Red Rabbit wants to do some talent too

_Elsa_

Red Rabbit starts thinking about doing more than just playing the guitar for the girls’ dance routine. Maybe he should call Tiffi and tell her that he wants to participant with a talent too.

“Hi Tiffi, I’m so glad that you answered the phone,” Red Rabbit says. “Would you mind if I participated in the talent part of the show besides playing the guitar for the girls? I can still do backstage in between but I feel left out if I don’t do my thing like all my friends. I was thinking maybe a puppet show or singing a song in Spanish but I’ll have to give that more thought.”

Tiffi is excited that he wants to do a talent and she tells him to go ahead and decide what he wants to do and then get back to her with his talent.

He goes on to Google to see what he can find.

‘The history of the puppet and how it came to be an icon of our culture is an interesting one. It is believed the first puppets were developed in India possibly as long ago as 1000 B.C. The first puppets were probably nothing more than simple stick figures made using various materials found on the ground or other places. While the first puppets were no doubt simplistic in design and appearance, the acting out of the puppet shows was loud and full of fanfare. Many cultures later developed their own versions of puppet shows, and these often reflected the culture of their upbringing. Like stories and fables, puppet shows became known as a way to pass the time in an entertaining fashion with friends and family, which got passed down to many generations. 

One type of puppet, commonly referred to as 'dummy' is utilized in ventriloquism acts. Typically, the 'dummy' delivers one-liners or responds to the ventriloquist role as straight-man. One Internationally recognized ventriloquist, Jim Barber, is appearing in Branson at the Hamners Unbelievable Variety Show.

The Japanese often used puppets to replace human actors, as a means of illustrating and symbolizing things a human actor could not. Actors are also typically harder to work with, more demanding, and often unruly. This took the human element out so the script could be focused on more fully. At times, puppets would be operated by 3 people at a time, controlling them from various locations as they moved across the stage.’ (Info here) 

‘Marionette, also called string puppet, any of several types of puppet figures manipulated from above by strings or threads attached to a control. In a simple marionette, the strings are attached in nine places: to each leg, hand, shoulder, and ear and at the base of the spine. By adding strings, more sensitive control of movement is achieved. Among European puppets, marionettes are considered the most delicate and difficult to master; some are capable of imitating almost every human and animal action.’ (Info here) 

“Hmm, that sounds interesting,” Red Rabbit thinks. “It would be cool making a marionette walk and spin and do other things. Then I just have to create the dialect so that it sounds like it’s the puppets speaking. I think I really like that idea!” 

Let’s continue - Time to meet with Elsa

Start at the beginning – Friends’ Got Talent