Puppet Workshop – (3) Diversity Performance

Now that you’ve built your marionettes, it’s time to perform your show! The concept is simple and mostly improvised. The following “script” is a loose outline only:

Instructor:  (using two identical balloon marionettes - Puppets enter stage and begin to interact)  How are you doing? How have you been? What game are we playing? etc.

Each student enters the scene with their marionette, one at a time.

Student:  (to the instructor’s puppets) Hey, that game looks fun! Can I join in? (or something similar)

Instructor:  No, you can’t! This game is only for blue balloons (or whatever). Go away! You’re too round (or red, or your eyes are too big, or you have bare feet, whatever).

The student takes their marionette to another part of the stage away from the insructor’s puppets, and begins to “play” (bounce).

One by one, each student approaches the instructor’s marionettes, is turned away, and goes to join the ever-growing group of puppets “playing” (bouncing) over to the side.

Instructor:  (in conversation between the two identical puppets)

Puppet 1:  Hey, this game is getting boring!

Puppet 2:  It sure is. What else can we do?

Puppet 1:  I don’t know, but look at that group over there! They sure look like they’re having a good time!

Puppet 2:  They do! I’d rather be playing with them!

Puppet 1:  Me too! Do you think they’d let us?

Puppet 2:  I don’t know. Let’s ask them.

The instructor’s puppets “bounce-walk” over to the group

Puppet 1:  Hey, your game looks like fun! Can we play?

Puppet 2:  Yes, we’d like to join you!

Either as a spokesperson for the group or all together, the students should welcome the instructor’s marionettes into their group. The entire class then ends up “playing” (bouncing) together in a bunch!

After taking bows, ask the students to take their seats with their marionettes for a post performance discussion!