole from rol ling off.

One heel-string, atta ched to the end of the head -string stic k, enables the
marionette to skip on and off stage, and to dance between st unts. A strong -man
weightlifter is operated on the same princip le.

Bar Acrobat
The performer t rots on stage carrying a bar attached to the backs
of two chairs, or other sim ilar rests, a ll of a light colour. He puts
them d own in the centre, tak ing his hands from the bar. Then he
lifts the bar and its rests, to show his strength, standing f irst on
one foot only, then the other. Now he put s the bar dow n, retreats,
jumps and gets his feet ov er it, landing in a sitting position. He
swings, drops over backwards and pulls up to sitting position
again. He lifts one foot across the bar and strad dles it as if on
horseback. Then he hops off, retreats, grasps the bar and does a
handstand on it. He springs down, bows, l ifts his apparatus and
trots off with it.
Knee-strings for walking are attached to one control stick. The
hands have two sets of string s. One is knotted on the t op of the
hands, passed t hrough holes in the bar and, with three or four
inches of slac k, tied to the ends of the seco nd control stick . The
other is knotted un der the han ds and brought direct ly to the stick,
inside the f irst set. Hee l-strings pass through h oles in the st ick
and meet at a ring in the centre. The head - and back-strings a re in the middle.
When t he marionette carr ies his bar, the outside hand -strings are pul led tight.
When he raises his hands from it, the inside str ings are pul led. For s itting on the
bar, the marionette's hands are detached, he is brought as far back from it as the
slack of the outside hand -strings wi ll allow, and the knee -strings are raised till the
feet go over . For the hand -stand, the heel -strings are raised by pull ing the r ing in
the centre of the stick .

Ball Juggler
Lively music -a march; or perhaps an Indian pipe and to mtom.
The jug gler bows, tests his bal ls by we ighing them in the
balance of his hands, and procee ds to to ss them up a nd catch
them with rare prec ision. As he performs, his eye is a lways on
the balls. When they pass from hand t o hand at his waist, h is
head is lowered intently. When they flash into the ai r his ch in
goes up, his head goes back. His concentration is tight, his
wrists are loose and s upple; in the combination is the charm of
his performance.
This mar ionette is con trol led by three sticks. To the f irst are
attached the head- I and back-strings. To the second are strung
the han d -strings, passing through holes in wooden ba lls.
When t he ends of this stic k are raised a lternate ly, with sharp
little jerks, the f igur~ seems to juggle the ba lls.
If worked at right ang les to the other I sti cks, it will make the
balls appear to be tosse d from han d to ha nd.
From o ne end of the third stick a string passes down through a
ball and fastens to the to p of the marionette's head; from the
other end a string passes through t he other ball to its toe. If the st ick with the
handstrings is lower ed, and this one is brought I into play, the bal ls will land on
the head or toe.
A rec lining mar ionette w ith strings going up from its toes through a large ball to a
stick may jugg le the bal l with its feet in I the manner of a Japanese performer.
Plates, c lubs, bouq uets or ot her tossa ble objects may be s ubstituted for the balls,
but none are quite so good.

Tumbler
Having bowed, the marionette executes, to slow music, a
forward and back bend, leg spl its and a hand stand. Then he
walks off at the s ide and the rol ling of a drum creates suspense
until he reappears, doing a ser ies of rapid back handsprings al l
the way across the stage and off. Drum crash and cy mbals!
Finally he comes back from the wings and takes a final bow.
Two, mar ionettes that look a like are required. One is built with
the usual joints and knee-, hip-, head- and back-strings attached
to three sticks, one for knees, one for hips and one for head an d
back. The hip str ings support the performer o n forward and back
bends. The arms hang down by force of grav ity for a handstand
and need no st rings. (They are more eff ective with wrist jo ints.)
When t he first mar ionette wa lks off into the wings, the second is
substituted for the somersa ults. This is built rigid, except for
wrist and ank le joints, and very light. It is fixed to a rod at its
line of balance near the hips. The rod passes thro ugh loops in the
ends of s upporting wi res, wh ich should be stiff, and of a colour
to blend with the background. Fixed at the end of the hipro d away from the
audience, outside the su pporting w ire, is a reel as big as the thi ckness of the
marionette wi ll allow; it must not be seen. Arou nd this a string is wound as ma ny
times as the tumbler must s omersault to cross the stage. By pull ing th is string the
flip-flaps are effected.
The first marionette is then brought ba ck for the bow, having been crossed over
behind the scene s from the side where it first went off.

Team of Equilib rists

The pa ir is discovered standing side by side. They ta ke thei r
bows. The smaller of the two, who is the top man, or perhaps
woman, t hen backs away, runs a few steps and j umps toward her
partner, who raises his a rms, catches her by the han ds and lifts
her over his head. She k icks her legs to ga in balance, then
straightens them up and remains poised, while he sways a little
to maintain balance. At a word from him, she is lowered and
hops down to her feet. They bow side by side. In a s imilar way
he might catch her by the waist and l ift her, or mi ght balance her
head o n head.
Unless a ludicrous parod y of this performance is wanted, it must
be practiced unti l everything goes without a hitch. The
marionettes sho uld have a ta ll proscenium arch or, la cking that,
should be made small. Two puppeteers are needed.
One manipulates each fi gure. The under man need have no leg
joints; solid legs would give him a rigid stance. He has head and back-strings fastened to one stick, and hand-strings, passing through the top
man's han ds, fastened t o anot her. The top man has head - and back -strings
fastened to o ne stick, and knee -strings fastened to anot her, wh ich has extension s
at right-angles to its ends for heel -strings.
When t he top man ju mps, the' under ma n's hand -stick is raised, bring ing the hands
together I and ra ising his arms. The top man's knee -stick is raised t ill this figure is
aloft, and it is then rotated so that its extension s bring up the heels. For a wa ist
hold or a head stan d, other strings might run from the under man's ha nds to the
top man's waist, or from his head to hers.
Adagio dancers could be worked on this princip le.

Balancing Clowns
A spry and meddleso me little clown finds a tower of tabl es piled up
before him. He looks up and sees a chair atop. He must climb the
pyramid! And s o he proceed s upward, almost slipping near the top,
but final ly seats himsel f in the chai r with a snort of triumph. He
hears the strains of a wa ltz. What a beauti ful place to rock ! And so
he sways in his chair , back and forth. H is motion is imparted to the
tower. At f irst it teeters s lightly, then it begins to rock dangerously.
He must swing his arms v igorously to bring it back into equil ibrium.
This he does three or four times, the tower leaning more and more at
each dare. Fina lly it is pushed t oo far to bring back; it pauses at a
terrible angle, then topples into the wings, throwing the wi ldlywaving little clown far off .
Or the same mischief -finder comes up on a ladder. He c limbs to the
top an d gets his feet on rungs to either s ide. It is not a safety ladder, and begins to
slip, its two halves spread ing wider and wider . The clown, for a ll his waving, can
do nothing to avert the catastrophe. With a sic kening swoop the ladder goes flat
on the floor and the clown is doing the spl its.
The clown IS a usual mar ionette w ith one stick for head - and han d -strings and
another, if desi red, for knee -strings. His predicaments are only as funny as the
puppeteer's timing of the action makes them; the arm motion must be well
studied. The tables and chair, sol idly bui lt, are held together one on top of the
other by a string passing through them. The forward sway is controlled by the
puppeteer and the backward b y an assistant holding this str ing from the top. One
end of the ladder is hinged to a base-piece; the other sl ips free ly on this base,
pulled by strings f rom the side of the stage.

Balancer on Ball
With feet nimbly turning a big, striped bal l, a
marionette, possibly in or iental costume, rol ls the bal l to
centre stage. There he rema ins poised for a mome nt on
one toe, b ows, and rolls the bal l in a circular path al l
around the stage, f inally going off.
Toeing the bal l is effected with short, rapid je rks ona
string attached to one heel only. The other foot moves
forward . as the bal l rolls. It is attached to a rod which
goes down into a slot in the bal l and hooks over the bar
which forms the ball 's axis. Because of this slot the bal l
is divided in two, held together by the axia l bar. The slot
seems to be only another of the black stripes painted
around the ball. It is rolled by a stiff wire, painted to
blend with the background, and slipped over the
protrud ing end of the axial bar. One st ick holds the
marionette's hand-, head-, backand heel-strings.

Stilt Walker
One of the turns in the old showman's programme was a drunkard, clutching a
bottle, who staggered dangerously on stilts to the music of I won't get home until
morning. Stagge ring or not, a mar ionette on stilts is amusing, and very s imple to
work if the puppeteer is not too high over the stage. Its hands an d feet are f ixed to
the stilt poles, which continue upward to form con trol stic ks, and its head is
suspende d by strings attached to each stick.

Skater
There is nothing specia l in the string ing of either ro lleror ice -skaters, unless they I have heel strings as we ll as
the usual ones on the knees. But as they are made to
glide over the f loor, which they do wel l if the feet a re
properly wei ghted, an audience may think that there is
some s ort of a tri ck to it.

Knife Thrower
Two mar ionettes wal k out and b ow. One takes a position
with arms outstretched against a panel cover ed with dark
velvet. The other opens a chest, reaches in and p ulls out
a knife whi ch it throws. Apparently it st icks in the panel
above the first figure's head. The thrower d ips into the
chest again and the action is repeated ti ll the mar ionette
against the p anel is outl ined with b lades.
There is nothing specia l about the marionettes. The chest
is opened b y a string to its cover , and the knife drops
into the thrower's hand from its sleeve; there is only one.
After each throw the hand is lowered so quick ly into the
chest that this is not seen. At the same time a str ing
behind the pa nel is pul led, releasing a catch which holds
the han dle of a knife, behind a hole in the panel. Rubber
bands thrust out the knife handle first, and it stops an d
holds by a block at its tip. S6 all the prearrang ed kni ves
are released. The holes a re not noticeable in the dark
velvet.

Knife Swallowe r
The mar ionette's mout h opens and its neck and chest are
hollow to admit the kni fe. The head pi vots backward on
pins at the base of the jaw, which is stationary and fixed
to the neck. A string from the tip of the kn ife leads
through t he mo uth an d out at the back of the chest.
When pulled it draws in the kni fe.

Trapeze Performer
At rise of curta in, standing under a white trapeze, the mari onette
bows elaborately, ra ises hands, ben ds knees and j umps for the
trapeze bar, catch ing it with hands well apart. Then it chins three
times, drops off and b ows again.
One pu ppeteer holds it to the trapeze, the other operates it. Str ings
from its hands run up through holes in the bar to a control stick.
The ass istant pup peteer pulls this up ti ll the hands t ouch t he bar,
swings the trapeze and re leases the marionette when its turn is
done.
The ch ief puppeteer holds two con trol stic ks. To one are attached
kneestrings. To the other are attached head, heel and back str ings.
When t he marionette chins, he lets down the secon d stick t ill the
figure crouches, then pulls it up sharply as the assistant brings the
hands to the bar, and final ly raises it slowly till the arms bend an d
the head co mes above the bar.
The mar ionette jump s for the trapeze aga in, sits or lies full length on it and
swings, then drops off and bows. The chief puppeteer brings it to a ch inning
position, raises it further t ill its arms are ove r the bar, supporting its body by t he
back string, and shoves its l egs over the bar by means of the kneestrings.
Now the marionette jum ps for the bar, l ifts hee ls over head and does a han dstand
on it, balanc ing for a moment, the n slowly and careful ly lifts a hand from the bar
and remains poised o n but one. Down again slowly, to drop off and bow. Whe n
the figure is almost ready to sit on the bar, its heel -strings are pul led up and it
does a han dstand on one or bot h hands.
Next it sw ings by its knees. Whi le it sits on the bar the stick w ith headstrings is
lowered t ill the figure falls over backwards, and the stick with kneestr ings is he ld
so that the knees ha ng bent over the bar.
To conclude the marionette runs, jump s to the bar, swings by the ha nds, dr ops off
backwards, runs, catches it a gain, or misses and lands in the footl ights or w ings.
In this turn the chief puppeteer makes it run and jump w hile the assistant, t iming
perfectly, pul ls it to the bar and drops it aga in.

Tight-Rope Walker
The mar ionette may slide to the middle of its wh ite rope and
there balance on one foot, da nce, side swing , lie down, and face
the audience, both its feet on the rope, and swing, al l with a
wire loop in the sole of one foot h olding it to the rope. In the
hands may be a ba mboo pole or parasol. The hand -strings ar e
attached to the ends of the stick with the knee-strings, so that"
they balance as the knees rise. Another" stick holds the back and head-strings.
Or the aer ial artiste may have pinpoints projecting from each
sole. In this case the rope is a wh ite tape, b lackened al l its length, save for a
narrow strip toward the audience. As the marionette wa lks along its feet are
pinned securely. With bent pins in the palms of its hands, it may drop and catch
the "rope" by h ooking into it . And i f all its strings are double, passing through
screw-eyes in the f igure w ithout being tied, they maybe released atone end, pulled
straight through the eyes a nd whisked out of the way. The mar ionette, hanging by
the han ds, may t hen be tur ned over and over the rope which is swung l ike a
jumping -rope from one side. Properly emphasized by a roll ing drum, this tr ick has
an exciting crescendo.

Unicycle Rider On Rope

The rubber t ire on a whee l of suitab le size is removed.
The feet of the mar ione tte are fixed to pedals attached to
the hu b of the wheel. With hand -, head- and kneestrings,
it may balance and r ide back and forth on a white rope
which f its into the groove of the wheel. A bicyc le rider
may be simila rly operated. By the way, bicycl e ride rs on
the floor may turn so mersaults if equipped with a reel
like that described for the tumbler.

Iron-jaw Hanger
A string from the marionette's mouth to the rope-end which its gr ips
in its teeth wi ll pull it up as it gives a leap. Onc e suspende d, the
marionette must not be let down by the loosening of this string.
Groups of figures, possibly w ith floating garments and full sleeves,
may be arranged on wheels which turn with them in the ai r. The
rope for each fi gure may be twisted up bef orehand a nd released so
that the iron-jaw hanger is spun as it unwinds.

Pole Climber
Two eye lets are fixed to sl ide up and down in slots at either s ide of
the pole. The strings from the cl imber's hands and feet pass
through t hese eyele ts so that he may grip the pole as he shins up or
streaks down. At the top of the pole, if the proscenium arch is ta ll
enough, or the figure smal l enough, he ma y release the nat ional
flag as he stands on his head patriotical ly.

Man Shot From Canno n

The muzzle of the cannon is lowered and the vict im
craw ls in feet first. In an impressive s ilence the gun
elevates. A mar ionette super l ights the fuse. A sputter, a
report and a cloud of sm oke. The victim is shot into the
air above si ght. A moment's pau se and he co mes down
on a parachute, waving flags am idst the cheering.
Three marionettes that look a like are used. The f irst
craw ls into the cannon, p ulled in by strings f rom his feet
that pass thr ough the gu n and o ut at the side of the stage,
and stay s t here. The second, which was fastened to the
side of the gun away from the audience al l the t ime, is
pulled up at the explosion. (Th is had better not be real gunpow der.) The third,
with parachute and flags ready, is lowered at the proper moment.

Tandem Marionettes
Dancing choruses and marching armies may be made to act as o ne
man b y stringing two or more (e ight is the limit for convenience on
the averag e stage ) mar ionettes to the sa me control sticks. For
dancers which perform sho ulder -toshoulder (like the Tiller Girls,
whom t hey easily surpass) the head - and backstrings are spaced
along one stick . In s imple routines it may suffice to have only one
kicking leg for each dancer. These are attached to anot her stick.
They should be all lefts or a ll rights if the g irls are w ell drilled. But
if kicking by both legs is required, the lefts are all attached to one
stick and the rights to another. When o nly one p uppeteer
manipulates the chorus, he must hold the head -string stick in his
teeth, lea ving his hands for the two kneestring st icks. Inc idental ly,
if the k icking is to be very hi gh, toe -strings are necessary.
For marching f iles a s impler arrang ement is possible. The heads of
the marchers are strung to a stic k about two inches wide and as long as t he file is
to be. The knee-strings are attached to e ither side of a slightly broader stic k above
it. The lower stick hangs from the upper by pieces of stout, flex ible cord at regu lar
interva ls. The upper stick is held firmly in both han ds of the p uppeteer, and
without being ti lted atone end or the other, is rocked br iskly sidew ise. The knees
of the marionettes are lifted and the marchers are in motion.

Hand-strings for such groups ma y be use d, but are seldom necessar y.

With more colnplex controllers, such a s those described on pages 58 -60 of

Puppetry 193 4, mar ionettes strung in tandem ma y be made t o turn ab out -face.

Ballet, Tap and Oriental Dance rs

BALLET DANCER
The mar ionette is jo inted at the neck, arms, wa ist and hips, but the
legs and feet are construct ed in one stiff piece with pointed toes.
The hips must be weighted, but the feet need not be. The head,
back and arms are strung to one stick, the toes and heels to
another. Much of the effectiveness of this marionette depends
upon the ma nipulator's cl ear mental image of how bal let dancers
move.
For instance, at the entrance of the dancer on the p oints, she may
take s idewise steps, a lways fac ing the audience. These a re smal l
and weaving, giving the dancer a f lutter ing motion of the whole
body. She sway s gracefu lly at the waist; the head and arms ben d
freely. For a leap into the air , one toe is ra ised, she soars, and
lands on it with the other out behind her. For a pirouette one toe is
raised backwa rds and she tur ns rapidly on the ot her. Forward
kicking be lon gs to the music-hall rather than to the class ic ballet.
Grouping and patterns of motion by several dancers. are more
interest ing in marionette bal lerinas than solo work.
A circus equestrienne with toe attached to the back of her mou nt may be operated
on th e same principl e. More will be said of an imal mar ionettes, by the way, in a
handbook devoted especial ly to them.

TAP DANCER
A free-jointed marionette, even w ithout leg -strings, w ill jig and tap with jerks at
its shoulder-strings only. The accidental sw ing of arms and le gs, with joints at
wrist and ank le, will seem to beat syncopate d time to any li vely tune.

"ORIENTAL" DANCER
Strings attached to the breasts and hips, run ning up to special st icks, enable a
marionette to lean over bac kwards and shimmy in the n aughty st yle which the
orient never knew.

Serpentine, Russian Hopak and Ball

Room Dance rs
SERPENTINE DANCER
In the 189 0's Loie Fu ller developed the the n -popular
skirt-dance into a beautifu l and abstract performance
which was im itated far and wide, e ven by marionettes.
The dancer wore a voluminous gown of very soft,
flowing wh ite mater ial. It hung down from t he neck l ike
a circular cloak. The hems were gr asped in the hands, or
held out by sticks in the hands. On a darkened stage,
against black velvet, and over a glass panel in the f loor,
the dancer waved and whirled her draper ies wh ile spot lights from the sides and from the glass be low played
upon her in var ious colour combinations. The movement
of the coloured garment suggested butterfly wings, fire,
fountains an d flowers. There was pract ically no foot
movement. A marionette serpentine dancer m/a y be
suspende d from head -strings while an operator works
continuations of the sticks in her hands thro ugh holes in
the black velvet back -drop, and the electr ician plays his
coloured l ights. The mar ionette may stan d fixed to the
floor, head and arm joints alone being necessary.

RUSSIAN HOPAK DANCER

His arms and le gs are pivoted on pins from front to
bqck, l ike those of a jumpingjack. This makes it possible
for him to squat an d kick sidewards in the character istic
motions of this peasant dance. The head and ha nds are
strung to o ne stick and the knees to another. A row of
these dancers in Cossack costume, controlled in tandem, with spirited music and
wild cries" interjected, would make a rousing number.

BALL ROOM DANCERS

A tandem co ntroller with figures fa cing each other wi ll allow marionettes to
foxtrot, waltz or rhumba. A string from the hand of o ne thro ugh that of the ot her

dancer wi ll bring them together when pulle d. Adag io dancers work like the
equilibrists already described.