Features of the education of the actor-puppeteer
Authors: Fesenko S.Ya. 
Published: June 2019

Background, objectives of the research. The article reveals the method of improving the professional skills of the actor of the puppet theater, aimed at the organic connection of the puppet technique with the actor’s internal psycho-techniques. The peculiarity of creating a stage image in the puppet theater is that the functions of the puppeteer actor in the creating of a role “on the inside line” coincide with the functions of the drama theatre actor. However, the process of making the stage character in the puppet show is built according to other laws: “vitalizing” through the puppet – the main instrument of the puppeteer. Based on the methods of teaching professional subjects in high schools of puppeteers of Kiev and St.-Petersburg, the author develops and complements the teaching methods of the puppet theater actor’s skills, concentrating on the puppet-master’s technique and the process of gradually “reviving” a puppet by virtue of an actor training. Results of the study. Mastering professional skills and abilities takes place based on of working with puppets of various systems in training exercises and sketches, which gradually fills with elements of acting; continues and improves on the stage of the educational theater and ends with the creation of a stage image with a puppet in a diploma performance. The training provides such an external technique, with which the actor-puppeteer correctly performs all kinds of puppet’s moves. For this purpose, it is necessary to learn the possibilities of the puppet in the process of physical incarnation of a role, it is necessary to understand the laws of its convincing plastic living. This can be achieved through training, resulting in skills that will become semi-automatic. The wonder of the puppetry lies in the fact that the viewer, even in the “open manner”, does not notice the puppeteer and directs all his attention to the puppet, watching her “process of living”. However, the skills and abilities themselves will not become expressive means until they are will be connected with the internal psychology of the actor. The purpose of educating the puppet theater actor is to teach him the organic, natural playing with a puppet. The training involves visual control over the puppet, coordination of the self-own body with the puppet’s body and gradual introduction to the training process the elements of actor psychophysics. Because an actor creates an inner image, and the puppet becomes an external plastic expression, a manifestation of this image. The puppet mastering consists in the fact, that the puppet in the hands of the puppeteer reproduces meaningfully and consistently a series of sculptural finished poses, characteristic for a particular role. The construction of sculptural mise-en-scenes and plastic dialogues requires the possession of skills of “microscopic” hand plastics. “Micro-plastics” convinces viewers in presence of an internal monologue and permanent “life” a puppet on a stage. Alternation of movement and expressive postures is the component of the stage action of a puppet. Gradually, through regular training, students in practice study the technical possibilities of the “body” of the puppet – its torso, head, hands, “legs”, beginning to use them freely in stage action. It is advisable to start the development of puppeteer’ technique from the cane puppet, because its construction is closer to the “human”. The observation of the plasticity of the human body takes place in rhythmic lessons. Imaginative thinking of a student and his fantasy help to acquire the ability to analyze, control, choose moves of a puppet, and mutually co-ordinate them in space. Teaching the profession of puppet actor begins with the lessons aimed at the development of plastics of hands and fingers, their professional position. Work of hands is the first and necessary link in the creativity of the actors of the puppet theater. The degree of their training depends on accuracy of working with a puppet. Therefore, it is so important, before giving the student a puppet, to draw his attention to the constant training of dexterity, ductility and expressiveness of hands. In exactly owning gymnastics of the puppet actor’s hands, performing different imaginative and musical-plastic exercises and etudes, a student acquires the vocational specificities and develops his own internal abilities. Such a technique is necessary for the gradual transition from the technique of movement to the ability to use independently this technique for the embodiment of creative ideas in etudes. Creation of etudes is a continuation of training exercises and based on the inventing of the proposed circumstances requiring certain effective actions in these conditions. Motivation for action arises from familiar, understandable, vital for the student of the proposed circumstances. The student gradually, from the rehearsal to the rehearsal, clarifies the plot of the sketch, enriches and clears the proposed circumstances, based on which the storyline unfolds, that forces him to select and fixe the behavior of the actors. Etudes develop a student’s fantasy; they promote the assimilation of the laws of stage action. In etudes, students make their first steps in scenic communication with a partner – a puppet. In etudes, the student first encounters the need to create a scenic character and his behavior logic in the proposed circumstances. All stages of creating a stage etude a student takes on individual classes with a teacher. Conclusions. The process of forming the future actor-puppeteer has a complex character including as well as the mastering the techniques of driving puppets of different systems, from traditional to modern, and the actor’s mastership – the art of stage – reincarnation. This process continues on the stage of the training theater, where the student receives his first scenic practice – in the main and occasional roles, in mass scenes, in partner interaction. The image created in the diploma performance must carry all the signs of the actor-puppeteer profession: temperament, humor, actor mastership and the perfect possession of puppet technique, in any system of theatrical dolls. The Higher Theater Schools of Ukraine basing on the traditions and the latest achievements of stage art, forms the actors-puppeteers who professionally own all of major puppet systems and have the necessary skills to create a scenic image with a puppet. Such an actor will be able to enter in a creative team of a professional theater and continue searching for new expressive possibilities of a puppet at the theatrical stage.