The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1898-02-09
MAKIUNETTE SHOWS.

One of the most fascinating of even
ing entertainments, especially for club |
Of boys or girls like the chapters of our
Open Window club, is a marionette |
show. 1t is one of the oldest of amuse-
ments, and yet it is always new and
funny. And for an "open meeting" at |
which admission is charged there is |
nothing more attractive. Directions are
here given for making marionette |
show, and any club of boys and girls
will find it inexpensive and not at all
difficult, and with a little practice 1t
can be made most laughable. Using the
characters of Red Riding Hood, the old
grandmother, the wolf aud the woods
man, the whole play of "Red Riding
Hood" may be given, the characters
dancing through the play in the greatest
glee. Besides that other little plays
with clowns, dancing darkies, funny
policemen and other characters may be
given. The main fun in marionette
show is the cute way in which the odd
ly dressed characters are made to hop
about. After once making the dummy
men and animals an imaginative boy
can work up any number Of odd shows
for them.
The first and most important thing is
to make the dummies. All that is neces
sary for this work is sharp jackknife.
some bits of pine and box OF screw
eyes. The dummy shown in the picture
4 A e,ix "a lf
working of all the dummies. AS yop
will see, there are ten parts, all OF
which are very simply made, except the
head. That will have to be whitfield out
of some very soft wood.
Screw eyes are used to fasten the
parts together Screw one of these eyes
in, say, the shoulder, then, with pair
of pliers, open the ring of another screw
enough to allow it TO slip into the screw
eye already fixed, then close it again,
and the two will be secured together.
Next insert the second screw into the
| top Joint of arm, and so OH with the
other arm and legs. Fix the neck into
the body in the same manner. The fceo
| must of course, be painted according &c
J the character it is supposed to represent.
with water CT oil color or chalk.
The wig may be made of piece of
| dyed sleeps wool or Of raveled worst d
or rope end or regular dolls wig may
| be used. The picture a shows the figure
| set up with the two working sticks.
| The strings which cause the dummy to
+! dance are of dark carpet thread. One
strand should be placed into each side
of the head, about where the top of the
ear comes A small tack nearly driven
in will give a support to fasten the
| thread to. The lines from each side OF
the head are known as the life lines,
their real purpose being to support the
figure, which must be fastened to a
piece of wood Cd. Bore hole with
thin piece of wire made redhot
through the center of the palm of each
hand, next make knot at the end of a
length of thread and pass it through the
hole made in the hand until the knot
reaches the underneath part of hand,
and then fasten the other end of the
thread ON to stick u. Drive tack into
each of the upper joints of legs just
above the knees, fasten threads ON tc
these and the other end on to stick (2).
The dummy is now complete except
for dressing, according to the character
which it is to represent. The girls can
make all sorts of odd costumes of silk,
|, calico or sat.n--for ballet dancers, bicy.
Gle girls, clowns, acrobats-not forget
ting that harlequins and eastern charac
tiers like Blue Beard need plenty Of
spangles, gold and silver lace and tinse
paper. The gaudier the costume can bt
made the better.
Make the costumes so that they are
left open at the back, both jackets cco
breeches; they can then be palled on i'
, the figure and carefully tackled OH at Tx
back, for it is very seldom you require
. to show the backs of figures. "A fair aver
age height for the figures for perform
. ance is about s to 10 inches.
The dummy, now being complete. yot
! take the stick CD in your left hand
, palm uppermost, and the stick GU II
your right hand, palm downward. b,
moving the left hand backward or for
,, ward, and giving kind Of seesaw mo
ton to your right hand, the DUNN.
will have the effect Of walking; ais
with the right bsnd fingers you chi