Marionette Stage

Scenery and Props

I have found it easier to take pieces of poster board and color it one solid color or buy colored poster board. Sometimes cartons that you cut up serve very well for the purpose of scenery and props and are sturdier than poster board. Then I add whatever the story's scene calls for by use of separate scene props (for example: a tree or a cloud or a star) that are attached to the background, either through use of double backed masking tape or with velcro, which in turn are attached to the back of the stage. This way, I can reuse basic scenes over and over again, modifying them by use of these scene props that I create as needed. This cuts down on storage and the cost of supplies. 

Example: I paint a landscape sized piece of cardboard 24 to 48 inches wide in sky blue.  Then I add a tree, a cloud or or a picket fence I've made out of construction paper or pieces of felt that I've glued together. I then use a big piece of green felt for the floor of the stage and  velcro tape it down (You may have your velcro attachments for the floor attach off stage, in the wings) and I have grass for my country scene. I use brown felt for sand or flooring, and blue for a lake scene. If I want a market scene,  I replace the fence in my country scene with cottages or buildings. 

So, all you need is small items like these to create different impressions. Puppet theater to me is about imagination and impressions. I will often paint the other side of my backdrop navy or black for night time scenes. I make a castle scene by painting another piece of cardboard silver or gold and attaching the props such as thrones and a table for a banquet hall or balustrades for a dance hall. 

Another way to create a stone wall or brick scene is to paint the backdrop gray and glue separate pieces of construction paper in various stone shapes to the back drop. You can then use this for indoor scenes or a garden wall. From time to time I will add props for you to print, color and use in your story telling.

Hand Puppet Stage

Scenery and Props

Once again I cut out trees, and clouds, paste them together and then pin them to the back of the stage, when a curtain is used. In the case of the back drop being fabric it is only necessary to give the impression of a country setting. However, you can make a full sized backdrop cloth to pin to the curtain by using either felt or a bed sheet and either gluing your felt scene props to it or pinning them onto a cloth background rather than poster board. Sometimes by merely changing the look of a tree you can get the feel of either open country or a forest. See example below. As I've said before, puppetry is the art of illusion, you make these figures come to life in the imagination of your audience and all they need is an impression for their belief and imagination to take over.

Props And Scenery For Plays

The props and scenery for any of these plays may be printed out
and glued on to pieces of cardboard or felt.
The Props for the plays is on the left and the scripts for them on the right!

Click here for props for the play The Magic Cat.

Click here for scenery for the play The Magic Cat.

Click here for props for the play The Christmas Stocking

Click here for scenery for the play The Christmas Stocking.

Click here for Scenery for the play Little Duck and the Key to Every Door

Click here for Prop Page One and Prop Page Two basket

 for the play Little Duck and the Key to Every Door

Click  on all purple links here for props Cauldron and Spoon, Bottle prop,
  and tree for the play Ruby's Stew

 If you like Puppetry you will enjoy these Poems about 
Puppets and Puppetry: 

The Theater  

  The Revolt Of The Puppets

The Circus  

Wooden Blocks

Pinocchio

If you are interested in puppets to buy or make, in your neck of the woods, check out my 
puppetrybest links.

Click here if you enjoy puppet theater and would 
like to go Backstage.

A Brief History of Puppets

Grampaw's Workshop