Writing puppet scripts is a lot of fun. You can do it. Your students can do it. Some things to keep in mind if you are going to have your students write a puppet script us to just below.
- Keep the script short
- Less Talk More Action
- Keep it simple
- To narrate or not to narrate
- Make the ending clear
- Audience participation can be fun and engaging
- Puppets tell stories. Stories don’t tell puppets.
Keep The Script Short.
Most successful scripts lean towards the short side. I have seen some great to two-hour shows, but even those or usually consist of a series of short scenes that kept things moving. You always want the audience saying more not less. And remember, every line you write is a line you have to learn.
My wife and I do puppet skits as part of our ministry programs. I write all of our scripts. They are for two puppets. I print the scripts out in 16 pt Roman Font. I always fit the scripts to two printed pages. This seems to give us the perfect length scripts. About 3 minutes.
Less Talk, More Action.
Puppetry is a physical art. Puppetry is movement, the art of bringing inanimate objects to life.
Some of my favorite shows had no dialogue whatsoever. It is fascinating to watch puppets move. Don’t get so carried away thinking about what the puppet says. Give them plenty to do.
Puppets can hold things, puppets can do things. Although I am the voice of our puppet Elmer, my wife often has him pop up to have interaction with me.
With no talking, she has Elmer gesture, laugh, look embarrassed and display other emotions and meaning. I actually enjoy these impromptu skits more than our “talking skits.”
Keep It Simple
If a show can be done well without a scene change that’s the way to go. Changing scenes takes time. It will slow down your show and that will lessen your audience’s enjoyment. When writing a script, keep the pot simple. It’s not with twists and turns maybe fun to write but it makes it harder for the audience to follow along. Keep things clear and easy to follow.
To Narrate Or Not To Narrate
My personal preference is a script without too much narration. I see a lot of shows that lean heavily on a narrator to tell us what happened, what is happening, or what will happen.
Once again, have the puppets show all these things, rather than having and narrator tell them. Dialogue between the puppets can tell everything the audience needs to know.
- Elmer: Pizza, I need pizza!
- Becky: If you are hungry Elmer, go to the food court.
- Elmer: But this mall is soooo big! What if I get lost?
With just a little dialogue, we have now told the audience that the scene takes place inside a mall. This is so much better than having a narrator tell us that it is in a mall.
There are sometimes where a little narration can be useful. For example, at the beginning, the narrator can introduce a show and help at the scene, but then he or she should get out of the way.
Narration between scenes can give the puppeteers time to change out the set or puppets. But again, remember to keep it short. The puppet action is the main attraction.
Make The Ending Clear
It is a little uncomfortable to finish a show and have the audience that just sit there, wondering if they should clap yet. A gesture, a tagline, a musical finale, a curtain coming down can all do something to let the audience know that it is the end of the show.
Audience Participation
Audience participation can be fun and engaging. The audience can be invited to do a simple call and response, make a sound effect, or even sing along to a simple song. Getting the audience involved create greater interest.
One of our favorite things to do with Elmer is to have him pop up unexpectedly. My wife operates him, and I am “unaware” that he is there. Elmer pops up and all the kids yell, “Elmer!”
I will look, but he is always gone when I turn. I will tell the children Elmer is not there, and he will pop up again. Again the children yell his name.
We will do this several times before I catch him. Then we go into our conversation. We go to several churches over and over again, so the kids look forward to this.
If we are in a new church, my daughters always get things started. I have 9-year-old twins and they will yell Elmer’s name when he shows up. It does not take long for the other children to catch on to the game and join in.
Another favorite bit we have brought into our programs is the flying frog. At the end of our skit each night, after the puppets have descended below stage, my wife throws a stuffed frog into the air. The kids yell frog. To them it is great fun.
Puppets Tell Stories. Stories Don’t Tell Puppets.
Base your puppet script on a good idea, not just on what puppets you have. It is important to factor in the kinds of puppets you have when it’s time to write the script, but starting with an idea is always best.
Think of it this way, most songwriters will tell you that they start with the words first, then find the right music. Otherwise, you end up squeezing words into a tune and can have accents on the wrong syllable.
If you have a variety of puppets, you can write your script, then choose the puppets that best fit the storyline. If however you have made special puppets and are wondering what to do with them, here is something you can try.
Divide your puppeteers into small groups and have them improvise dialogue and actions with their puppets.
During the puppet building process, most puppeteers develop a clear idea for the physical and emotional characteristics of their puppets. When these puppets are placed in arbitrary combinations, the students must figure out how they would all interact.
The improvised interactions are fertile ground for many excellent puppet script ideas. In this way, puppets are helpful but the script itself is still based on an idea.
Two of the puppets my wife and I used the most are named Elmer and Becky. Elmer is a mischievous little boy and Becky is his friend Becky is almost always the calm and rational one. These personalities are built into every script I write for Elmer and Becky.
Sometimes as a twist, Becky will have the problem and Elmer will solve her problem in the strange and unusual way which keeps with his mischievous character.
Because my audience is used to seeing Elmer and Becky, to change their names or personalities would be confusing. Elmer is always Elmer Becky is always Becky.
When writing your script, keep in mind the personality and character of your puppet. Do not have a young boy puppet play the heart of an adult. Do not have an old man puppet play the part of a 10-year-old child. Your scripts must match your puppet and your puppets must match your script.
Where To Get Ideas For Scripts.
Ideas for puppet scripts can come from many different places. Because so many of my puppet shows vacation bible school programs and in churches, my scripts often start with the message I want to send to the children and adult and the audience.
I may start with a Bible verse and build off the Bible verse. Because I am looking for an application of the verse or idea, I first create a problem for the puppets to solve which will illustrate that idea.
Sometimes I think of a funny situation or a joke something that is funny to me and hopefully to an audience, and I will build my script around that idea.
It is always good to work a little humor into your script. I wrote a script a few years ago about honesty. In the script, my puppet boy had found a wallet. He was excited to be able to buy ice cream for himself and for his friends. My girl puppet, his friend, explained that he should return the wallet.
To personalize the story involve the audience, wallet turned out to belong to the pastor of the church we were in. So each time we did the script, we inserted the pastor’s name.. This created audience involvement and added a bit of humor as the students thought it was funny that Elmer had the pastor’s wallet.
Puppet scriptwriting can be intimidating at first but if you relax and just create a story that is interesting, the rest should come naturally. You will not know how easy it is until you try.