How to Make a Marionette Theatre

A marionette theatre can provide hours of entertainment for the whole family.

A marionette theatre can provide hours of entertainment for children. Building your own theatre allows you to customize it to the size of the marionette puppets you will be using and to create your own atmosphere by embellishing a basic box structure. Scuffy Plum Press recommends that you first consider what size puppets you will be using before you begin construction.

Things You'll Need

• Cardboard box
• Folding table
• Pencil
• Scissors
• Poster board
• Marker
• Construction paper
• Glue or paste
• Masking tape
• Old sheet or tablecloth
• Dowel or stick
• Piece of cloth

Instructions

Building the Stage

1. Open the top and bottom flaps of the cardboard box. Trim the side flaps to about 3/4 inch to anchor the theatre. Remove the top flaps and the front flap where the theatre stage opening will be. Using a pencil and ruler, draw an opening large enough to allow viewing of your puppets. Cut the opening out with scissors.

2. Placing the box on a table and measure about 3/4 of the way back from the front. Cut the box at this point, leaving two portions. Take the back section you just cut off and trim it down about 3/4 of the way so that the puppet master can reach over it when it is mounted on the table. Be sure to save this piece because it will serve as the stage backdrop. This will allow more room for the marionettes to move around the stage.

3. Decorate the backdrop piece by drawing your scenery on a piece of paper, and then taping it in place on the backdrop section. This will allow you to change the scenery whenever you want to. Decorate the front of your theatre with paint, markers or construction paper. This is where you can get creative; using sparkles, glow in the dark stickers, or the like.

4. Cover a folding table with an old sheet or tablecloth. Use masking tape to mount the front and back stage pieces on the table, using the portion of the flaps left for this purpose. Once the box is mounted on the table, check to see if the puppet master can reach over the backdrop to manipulate the puppets.

5. Cut the poster board so it is the same width as the front of the theatre and so it has enough height to conceal the heads and hands of the puppet masters. Decorate the poster board however you see fit. You may wish to paint the name of the theatre on it, or to draw on theatre masks. Use glue or paste to attach the poster board to the front of the theatre. Allow it to dry as directed on the glue or paste container.

6. Cut holes on the sides of the box at the height where the curtain will be hanging. Glue or paste a piece of cloth onto the stick or dowel you are using as a curtain rod. Allow appropriate time for drying before rolling the curtain up. Insert the rod into the two openings.

Tips & Warnings

• Always supervise children when they are using scissors.

References

• Scruffy Plum Press