The Stage
The size and type of stage you need depends on the size of your puppets...
Finger Puppet Stages If you are using finger puppets, a shoe box makes a very good stage. Turn the box on it's side and cut a rectangle from the bottom, leaving a frame about 1" wide on all four sides. Cut a section from the side of the shoebox, leaving about 2" on all sides. This will be the floor of your stage. Make backgrounds to fit the lid of the shoebox. To use the stage, put the lid on the box, set the box on the edge of the table and stand behind it to give your show. Or you can hold the box with one hand while you move the puppets with your other hand.
Hand Puppet Stage Anything that will hide the puppeteer from the audience can be used a hand puppet stage. If desired, any of the boxes can be covered with fabric or contact plastic.
A Table turned on it's side.
A Table covered with a sheet.
A Doorway with a tension bar holding up a sheet.
A Small shipping box with the top removed and a hole in the bottom.
Chairs with a broom handle covered by a sheet.
A large appliance box with puppeteer hidden behind it.
A refrigerator box Cut a rectangle from one side. Form a 2" casing on one side of a piece of fabric 2x as wide and 6" longer than the opening. Slide a dowel through the casing and hot glue it to the inside of the box just above the opening so that the curtain falls down behind the opening you cut. The puppets perform in front of the curtain with the puppeteer standing or kneeling behind the box.
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