[upbeat music] - [Renata] Hi, welcome!

My name is Renata Townsend.

I'm a teaching artist here at the New Victory Theater.

I am also a puppet, a puppet version of human teaching artist Renata Townsend, who is about to teach you all about paper puppets like me.

Please welcome to the stage, teaching artist extraordinaire puppeteer and real life human being, Renata Townsend!

[crowd cheers] Wow, thank you for that introduction!

I, well, we are here to talk to you today about puppets.

Puppetry is the art of bringing inanimate objects to life.

Anyone can be a puppeteer and anything can be a puppet.

A paper puppet is a flat two-dimensional puppet made out of, you guessed it, paper.

Today we are going to be making paper puppets.

Here are the materials.

Paper, of course, scissors, glue or tape, something that's sticky, something to draw with, some cardboard.

You can use the cardboard of a cereal box or an oatmeal box, but the thinner the better 'cause you can cut it, and then, a dowel or a chopstick.

This will serve as your handle for your puppet.

My paper puppet is a tiny version of me.

What kind of character do you wanna make?

A pirate, a unicorn, an astronaut, a Supreme Court Justice?

Once you've chosen your character, it's time to get creative.

Let's go.

Think about what kind of clothes you want your character to wear, and what sort of pose you might want your character to be in.

Then draw and color it.

Remember, this is your puppet.

Anything goes.

Once you've drawn your puppet on paper, cut it out and trace its outline onto a piece of cardboard.

This will make your puppet more sturdy so it doesn't flop over.

Cut out the cardboard and then glue or tape it to the back of your paper.

Add a stick, this is called your control.

You will hold the stick to manipulate your puppet and that's it.

Now it's time to get to know your puppet.

Have fun moving it around.

Can you have it enter the stage?

Can you have it move quickly?

[speaks fast gibberish] What about slowly?

[speaks slow gibberish] Can you have it exit?

Can you have it fly?

Aaah, whoa, whoa!

What about dance?

[Renata hums] What is your puppet voice sound like?

Hello!

Hi!

Hey, you, over there!

Amazing, you're giving your puppet a personality.

But be careful, puppets have been known to take on minds of their own.

[upbeat music] Aah, this is the life.

I can't wait to see the show!

Look how high I can jump!

And that's it.

You have everything you need to bring your paper puppet to life.

Have fun puppeteering!

And see you next time!