More Fun and Easy Puppet Theaters for Kids!

        There are many other ways of making stages and curtains. As you manage your puppet theater you will probably invent many different stage arrangements and configurations. The ones given below are simple designs to start with.

Tie string to first ring on each side to make a sliding curtain.

       In the previous post, are the directions for making the sliding curtains illustrated above. You can open them with your fingers or by using a string if you prefer.

Left, is a simple drawing of a folding theater. Right, is a tipped-up table for rod or hand puppets.

       The folding theater made from plywood is for rod or hand puppets. The height of the stage opening from the floor depends on whether you will sit or stand while using your puppets.

Left, illustrated window stage. Center, another chair used for a stage. Right, a constructed house
for puppets to peek outside of the windows and doors makes for a novel theater.

       You can entertain an outdoor audience by using this window ledge stage. It is good for rod, push, or hand puppets. Kneel on the floor or sit on a stool while working the puppets.

       A chair stage made by taping a cloth around the legs and on the back of a chair is good for marionettes. Stand on a stool behind the chair, to work the actors.

       Cut a house out of a large piece of cardboard. Cut holes for doors and windows, and paint the house. Tack it to two orange crates, standing upright, for support. This can be used on the floor or table for your puppet shows.

A stage made from 5 pieces of plywood and a low sofa table.

       If you are giving a play with several actors you will need a friend to help you manage them. Then practice will be more important than ever.

       Decide where each of you will stand backstage. Practice moving your puppets so that they won't become tangled up with each other. And practice your actors' speeches so that you each know when to talk for your puppets. In that way the play will move right along without two puppets speaking at once and without awkward lags of silence. And practice whisking your actors offstage quickly when their turn is over, and getting your new ones onstage. Also practice raising and lowering the curtain and changing costumes and scenery speedily.

How to make a combination marionette and hand puppet stage.
Back up the table against a wall so that the actors don't accidentally
loose balance and fall off of the table! The curtain hangs between
 the crate and the table and the actor pokes the hand puppets from
 beneath the curtain at the bottom.

       If you are giving a marionette show you will need to stand high enough to manage the strings easily without raising your arms. Professional puppeteers stand on a raised platform called a "bridge." Chairs, a table or a bench are fine for this, so long as they are strong enough to hold you and your partner and are the right height so that you can work comfortably.

• A Stage Design for Marionettes That Children Can Build
• Designing Children's Puppet Theaters Quickly
• Return to the Theater Index Page