Something for all of us to think about are props for our puppets. If you think back to the Charlie Brown Cartoon series, the comic characters had props. Linus had his soft and cuddly blanket.
Schroeder had his little grand piano with the bust of Beethoven. Not only were these props a visual aid, the props identified the character and [provided conversational material. Pig Pen always had his cloud of dirt whenever he was on the move. Snoopy had his doghouse.
Your puppet could also make good use of a prop. A little boy puppet could have a pet rubber lizard. A little girl could have a little doll that goes with her everywhere she goes. An older lady might have a Depends with her. An old man might have a corn cob pipe.
You can figure out the prop that is best suited for your puppet. Jeff’s Walter does not have a visual prop but he is always drawing mental pictures of his horrible wife. You can see her in your mind, but you have never seen her for real.
Spend some time and figure out what prop your puppet needs. Then thinks through the back story and history on the prop. These are more things that will make your audience believe that your puppet is real.
We will talk again next week.
Steve and JET