Marionette play, "Men of Iron," given by ninth year pupils, Fairmount Junior High School, Cleveland, Ohio
Probably the most popular puppet play in England in those days was one called “The Old Creation of the world, with the addition of Noah’s Flood.” The best scene showed “Noah and his family coming out of the ark with all the animals, two by two, and all the fowls of the air seen in prospect sitting upon trees; likewise, over the ark is the sun rising in a glorious manner, moreover, a multitude of angels in a double rank, the angels ringing bells. Likewise, machines descending from above, double, with Dives rising out of hell and Lazarus seen in Abraham’s bosom; besides several dancing gigs, sarabands and country dances, with merry conceits of Squire Punch and Sir John Spendall.”
This play was given for fifty-two successive nights. Mr. Powell, the clever but roguish fellow who owned these puppets, once set up his little theater just outside the colonnades of Covent Garden, opposite the parish church of St. Paul. He began his plays at the sound of the church bells, and was successful in diverting so many from the church services that he was severely reproved by the churchmen. It was this same clever Powell, who had a very famous puppet called Lady Jane, who went to Paris every month and came back with a trunk full of gowns of the latest fashion. These marionette style shows delighted all the ladies of fashion in London, including the queen.
About 1642, all regular theaters were abolished in England, but marionette theaters were not included. You can scarcely imagine the good fortune this meant for them, for they inherited everything that had belonged to the great theaters, all the music and opera, the dramas, the tragedies, and the comedies.
When news of this reached Italy and France, many showmen started at once for England. They knew they could gather pennies on the way from almost every pocket. The regular price of these puppet plays was but two pence, but a fine play like The Gun Powder Plot cost eighteen pence. There were plays about giants and fairies, about Robin Hood and Little John, about St. George and the dragon, and a hundred other tales.
All the great writers of those days now began to write plays for marionettes. Beautiful new theaters were built for them. It became the fashion to go to puppet plays. Ben Jonson says that many great ladies went every day.
In 1688, Punchinello changed his name to Mr. Punch and he married Judy. When they had a son and went to housekeeping, then the quarrels began. You may have had the pleasure of hearing some of them. Punch had a wide circle of friends and some of them were interested in politics. Many great Englishmen, like Addison, Steele, Fielding, Milton, and Byron, were glad to tell him what to say that would help to set the people thinking. Some of the English puppets disliked cities and were only happy when they were going up and down the lovely English roads, traveling among the villages and country people. There you can still find them.
To-day the most beautiful English puppets are being made by Mr. William Simmonds who began his work with puppet plays for village children. Mr. Simmonds manipulates his own puppets as he cleverly improvises songs, dances, and pantomimes.
GERMANY—AUSTRIA—RUSSIA
Before we follow marionettes to our own country, we ought to take a little time to see them in Germany, Austria, and Russia. These peoples were skilful in wood carving and made their puppets beautifully. Marionettes were used in the early churches of these countries, and gave Holy Plays before the high altars. Then they went to the castles and at last to the theaters. It was only in Germany that great musicians wrote music for them. In 1762, Haydn wrote for them his toy symphony, “The Children’s Fair,” which was followed by five operettas given in the theater at Eisenstadt. Probably the great Passion Play at Oberammergau has grown out of the early puppet plays that were given in the monasteries and cathedrals.