There are many kinds of puppets, as you know. There are hand puppets, rod puppets, shadow figures, and marionettes. They are little figures operated by strings and wires from above, by rods, or by hands from below. Puppets are as old as the theater itself. The first puppets were probably made in India or Egypt. Puppet theaters, thousands of years old have been found in both of these countries. Marionettes, which are puppets animated by strings from above, got their name in Italy. During the early Christmas celebrations, small, jointed nativity figures including the Christ Child and the Virgin Mary were made to move by strings. This kind of puppet became known as a marionette, or little Mary.

In China, Japan, and Java puppet showman have made figures to represent the heroes, gods, and animals of their legends and stories. In Java, Siam, and Greece they developed shadow-plays. They were made by moving cut-out figures against a vertical sheet lighted from behind. Did you know that special operas for puppets have been written by great composers like Mozart, Haydn, and Gluck?

One of the best-loved of all children’s stories tells of the adventures of Pinocchio, a puppet who came to life. You will find many of the same puppet characters famous in different lands. Punch, the famous English puppet, is known in Italy as Punchinello and in France as Polichinelle.

Puppet shows are a way to tell a story or express an idea. They are not hampered by the limitations of live actors. For instance, if you want a character to have a very long nose or big hands, or very short legs, or even wings, a puppet can have them without any trouble at all.

Puppets can also be any size needed. There are some marionettes that are only 15 centimeters, and some have been made 9 or 12 meters tall! Also, it is possible to make puppet animals and they can be just as good actors as people!