The Complete Handbook of Puppet & Puppet Theater Accessories
The practical reference for buying, using, and maintaining puppets, stages, controls, and all theater accessories
by Alumigogo Books
non-fiction
The complete practical guide to puppets, stages, controls, and accessories for professionals and serious enthusiasts.
🔒30-day money-back guarantee — not right for you? Full refund, no questions asked.
About this book
From the first string of a marionette control to the final dim on a stage light, this handbook delivers the straight facts on puppet theater equipment. It breaks down the full category into its working parts: puppet types (string, rod, hand, glove, shadow), control systems, stages, prosceniums, lighting, sound, and rigging. For each, you get the specifications that matter—material, weight, joint tolerance, control bar geometry, and compatibility—so you can evaluate gear on its merits, not its marketing.
The book doesn't stop at the purchase. It provides practical installation procedures for building stages and rigging, day-to-day usage protocols for live performances and rehearsals, and a deep troubleshooting section covering stuck joints, tangled strings, worn bearings, and light failures. A dedicated business chapter outlines concrete opportunities in reselling, servicing, private labeling, renting, and consulting, with a realistic look at the economics. Final chapters cover emerging trends in materials and technology, and detail the expert resources—standards bodies, associations, and publications—that a serious reader should know.
Whether you are outfitting a school theater, maintaining a professional touring company's equipment, or launching a side business in puppet repairs, this handbook is the reference you will keep on the workbench, not the shelf.
Reader Reviews
Paul Hill
★★★★★Decent overview, but I was hoping for more depth on the actual rigging setups for larger marionettes. The troubleshooting section saved it for me—the part about fixing a stiff control bar was more useful than anything I found online. Still, a few chapters felt like they were just skimming the surface of what a working puppeteer needs.
Charles Johnson
★★★★★I've been doing this for fifteen years and I still picked up a few things from the maintenance chapter. The sections on stage lighting placement and the differences between stringing materials were well done. My only complaint is the business chapter—it's solid, but I wish it had gone into more detail on pricing your repair services.
Jonathan Adams
★★★★★This is the book I've been waiting for. It covers everything from choosing a glove puppet to building a proper proscenium. The chapter on specifications alone saved me from buying a control system that would have been too heavy for my needs. I've already recommended it to three other puppeteers in my cohort.
Donna Taylor
★★★★★Finally, a reference that doesn't treat the reader like a child or a total beginner. The comparisons between rod puppet materials and the rigging diagrams are exactly what I needed for our community theater renovation. It's authoritative and readable at the same time. The chapter on installing lights alone is worth the price.
Barbara Harris
★★★★★As someone who runs a puppet rental business, I thought I knew all there was to know about maintenance. This book proved me wrong. The troubleshooting flowchart logic in chapter five is genius. I've been able to fix two shadow puppets and a stage curtain track in the last week that I would have otherwise sent out for repair.
Thomas Green
★★★★★Some useful information, but the writing feels a bit dense and academic at times. I found myself skimming the chapter on future trends because it was too speculative. The glossary at the end is helpful, and I appreciate that it doesn't push any particular brand. It's a good reference, just not a page-turner.