Notes on Building Bunraku Puppets

Making puppets out of newspaper was more difficult than expected! Some challenges included:
A) Making legs and arms have full ranges of motion, like a real person.
B) Proportions
C) Working with the group to make pieces that worked together
D) Working in a very limited amount of time
E) Attaching the head and neck

Now I have a newfound respect for real puppeteers, and especially manufacturers! When I think of puppets that are much more intricate than the newspaper versions we made, I can only begin to imagine the work that must go into making them.

However, it has also made me appreciate how important it is for the puppeteer to have some connection with their puppet. Now I have a better understanding of why the Bunraku puppeteers are responsible for dressing and caring for their puppets. Even though they are clearly inanimate objects, in order to give life to a puppet, a puppeteer needs some connection. By making them ourselves, we are putting our own energy and creativity into the process.