marionette, Bull

George Merten wrote several books on puppetry, two of which are considered classic reference books for puppeteers. With his wife Elizabeth, he created Merten Marionettes, which played two seasons at Onatrio's Stratford Shakespeare Festival, and performed extensively on Canadian television and in concert performances throughout southern Ontario. Elizabeth Merten also developed a number of shows with hand puppets, often assisted by Judith Lawrence, Nancy Cole or Nancy Kyle. George Merten was highly active in the Ontario Puppetry Association, the Puppeteers of America, and established both Theatre Ontario and Ontario Youth Theatre.

Adapted from Figuratively Speaking : Puppetry in Ontario by Ken McKay, copyright 1990. Courtesy of the Ontario Puppetry Association and Ken McKay.

(Alternate name: String Puppet)

This category of puppet is controlled from above using strings. Marionettes are usually fully articulated, with strings linking the different parts of the body - head, torso, arms, legs - to a hand-held "control". Several different types of controls exist, with various degrees of complexity (vertical, horizontal, angled). Marionettes can be made of a wide range of materials: wood, paper, fabric, foam rubber, etc.

Tandem Marionette

Marionette combining two characters - sometimes more - which are usually placed side by side and attached to the same control. This type of puppet is most often used when similar characters must make identical movements; e.g., a corps de ballet.

Trick Marionette

A marionette constructed and strung in a way that allows it to perform precise and intricate activities (e.g., juggling, performing complex manoeuvres on a trapeze), or to transform (e.g., when one character changes into another). In the latter case, it should be noted that the term "transformation marionette" can also be used.