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Theatre on a Tabletop
Puppetry for Small Spaces
by Kuang-Yu Fong
and Stephen Kaplin
Text on making and teaching theatre through toy theatre, object theatre, and overhead projection theatre. Richly illustrated with photos, diagrams, and scripts of puppet plays. 122 pp, trade paperback.. $ 15.95
Theatre on a Tabletop teaches you how to do a lot of things; put on a performance using a salt and pepper shaker and a stick of butter, make a theatre out of a cardboard box, disassemble a broken umbrella into dozens of parts for puppet-building, play with shadows on the overhead projector, and put on a series of workshops that go from planning sessions to performance.
There are chapters on Toy Theatre (once beloved as a family entertainment, and now making a comeback), Object Theatre, Overhead Projector Theatre, workshops, and professional theatre, accompanied by diagrams, supply lists, "The Laws of Puppetry," and abundant illustrations.
But this text on theatre for very small spaces is far more than a how-to book on these newest of puppet genres. It encompasses a philosophy of theatre and education, and a look at the origins and history of this specialized art form and its connections to art and society. It shares the personal journeys of two extraordinary artist/teachers, and some of their award-winning professional puppet scripts for the companies they have founded and continue to lead: Great Small Works and Chinese Theater Works. It serves as an inspiration and example of the ways theatre--even or especially very small theatre--can add to your arsenal of teaching skills, and make a difference in the lives of the people for whom and with whom you perform.
Thanks to Kuang-Yu Fong's and Steve Kaplin's thorough investigation of this little known genre of puppet theatre, we get a full appreciation of the wide variety of societal functions of the tabletop subculture. May the sense and beauty and practicality of these smallest of theatres succeed to fight the senselessness and ugliness and insensitivity of the TV dictatorship!
Peter Schumann
Bread and Puppet Theatre
After seeing several performances of tabletop theatre, devised and produced by amateurs as well as by professionals, I realized that not only does it possess charm as entertainment, but it has great value as an educational medium. Teachers will discover directions for making the little two-dimensional puppets used in toy theatre. Objects were often used in addition to the little puppet figures, hence the term "object theatre." In fact there is no prop or object that cannot be used if it is small enough to fit on the stage. (Actually, even large objects such as flying dragons overhead can add color and excitement to a show.) Also included is a detailed explanation of the construction and use of the overhead projector.
But I should be remiss were I to suggest that Theatre on a Tabletop is a book for the exclusive interest of puppeteers. The author's scope is wide, offering a philosophy that goes far beyond the craft of puppetry and includes art, literature, aesthetics, teaching methodology, and a multi-cultural perspective. Teachers in many fields will welcome a text that is unique in its appeal.
Dr. Nellie McCaslin
New York University
Kuang-Yu Fong and Stephen Kaplin's Theatre on a Tabletop is a rare event: an approach to the intriguing aspect of puppet theatre that not only tells the reader how to go about making tabletop puppet shows, but also explains the fascinating history of the form. The authors' analysis of different forms of tabletop theatre, including toy theatre, object theatre, and overhead projection theatre is brilliantly clear, and illustrated by numerous helpful and interesting examples from the authors' own experience with the forms. In the book's advice about the practical aspects of tabletop theatre,workshops and professional production is extraordinarily rich, and again informed by the authors' extensive practice in the field and estimable success. An extra bonus is the insights Fong and Kaplin's work give us about give us about the nature and possibilities of cross-cultural collaboration in contemporary art making, which are shown here to be truly inspiring.
Fong and Kaplin are talented and innovative puppeteers, whose skills and energies are rare in today's world of puppet theatre, and Theatre on a Tabletop is a valuable addition to our knowledge of puppet theatre in the twenty-first century.
John Bell, Professor
Co-Founder, Great Small Works
Emerson College
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