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Before you startSix of these tr ick marionettes were shown in the pages of The Drama, now de -parted, during 1 927 and 19 28. Conde nsed an d revised in text, they are here offered with descr iptions of severa l other tr icks, all newly illustrated.

Most of the tricks a re traditional. Others a re comparati vely recent, and a few points are perhaps origina l here. Every inventive showman wil l stage them in his own way and devise va riations. Like all time-honored tricks, they are a lways fresh to a new generat ion.

What is impossible for a human being may be easy for a marionette. In the group of transformation, inside-out, break-away and pop-out figures a re tricks pecul iar to marionettes only. They are amaz ing as mag ic, susceptible of endless changes, and tem pting for the ingenious. Other stunts, walk ing a tight-rope or f lying on a trapeze, require skill and specia l management, whether for men or marionettes. Still others, breathing visibly or pic king up an object, are everyday acts for men, but tricks for mar ionettes. The last two c lasses are amusing or astonishing only in their c lever imitation of men. They may appeal to the real ist, but are sometimes more trou ble than they are worth.

Circuses and revue scenes are enl ivened by these tricks, or indeed comp osed mostly of the m. Dramas may make use of the m, but there the y should never delay action. On princ iples of the dev ices shown, almost any sort of a tric k can be worked out. This little book is intended to s pur invention. (Page 31 is for your own notes.) The illustrator has therefore drawn unclothed those marionettes whose dress is not integral , so that if you follow the tr ick you may ind ulge your fancy in g iving them clown suits, acrobats' f leshing or fancy costume.

Splitting In TwoWhen R umpelstiltskin dashes himself apart in a rage, or the knight c leaves the sorcerer in twa in, a spec ial splitting marionette may be provided for the purp ose.

Its head and torso are made in halves to join neat ly together along a vertical line. Each hal f of the neck is linked separately to the shoulders. In the upper parts of the head an d in the sho ulders and hips are lead we ights, the lowest the heaviest. The limbs are attached in the usual way; kneestrings run up to one control stick, and the hand-, shoulder - and head-strings to anot her. Pairs of wire loops are set into the top of the head, t he chest and t he pelvis on either s ide of the spl it. From one loop, where it is tied, a string passes freely through the other and up to the secon d control stick. these three spec ial strings, pul led tight, are caught in a cut in the stic k and secured on a button.

When the button is released and lowered, the weighted halves of the mar ionette will separate as far as the strings allow, and may be hopped about. If the two halves are to run off in separate di rections, the control sticks may pull apart in the center, where they were butted in a metal sleeve; the strings hold ing the hal ves together may double down t hrough t he loops an d up again, w ith one end free so that they may be released and pulled entirely out of the loops; the n two p uppeteers may rus h the two halves off.

The costume covering the torso must be made with overlaps front and back, held together with smal l pins which pul lout readi ly, or, better st ill, held merely by the friction of the materia l.

Lady Into BalloonWhether or not this trick dates from the eighteenth century, when h oop-skirts and bal loons were the latest fashion, i t has enjoyed long popularity. A lady in court dress flounces in, flutter ing her fan and cocking her head coquettishly. She turns aro und completely once or tw ice; one sees nothing concealed behind her. Then, at a sudden blare of music or flash of light (which dazes the spectator just long enough for him to miss seeing what happe ns) a bal loon with two l ittle passengers holding f lags floats off where she had sto od.

The lady is complete to the wa ist only, but by swinging her slightly from the sho ulder-strings the motion of her ful l skirt suggests legs that wa lk. Under the sk irt hangs the basket of the bal loon with its passengers. Sometimes the two l ittle figures emerge from the lady's arms, unho oked and turne d inside out l ike the G rand Tur k's. A hoop in the bottom of the skirt is pul led up by fo ur strings passing through a h ole in the center of the control stic k and tied to a Ring. The skirt turns inside out l ike an umbrel la on a w indy day, closing on top with a drawstr ing, and hides the lady. Strings for hands , shoulders and head are attached to a single stick.

The success of the tri ck depends not only upon quick manipulat ion but upon the construction of the skirt. The bal loon bag is first made of heavy, f lexible mater ial, possibly in vertical segments of contr asting colors. A draw -string is run through a hem to round it together at the top. It is then turned inside out and the lady's skirt and ruffles are appl ied of a soft, light stuff, the hoop being hidden by t he bott om ruffle, wh ich comes at the widest ci rcumference of the bag. The rest of the bag, with its loose draw -string, is tucked up un der the skirt.

Turn-Around & Upside- Down Transformations

When t he witch turns into the good fairy, or the b east into the handsome prince, the turn may be h orizontal or ve rtical. And the marionette sho uld have ful l skirts or a flowing c loak.

The hori zontal turn is very s imple. A two -faced head is made, with a fa ce front and back (if there may be considered to b e a back). Fuzzy or f lowing hair divides the two, which should differ from each other as much as p ossible in form and colour. The costume is in two simi lar contrasting ha lves. A single stick supports hand, shoulder and head strings. No legs are necessary with the flow ing costume; a wal k is suggested by the motion of the sho ulders.

This mar ionette must walk on stage in " a cautious, sid ling manner, lest the other side be seen too s oon. And at the pro per moment it must turn very neatly, and n ot too far aroun d. If the back is made a ll of dul l black, and it turns before a dul l black background o n a not to o-brightly lighted stage, it will disappear.

The vertical turn is almost as simple. W ith this type the marionette may sh ow its back w ithout revea ling its spl it personal ity. Two complete characters are made to the waist only, and there joined. A fu ll skirt, each surface of contrasting colour, is attached at the wa ist. There are two control stic ks, each sup porting the hand, s houlder and head strings of one character .

By lower ing one and raising the other, the marionette is made to turn, and the skirt hangs over the lower characte r.

This turn must be made very quick ly, "with the audience's attention defle cted by some o ther moveme nt, a sud den noise or l ight. And the sk irt should be weighted to turn without sticking.

Break-Away SkeletonThe o ld-time mar ionette showma n never fa iled to thri ll his audience and m ystify it by a dancing figure, genera lly a clown or skeleton, whi ch f lew apart and came back together a gain. The ske leton's head was of woo d, with a hinged jaw that clacked as it shut. The r est of the f igure was also carved of wood, s ometimes with covered -wire ribs. Wr ist, elbow, ank le and knee joints were made of inter locked screw -eyes, a ll-too-flexible and cl icking. But screw -eyes at the shoulders and hips were not fastened together. There in was the tr ick!

From o ne control stick ran str ings to sup port the sh oulders and head, and the jaw-string. The head was not fastened to the neck at a ll, but hung from a sing le str ing. Screw-eyes at the temples, through which the sh oulder strings passed without fastening, kept it from turning.

From a secon d stick ran a pair of str ings through the sh oulder screw-eyes, fastened to the up per-arm screw-eyes; and anot her pair through the hip screw-eyes, fastened to the thigh screw-eyes. From a third stick ran str ings through elbow screw eyes,

fastened to screw-eyes at the knees.

The mar ionette dances in a low light aga inst a dark background. The f irst two control sticks a re he ld in one hand, the third in the other. By ra ising its end alternate ly the marionette is made to wave its arms and legs about. Pull up on the central str ing that supports the hea d; it will float and drop back into place. Ho ld the first st ick in the teeth, lower the second with one ha nd and continue to manipulate the third in the other. The a rms and legs w ill dance off into the air , and reunite with the trunk when the second stick is brought up again.

Grand Turk and FamilyTo the lively stra ins of Mozart's Turkish March he stamps out, halts, seems about t o salaam, and in his p lace there stand six little figures which, hopping in glee for a moment, scam per out of sight.

Like buxom ladies who turn into laden auto mobiles at the crac k of a revo lver shot, he comes apart and each part turns inside out. The trick takes a perf ectly adjusted marionette and long practice so that it may go off without a hitch.

One stick w ith knee-strings makes the Turk walk. Another supports his sh oulder -strings and six str ings which lead to the heads of the co ncealed f igures. One deft je rk pul ls all to light. This is how it happens:

His neck pul ls out of a socket in his shoulder block. The garment of the fi rst figure, wrapped around its head to form t he turban, jerks loose and fal ls over the Turk's head.

His s leeves are gathered at his shoulders by small r ings ove r hooks in the end s of the sh oulder block. The we ight of his arms keeps them suspended until the jerk on the strin gs attached to the head s inside, when they come off and fal l inside out, cover ing the arms and revea ling the heads. In the same way the trousers unhook from the hoop which forms his girdle. His knee bar must be lowered so that its str ings do not keep the trou sers from turning down over the feet.

The head inside the ches t, fixed to the sh oulder block, is pul led with the block through t he girdle hoop (which must be s ufficiently large), the shoulder -strings are released f rom cuts in their st ick, where they were he ld with butto ns, and t he last head dangles w ith the Turk's inside-out tunic for a dress.

Giant-DwarfA gentleman w ith a ta ll hat, ulste r and wal king st ick strol ls out upon the stage; he may even be s moking,a c igar (See page 127.) ,With a little shudder, he starts to s hrink, going down, down, til l his hat is lower than the knob of his stick . Then, w ith another convulsive start, he grows up to his former, height -and beyon d. His legs, body, arms an d the neck elongate like, a concert ina, till his st ick seems a toy. And so he may rus h off.

The mar ionette is made of a few we ll-weighted parts held together by cord thr ough eyelets, and b y the cost ume. The neck rises on a cord wel l above the shoulders, but is secured by a tall, soft colla r. And there are no upper arms or thighs, merely cords and the hallow tube of sleeve - and trouser-cloth. Between the shoulder and hip blocks there is only nylon cord; the ulster suggests the bo dy.

Walking is managed by one stick w ith knee-strings. The other stick has the hand-strings (one is attached to the knob of the cane, which sl ips freely through a hole in the f ist as the hand

grasps it) , elbow-strings (passing up inside the s leeves, out at the sho ulders and u p through h oles in the stic k, where they join at a r ing on top), shoulder -strings, and head-strings (a lso going up through the stick w ith a ring on top).

When he shrinks, the gentleman is lowered by the stick w ith the shoulder -strings, and the ring on the elbow-strings is pul led up. This causes his body an d arms to collapse. The wa lking st ick, resting on the f loor, r ises thro ugh the fist as the arm drops. W hen the gentleman grows, the main st ick is raised above its normal height and the ring on the head-strings is pul led up.

Many vari ations on growing, shrink ing and neck stretch ing may be preformed in a similar way.

Pop-OutsAs one variat ion of the g iant-dwarf t rick, a br ight box with a h inged cover is placed centre stage , the marionette col lapsed into it w ith its str ings coming out in the crack between the box an d cover. An inquis itive little marionette enters and ins pects the b ox. After hesitating and making two or three false moves to touc h it, he releases the cover, which f lies back (pul led by a string from above) and revea ls the marionette inside, made in the character of a Go llywog or other startl ing jack-in-the-box figure. The little mar ionette runs away and the dwarf stretches u p into a g iant, c limbs out, prances around, shrinks again and gets back into the box, pulling the cover shut. The whole figure may be only a hollow costume, except for weighted hands an d feet. Strings f rom the feet run up thro ugh the inside, emerge at the sho ulders and are attached to a stick of their own. The head-, hand- and knee-strings a re attached to another stick. Pul ling up the foot -string st ick causes the marionette to telescope and shrink.

Pop-out marionettes are made with hollow bodies so that they crum ple into smal l quarters. A Dutch mi lkmaid carrying two pai ls may come ou t and clog. At a ce rtain point in the dance a tiny Dutch bo y and girl hop out of the pails and c log also. In order to dance wel l they should be on a tan dem co ntroller; one pup peteer operates them, an d another the milkma id. Or se ven or eight chi ldren may po p out of the pockets of the full sk irt of the Old Lady who Lived in a Shoe. Or animated toys

may ju mp out of Santa Claus' pack.

One marionette which was popular with English puppet showmen of the last century was a clown with a hol low body, wh ose head an d neck rose, showing another hea d and neck below, and so on til l a whole str ing of heads had risen from its shoulders.

Pole TosserBoswel l, in his life of Dr. Johnso n, writes that O liver Goldsmith "once at the exhibition of the fantoccini in London, whe n those who sat ne xt to him o bserved with what dexterity a pup pet was made to t oss a pike, could not bear that it should have such praise, and exclaimed with some warmth, 'Pshaw! I can do it better myself. ' " When one remem bers that Goldsmith ha d a keen and delicate sense of hum our, and that Boswell had none, the story bec omes an il lustration of Boswe ll's (utter inabi lity to understand the gazel lelike qual ity of Goldsmith's mind.

The marionette which Goldsmith and his friends enjoyed was probably very simply strung, l ike the one here pictured. Strings to head and back are attached to one stick; the centre string effects a bow. Str ings from the hands go up thr ough holes in the pole to a second stick; when raised sharply, it causes the hand s 10 be tossed u p and the pike, or bar, to tra vel up into the ai r several inches. Then it s lides down the strings by grav ity and is neatly caught in the upl ifted hands.

Perhaps this is a ll that the e ighteenth century figure could do. But by ru nning two more strings from the toes through t he bar to a third stic k, one can make the marionette toss the bar from its hand s to its feet and back again as it lies on its back. This is done by p ulling up sharply on the hand -string stick and the footstring one alternate ly. The figure may also be made to balance the pole on its head if two smal l nails are dr iven into it,

about a n inch apart, to k eep the pole from rol ling off.

One heel-string, attached to the end of the head -string stic k, enables the marionette to skip on and off stage, and to dance between st unts. A strong -man weightlifter is operated on the same princip le.

Bar AcrobatThe performer t rots on stage carrying a bar attached to the backs of two chairs, or other sim ilar rests, a ll of a light colour. He puts them d own in the centre, tak ing his hands from the bar. Then he lifts the bar and its rests, to show his strength, standing f irst on one foot only, then the other. Now he put s the bar dow n, retreats, jumps and gets his feet ov er it, landing in a s itting position. He swings, drops over backwards and pulls up to sitting position again. He lifts one foot across the bar and strad dles it as if on horseback. Then he hops off, retreats, grasps the bar and does a handstand on it. He springs down, bows, l ifts his apparatus and trots off with it.

Knee-strings for walking are attached to one control stick. The hands have two sets of string s. One is knotted on the t op of the hands, passed t hrough holes in the bar and, with three or four inches of slac k, tied to the ends of the seco nd control stick . The other is knotted un der the han ds and brought direct ly to the stick, inside the f irst set. Heel-strings pass through h oles in the st ick

and meet at a ring in the centre. The head - and back-strings a re in the middle.

When t he marionette carr ies his bar, the outside hand -strings are pul led tight. When he raises his hands from it, the inside str ings are pul led. For s itting on the bar, the marionette's hands are detached, he is brought as far back from it as the slack of the outside hand -strings wi ll allow, and the knee -strings are raised ti ll the feet go over . For the hand -stand, the heel -strings are raised by pull ing the r ing in the centre of the stick .

Ball JugglerLively music -a march; or perhaps an Indian pipe and to mtom. The jug gler bows, tests his bal ls by we ighing them in the balance of his hands, and procee ds to to ss them up and catch them with rare prec ision. As he performs, his eye is a lways on the balls. When they pass from hand to hand at his waist, h is head is lowered intently. When they flash into the ai r his ch in goes up, his head goes back. His concentration is tight, his wrists are loose and s upple; in the combination is the charm of his performance.

This mar ionette is con trol led by three sticks. To the f irst are attached the head- I and back-strings. To the second are strung the han d-strings, passing through holes in wooden balls. When t he ends of this stic k are raised a lternate ly, with sharp little jerks, the f igur~ seems to juggle the ba lls.If worked at right ang les to the other I sti cks, it will make the balls appear to be tosse d from han d to hand.

From o ne end of the third stick a string passes down through a ball and fastens to the to p of the marionette's head; from the

other end a string passes through t he other ball to its toe. If the st ick with the handstrings is lowered, and this one is brought I into play, the bal ls will land on the head or toe.

A reclining mar ionette w ith strings going up from its toes through a large ball to a stick may jugg le the bal l with its feet in I the manner of a Japanese performer.

Plates, c lubs, bouq uets or ot her tossa ble objects may be s ubstituted for the balls, but none are quite so good.

TumblerHaving bowed, the marionette executes, to slow music, a forward and back bend, leg spl its and a hand stand. Then he walks off at the s ide and the rol ling of a drum creates suspense until he reappears, doing a ser ies of rapid back handsprings al l the way across the stage and off. Drum crash and cy mbals! Finally he comes back from the wings and takes a final bow.

Two, mar ionettes that look a like are required. One is bui lt with the usual joints and knee-, hip-, head- and back-strings attached to three sticks, one for knees, one for hips and one for head an d back. The hip str ings support the performer o n forward and back bends. The arms hang down by force of grav ity for a handstand and need no st rings. (They are more eff ective with wrist jo ints.)

When t he first mar ionette wa lks off into the wings, the second is substituted for the somersa ults. This is bui lt rigid, except for wrist and ank le joints, and very light. It is fixed to a rod at its line of balance near the hips. The rod passes thro ugh loops in the ends of s upporting wi res, wh ich should be stiff, and of a colour

to blend with the background. Fixed at the end of the hipro d away from the audience, outside the su pporting w ire, is a reel as big as the thi ckness of the marionette wi ll allow; it must not be seen. Arou nd this a string is wound as ma ny times as the tumbler must s omersault to cross the stage. By pull ing th is string the flip-flaps are effected.

The first marionette is then brought ba ck for the bow, having been crossed over behind the scene s from the side where it first went off.

Team of EquilibristsThe pa ir is discovered standing side by side. They ta ke their bows. The smaller of the two, who is the top man, or perhaps woman, then backs away, runs a few steps and j umps toward her partner, who raises his a rms, catches her by the han ds and lifts her over his head. She k icks her legs to ga in balance, then straightens them up and remains poised, while he sways a little to maintain balance. At a word from him, she is lowered and hops down to her feet. They bow side by side. In a s imilar way he might catch her by the waist and l ift her, or mi ght balance her head on head.

Unless a ludicrous parod y of this performance is wanted, it mustbe practiced unti l everything goes without a hitch. The marionettes sho uld have a ta ll proscenium arch or, la cking that, should be made small. Two puppeteers are needed.

One manipulates each fi gure. The under man need have no leg joints; solid legs would give him a rigid stance. He has head -

and back-strings fastened to one stick, and hand-strings, passing through the top man's han ds, fastened t o another. The top man has head - and back -strings fastened to o ne stick, and knee -strings fastened to anot her, wh ich has extension s at right-angles to its ends for heel -strings.When t he top man ju mps, the' under ma n's hand -stick is raised, bring ing the hands together I and ra ising his arms. The top man's knee -stick is raised t ill this figure is aloft, and it is then rotated so that its extension s bring up the heels. For a wa ist hold or a head stan d, other strings might run from the under man's ha nds to the top man's waist, or from his head to hers.

Adagio dancers could be worked on this princip le.

Balancing ClownsA spry and meddleso me little clown finds a tower of tabl es pi led up before him. He looks up and sees a chair atop. He must climb the pyramid! And s o he proceed s upward, almost slipping near the top, but final ly seats himsel f in the chai r with a snort of triumph. He hears the strains of a wa ltz. What a beauti ful place to rock ! And so he sways in his chair , back and forth. H is motion is imparted to the tower. At f irst it teeters s lightly, then it begins to rock dangerously. He must swing his arms v igorously to bring it back into equil ibrium. This he does three or four times, the tower leaning more and more at each dare. Fina lly it is pushed t oo far to bring back; it pauses at a terrible angle, then topples into the wings, throwing the wi ldly-waving little clown far off .

Or the same mischief -finder comes up on a ladder. He c limbs to the top and gets his feet on rungs to either s ide. It is not a safety ladder, and begins to slip, its two halves spread ing wider and wider . The clown, for a ll his waving, can do nothing to avert the catastrophe. With a sic kening swoop the ladder goes flat on the floor and the clown is doing the spl its.

The clown IS a usual mar ionette w ith one stick for head - and han d-strings and another, if desi red, for knee-strings. His predicaments are only as funny as the puppeteer's timing of the action makes them; the arm motion must be well studied. The tables and chair, sol idly bui lt, are held together one on top of the other by a string passing through them. The forward sway is controlled by the puppeteer and the backward b y an assistant holding this str ing from the top. One end of the ladder is hinged to a base-piece; the other sl ips free ly on this base, pulled by strings f rom the side of the stage.

Balancer on BallWith feet nimbly turning a big, striped bal l, a marionette, possibly in or iental costume, rol ls the bal l to centre stage. There he rema ins poised for a mome nt on one toe, b ows, and rolls the bal l in a circular path al l around the stage, f inally going off .

Toeing the bal l is effected with short, rapid je rks ona string attached to one heel only. The other foot moves forward . as the bal l rolls. It is attached to a rod which goes down into a slot in the bal l and hooks over the bar which forms the ball 's axis. Because of this slot the bal l is divided in two, held together by the axia l bar. The s lot seems to be only another of the black stripes painted around the ball. It is rolled by a stiff wire, painted to blend with the background, and slipped over the protruding end of the axial bar. One st ick holds the marionette's hand-, head-, backand heel-strings.

Stilt Walker

Skater

One of the turns in the old showman's programme was a drunkard, clutching a bottle, who staggered dangerously on stilts to the music of I won't get home until morning. Stagge ring or not, a mar ionette on stilts is amusing, and very s imple to work if the puppeteer is not too high over the stage. Its hands an d feet are f ixed to the stilt poles, which continue upward to form con trol sticks, and its head is suspended by strings attached to each stick.

There is nothing specia l in the string ing of e ither ro ller-or ice-skaters, unless they I have heel strings as we ll as the usual ones on the knees. But as they are made to glide over the f loor, which they do wel l if the feet a re properly wei ghted, an audience may think that there is some s ort of a tri ck to it.

Knife Thrower

Knife Swallowe r

Two mar ionettes wal k out and b ow. One takes a position with arms outstretched against a panel cover ed with dark velvet. The other opens a chest, reaches in and p ulls out a knife which it throws. Apparently it st icks in the panel above the first figure's head. The thrower d ips into the chest again and the action is repeated ti ll the mar ionette against the p anel is outl ined with b lades.

There is nothing specia l about the marionettes. The chest is opened b y a string to its cover , and the knife drops into the thrower's hand from its sleeve; there is only one. After each throw the hand is lowered so quick ly into the chest that this is not seen. At the same time a str ing behind the pa nel is pul led, releasing a catch which holds the han dle of a knife, behind a hole in the panel. Rubber bands thrust out the knife handle first, and it stops an d holds by a block at its t ip. S6 all the prearrang ed knives are released. The holes a re not noticeable in the dark velvet.

The mar ionette's mout h opens and its neck and chest are hollow to admit the kni fe. The head pi vots backward on pins at the base of the jaw, which is stationary and fixed to the neck. A string from the tip of the kn ife leads through t he mouth and out at the back of the chest. When pulled it draws in the kni fe.

Trapeze PerformerAt rise of curta in, standing under a white trapeze, the marionette bows elaborately, ra ises hands, ben ds knees and j umps for the trapeze bar, catch ing it with hands well apart. Then it chins three times, drops off and b ows again.

One pu ppeteer holds it to the trapeze, the other operates it. Str ings from its hands run up through holes in the bar to a control stick. The ass istant pup peteer pulls this up ti ll the hands t ouch the bar, swings the trapeze and re leases the marionette when its turn is done.

The ch ief puppeteer holds two con trol sticks. To one are attachedkneestrings. To the other are attached head, heel and back str ings. When t he marionette chins, he lets down the secon d stick t ill the figure crouches, then pulls it up sharply as the assistant brings the hands to the bar, and final ly raises it slowly till the arms bend an d the head co mes above the bar.

The mar ionette jump s for the trapeze aga in, sits or lies full length on it and swings, then drops off and bows. The chief puppeteer brings it to a ch inning position, raises it further t ill its arms are ove r the bar, supporting its body by t he back string, and shoves its l egs over the bar by means of the kneestrings.

Now the marionette jum ps for the bar, l ifts hee ls over head and does a han dstand on it, balanc ing for a moment, the n slowly and careful ly lifts a hand from the bar and remains poised o n but one. Down again slowly, to drop off and bow. Whe n the figure is almost ready to sit on the bar, its heel -strings are pul led up and it does a han dstand on one or bot h hands.

Next it sw ings by its knees. Whi le it sits on the bar the stick w ith headstrings is lowered t ill the figure falls over backwards, and the stick with kneestr ings is he ld so that the knees ha ng bent over the bar.

To conclude the marionette runs, jump s to the bar, swings by the ha nds, drops off backwards, runs, catches it a gain, or misses and lands in the footl ights or w ings. In this turn the chief puppeteer makes it run and jump w hile the assistant, t iming perfectly, pul ls it to the bar and drops it aga in.

Tight-Rope Walker

Unicycle Rider On Rope

The mar ionette may slide to the middle of its wh ite rope and there balance on one foot, da nce, side swing , lie down, and face the audience, both its feet on the rope, and swing, al l with a wire loop in the sole of one foot h olding it to the rope. In the hands may be a ba mboo pole or parasol. The hand -strings ar e attached to the ends of the stick with the knee-strings, so that" they balance as the knees rise. Another" stick holds the back -and head-strings.

Or the aer ial artiste may have pinpoints projecting from each sole. In this case the rope is a wh ite tape, b lackened al l its length, save for a narrow strip toward the audience. As the marionette wa lks along its feet are pinned securely. With bent pins in the palms of its hands, it may drop and catch the "rope" by h ooking into it . And i f all its str ings are double, passing through screw-eyes in the f igure w ithout being tied, they maybe released atone end, pulled straight through the eyes a nd whisked out of the way. The mar ionette, hanging by the han ds, may t hen be tur ned over and over the rope which is swung l ike a jumping-rope from one side. Properly emphasized by a roll ing drum, this tr ick has an exciting crescendo.

The rubber t ire on a whee l of suitab le size is removed. The feet of the mar ionette are fixed to pedals attached to the hub of the wheel. With hand -, head- and kneestrings, it may balance and r ide back and forth on a white rope which f its into the groove of the wheel. A bicyc le rider may be simila rly operated. By the way, bicycl e riders on the floor may turn so mersaults if equipped with a reel like that described for the tumbler.

Iron-jaw Hanger

Pole Climber

A string from the marionette's mouth to the rope-end which its gr ips in its teeth wi ll pull it up as it gives a leap. Onc e suspende d, the marionette must not be let down by the loosening of this string. Groups of figures, possibly w ith floating garments and full sleeves, may be arranged on wheels which turn with them in the ai r. The rope for each fi gure may be twisted up bef orehand a nd released so that the iron-jaw hanger is spun as it unwinds.

Two eye lets are fixed to sl ide up and down in slots at either s ide of the pole. The strings from the cl imber's hands and feet pass through t hese eyele ts so that he may grip the pole as he shins up or streaks down. At the top of the pole, if the proscenium arch is ta ll enough, or the figure smal l enough, he ma y release the nat ional flag as he stands on his head patriotical ly.

Man Shot From Cannon

Tandem Marionettes

The muzzle of the cannon is lowered and the vict im crawls in feet first. In an impressive s ilence the gun elevates. A mar ionette super l ights the fuse. A sputter, a report and a cloud of sm oke. The victim is shot into the air above si ght. A moment's pau se and he co mes down on a parachute, waving flags am idst the cheering.

Three marionettes that look a like are used. The f irst crawls into the cannon, p ulled in by strings f rom his feet that pass thr ough the gu n and o ut at the side of the stage, and stay s there. The second, which was fastened to the side of the gun away from the audience al l the t ime, is

pulled up at the explosion. (Th is had better not be real gunpow der.) The third, with parachute and flags ready, is lowered at the proper moment.

Dancing choruses and marching armies may be made to act as o ne man by stringing two or more (e ight is the limit for convenience on the averag e stage ) mar ionettes to the sa me control sticks. For dancers which perform sho ulder-toshoulder (l ike the Tiller Girls, whom t hey easily surpass) the head - and backstrings are spaced along one stick . In s imple routines it may suffice to have only one kicking leg for each dancer. These are attached to anot her stick. They should be all lefts or a ll rights if the g irls are well drilled. But if kicking by both legs is required, the lefts are all attached to one stick and the rights to another. When o nly one p uppeteer manipulates the chorus, he must hold the head -string stick in his teeth, lea ving his hands for the two kneestring st icks. Inc idental ly, if the k icking is to be very hi gh, toe -strings are necessary.

For marching f iles a s impler arrangement is possible. The heads of the marchers are strung to a stic k about two inches wide and as long as t he f ile is to be. The knee-strings are attached to e ither side of a slightly broader stic k above it. The lower stick hangs from the upper by pieces of stout, flex ible cord at regu lar intervals. The upper stick is held firmly in both han ds of the p uppeteer, and without being ti lted atone end or the other, is rocked br iskly sidew ise. The knees of the marionettes are lifted and the marchers are in motion.

Hand-strings for such groups ma y be use d, but are seldom necessar y.

With more colnplex controllers, such a s those described on pages 58 -60 of Puppetry 193 4, mar ionettes strung in tandem ma y be made t o turn ab out-face.

The mar ionette is jo inted at the neck, arms, wa ist and hips, but the legs and feet are construct ed in one stiff piece with pointed toes. The hips must be weighted, but the feet need not be. The head, back and arms are strung to one stick, the toes and heels to another. Much of the effectiveness of this marionette depends upon the ma nipulator's cl ear mental image of how bal let dancers move.

For instance, at the entrance of the dancer on the p oints, she may take s idewise steps, a lways fac ing the audience. These a re smal l and weaving, giving the dancer a f lutter ing motion of the whole body. She sway s gracefu lly at the waist; the head and arms ben d freely. For a leap into the air , one toe is ra ised, she soars, and lands on it with the other out behind her. For a pirouette one toe is raised backwa rds and she tur ns rapidly on the ot her. Forward kicking be longs to the music-hall rather than to the class ic ballet. Grouping and patterns of motion by several dancers. are more

interest ing in marionette bal lerinas than solo work.

A circus equestrienne with toe attached to the back of her mou nt may be operated on the same principl e. More will be said of an imal mar ionettes, by the way, in a handbook devoted especial ly to them.

A free-jointed marionette, even w ithout leg -strings, will jig and tap with jerks at its shoulder-strings only. The accidental sw ing of arms and le gs, with joints at wrist and ank le, will seem to beat syncopate d time to any li vely tune.

Strings attached to the breasts and hips, run ning up to special st icks, enable a marionette to lean over bac kwards and shimmy in the n aughty st yle which the orient never knew.

Ballet, Tap and Oriental Dance rs

BALLET DANCER

TAP DANCER

"ORIENTAL" DANCER

Serpentine, Russian Hopak and Ball Room Dancers

SERPENTINE DANCER

RUSSIAN HOPAK DANCER

BALL ROOM DANCERS

In the 189 0's Loie Fu ller developed the the n-popular skirt-dance into a beautifu l and abstract performance which was im itated far and wide, e ven by marionettes. The dancer wore a voluminous gown of very soft, flowing wh ite mater ial. It hung down from t he neck l ike a circular cloak. The hems were gr asped in the hands, or held out by sticks in the hands. On a darkened stage, against black velvet, and over a glass panel in the f loor, the dancer waved and whirled her draper ies wh ile spot -lights from the sides and from the glass be low played upon her in var ious colour combinations. The movement of the coloured garment suggested butterfly wings, fire, fountains an d flowers. There was pract ically no foot movement. A marionette serpentine dancer m/a y be suspended from head -strings while an operator works continuations of the sticks in her hands thro ugh holes in the black velvet back-drop, and the electr ician plays his coloured l ights. The mar ionette may stan d fixed to the floor, head and arm joints alone being necessary.

His arms and le gs are pivoted on pins from front to bqck, l ike those of a jumpingjack. This makes it possible for him to squat an d kick sidewards in the character istic motions of this peasant dance. The head and ha nds are strung to o ne stick and the knees to another. A row of

these dancers in Cossack costume, controlled in tandem, with spirited music and wild cries" interjected, would make a rousing number.

A tandem co ntroller with figures facing each other wi ll allow marionettes to foxtrot, waltz or rhumba. A string from the hand of o ne through that of the ot her

dancer wi ll bring them together when pulle d. Adag io dancers work like the equilibrists already described.