Toy Theatre is a genre of puppetry that enacts plays using two-dimensional rod puppets in miniature theatres. Its origins date to early 19th century England, where drawings depicting a proscenium theatre, characters, and scenery were printed, reproduced, and sold packaged with play scripts for a penny plain, two pence colored. Families — including children and adults — assembled the stages and performed Toy Theatre productions in their living rooms as home entertainment. More...

When and where did the art form begin?

The origins of Toy Theatre date to the early 19th century in England where artists’ sketches depicting the characters and scenic elements of European stage productions were printed on sheets of paper or cardstock. Reproduced by the thousands, these sheets were packaged with an abridged version of the original script and sold as a set for “a penny plain, two pence colored.” The intricate and often elaborate designs could be cut out and mounted on sturdy cardboard or wood. When the small theatre was constructed and the sets and costumed characters completed, versions of the life-size plays could be performed in miniature.

How widespread were Toy Theatre practices?

Toy Theatre flourished in England, Germany, and Austria and was also popular in France, Denmark, Austria, and Spain. The earliest records of Toy Theatre in America date from the 1870’s. A New York publisher, Scott and Co., printed sheets and plays called the American Boys’ Theatre which gave full directions for building and working each character and set piece. Two newspapers also regularly published character sheets and stage fronts: the Baltimore Sunday Herald and the Boston Sunday Globe.

Who performs Toy Theatre?

Originally, families — including children and adults — performed Toy Theatre in their living rooms as domestic entertainment. Authors Charles Dickens and Lewis Carroll, stage designer Edward Gordon Craig, and filmmaker Orson Welles collected and worked with toy theatres. In the current revival of the art form, professional artists present their work in theatres and festivals in the United States and abroad.