Be a Hero

Even though our blogs had slip a bit during these last few months we were hard at work on our puppet play ‘Be A Hero’. This play came about after we had performed to the primary students that had attended our workshop in November. We based our piece be a hero from our performance we did on that workshop day and what the audience would be interested in.  We thought that our piece should have a message to it so that it would encourage the primary students in a playful and fun way to do something. We decided on doing a piece about being more economically friendly in our everyday lives.

As we came up with the performance concept for our piece we started to include BERPI which is an aspect of Bunraku the three puppeteers that came to us for the workshop has taught us. BERPI stands for Breath, Eye line, Rhythm, Physics and Inspiration. I believe that during our piece BE A HERO we were able to create during our piece.

BREATH- As I was holding the pelvis of the puppet because during the process the neck where Axel would be holding it fell apart I focused on the breathing of the puppet and for most of the piece remembered to bring life into the puppet so making it breath properly.

EYELINE – As Axel was the head puppeteer he was in charge of the head movement and the eyeline of the puppet. If the eyeline is not focused on the audience and not looking at a specific object when it should be this can ruin the whole effect of the puppet and it will seem less alive. Axel was successful in controlling the eyeline as I saw throughout the piece he kept moving his heads when the script mentioned a specific object and kept the eyeline well with the audience.

RHYTHM – We all worked together on the puppet in the piece so that its rhythm was successful. We planned to always start with the right leg and when the puppet was walking to do opposite arms and legs each time. I feel we were successful in this as I was focused also on this aspect of the puppet. Another part of the rhythm was keeping the puppet up and not for it to look like he was slouching this would of created an unreal effect again so I was in charge of this when I was holding the pelvis.  

PHYSICS – As a whole team we worked together to make the puppet better from what we started off with initially. We found out together lots of different techniques we could use to make the puppet better to manoeuvre.

INSPIRATION – Our inspiration for the puppet was from what our initial puppet was like, the puppet we were able to hold after the puppet show we had gone to watch with the three puppeteers and an example of a puppet which they did. We worked together trying to figure out the pro’s and con’s and figured out what would be best for our end puppet Nick.  

The audience reactions were very encouraging after our piece as we saw the primary students joined along clapping and were interactive throughout. We got a good applause at the end and we saw that throughout the piece the children were actually listening and paying attention to what was being said in the piece which was pleasing to see. When the children has to leave to their lesson a little boy commented ‘awwhhh noooo’ which to us we thought it was funny then realised how encouraging it was and he must of enjoyed the piece a lot of his reaction was like that. The teacher’s reactions were encouraging also one teacher said that we should perform it to more students from primary which would be good as it would give us more experience manipulating the puppet and the other primary students to experience something they don’t usually experience. Another teacher questioned us about the puppet itself at the end of the piece and she was so impressed with how we made it and said ‘we made it look so easy’ which was also encouraging to hear. Because as a quote says ‘you must suffer in order for the puppet to live’ I know axel’s hands were suffering, Lydia was in an uncomfortable position at the feet and I was having to hunch over sometimes to grab the hand but also remember to hold the pelvis. 

I think we succeed very well in showing our message to the audience as they were attentive throughout joined in at the interactions moments planned and said they really enjoyed it. I think the interaction made it more exciting for the children to learn about being economically friendly and that it is so easy for them to be heroes too.

I think it was a great way to finish the whole 2 years of the IB course off. We finished on a high with very good feedback. This project is one of the projects that have made me realise my own strengths and weaknesses with the building of the puppet especially as some days the puppet would be in perfect shape but some days just fell apart which was frustrating and it felt like I was always tapping an arm or a leg back together. I’m glad I took on the role of the puppet maker but I knew I had a lot of responsibility on my shoulders some days I was happy to fix Nick but others I didn’t as I felt he was like a clinger boyfriend taking up my time but now he doesn’t anymore (haha)