1. People

 

For the easiest story, such as Grandaunt Tiger, you only need 4 persons to perform.  This mean a Taiwan Puppet Troupe can be formed with minimum of 4 persons.

 

Here is a GREAT note to share with puppeteers about how to play the puppets. 

​

Tip from us: food is a great way to gather people! I mean, who doesn't like to eat, right?

​

2. Props and Materials (about $310 total to start)

 

Stage (~$250)

​

​

- PVC pipes: $100-$150 

               They are easy to cut and very light for transportation

- travel-golf-bag: $30

- Buckle straps x 4: $10 each

- A cover for the stage

​

The fully assembled stage size: 4’ x 6.5’ x 4’

​

Puppets (~$60 to start)

 

The puppets that we are using nowadays are permanent loan from Dr. Laing-Fu Cheng of Chicago.  These were made by the puppet masters from Taiwan and they are the so-called traditional size of puppets and fairly expensive.  However, there are lots of inexpensive puppets can be purchased in Taiwan, from an online store like this one (http://www.pcstore.com.tw/showtaiwan/S722093.htm). --> About $10 each.

​

When we first started our own troupe, the budget was tight, but we were able to purchase 10 puppets for $100 US dollars.  We will recommend a new troupe to start their performance with the easiest story, The Grandaunt Tiger, which only requires 4 puppets plus a tiger and a few small birds.

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

Props

 

Cardboard + Paint

Background Scenery

Dry ice

​

CDs & Scripts

Our shows are pre-recorded; the puppeteers only need to maneuver the puppets accordingly. Because of this Karaoke-Puppet-Show format, the training time of troupe members is at its minimum. See this page for our current scripts.

​

Slideshow presentation

 

We have a brief slide presentation about Taiwan and Taiwanese puppetry.  There are also scripts/notes to go with the slides.  The presenting time is about 10 minutes.

​

3. Promote

​

- Outreach to community such as middle schools, high schools, elementary schools, hospitals, retirement centers.

- Participate in different cultural festivals. Some festivals that we participated in include: Annual International Festival of Madison (since 2004), and Portage County International Cultural Festival in Wisconsin (since 2009).

​

4. Practice

​

Each practice session takes about 1-2 hours, and only requires about 2-3 practices per show depending on how familiar the puppeteers are with the script.

​

5. Perform

​

Takes about an hour for one show:

- 30 min for stage installation

- 10 min slide show

- 15 min for the puppet show

​

6. Passing On

​

Having a great troupe is not enough, passing on is crucial! We usually recruit people during the start of every semester, especially through the Taiwanese Student Organization welcome party. Having gathering events such as Christmas event is a great way to attract people to participate in this big family =)

​

Summary

 

Forming a Taiwan Puppet Troupe is easy.  It requires only 4 persons and a budget around $300 US dollars.  Taiwan Puppet Troupe at University of Wisconsin-Madison will be more than happy to share our other materials with any interested groups.  If anyone wants to come to Madison, WI to visit our practice and learn how to construct the stage and so on, they will be much welcomed and we will assist in any way we can.