Important message

Dear All,

This is an important message from The Second Stringer’s chief puppeteer, Ankado. Season 1/ ‘The Land of Marionettes’ ended with episode 10. You may regard episode 11 – The United Studios of Puppet Theatre or redefining the world stage – as a sort of ‘the beginnings’. At any rate it explains some of the features contained in the previous episodes. My work with The Second Stringers is a work in progress narrative. Oddly enough, each of the episodes is developed under the influence of the ‘present time’. However blurred the meanings may seem, I am not stressing upon certain facts; I am aiming for the emotional animated experience drawn from those events. This is why I am not counting on the fact that you might or not read the same newspapers, watch the same TV programs or live in the same house as I do. I am counting on a sensorial response from my audience.

But this was just a “reminder”. My real message comes now!  I am sending The Second Stringers back to the workshop for a little ‘facial’ improvement. They requested aesthetic surgery, so I need to make them happy. But they will come back groomed and ready for Season 2 – Urbanscapes. Stay tuned!

Thanks

Episode 11/ The United Studios of Puppet Theatre or redefining the world stage

Ankado has four voices because she got to the conclusion that one is not enough. Her voices speak a euphemistic language because many of us are sick of canting activism hidden in the waves of the highbrow gobbledygook language, nonsenses, fake intellectualism and marketed charity.  You probably know by now Bipolic, Gron, Mely and Tulip. They are THE SECOND STRINGERS, a finger character puppet group from FINGERLAND.

Let The Second Stringers tell you the story of Fingerland. Once upon a time it was a big theatre shared by many different species of puppets. Each species had its own studio and played for their audience. But waters were never still in this big shared theatre. Some of the studios where big, other very small; some were rich, other almost empty and unproductive. But all of them played their repertory. Oh, we almost forgot! There was another studio, apart from the theatre but acting as being part of it, where The Marionettes developed their repertory.  Some of the managers of these studios decided once they deserve to lead several other studios, never minding the different techniques involved in operating another breed of puppets. Not to mention a crazy manager who thought that other species were impure.  But this is another story.
After many scandals and disputes, a brave manager decided to unite all the studios and to share the audience. Thereby he explained how shared public will increase income for each studio. This is how The United Studios of Puppet Theatre was formed.
Analysing the quality of language and productions, the rulers of the TUSOPT decided that Fingerland should not be a part of the united audience mechanism. The characters of the Fingerland productions were operated by fingers, which – in their opinion – was something dirty and devoid of substance. People from Fingerland were so sad. They wanted to be part of the shared audience mechanism, they wanted more income, they wanted a better life…but their operators were not tall enough to see where the real fights were taken to.
After many years, the Fingerland studio was approved to join TUSOPT. Now the Fingerlanders were happy and optimistic and they ran to make a career in different studios around the Theatre.  Yet, in a very short time they realised that not only they had less authority in their own studio, but they were not allowed to play anymore in foreign studios. The laws of TUSOPT were applied to all studios, except Fingerland. Therefore another species of puppets was born: the Second Stringers.

Definition of a Second Stringer: a kind of puppet once part of a specific studio, who left its own place in order to build for itself a stronger theatrical career and realised on the way that the rules of other TUSOPT studios do not allow this kind of puppets to play. Jobs allowed to Second Stringers, regardless of education or training: cleaning, feeding the other breeds or building new stages for the expending studios.
The Second Stringers are not allowed to play in a different studio then Fingerland for the following reasons:

1. They come from Fingerland.
2. The Second Stringers, which are genuine finger characters, are operated by fingers. Fingers are considered by TUSOPT to be dirty, elusive and able to prig from every pocket they find.
3. Because of their origin, The Second Stringers are considered raw material, agrestic stuff, uncivilised and chronic thieves.
4. Fingerland is positioned in the East area of Theatre, where criminality and failure of education are considered to be at “high standards”.
5. The management of Fingerland has a very low profile ( which seems to be a true fact, acknowledged by the Fingerlanders)
6. The Second Stringers have a funny accent.

Episode 10 / Meeting a lonely Shepherd’s Pie or the Party pastry crisis

 

This is a little story about a pie. Any reference to real people or, let say facts from real political life, are hardly accidental.  

 

Easter is coming soon and Tulip decided to go shopping for his entire fingerhood. You must remember from the other episodes that The Second Stringers are finger characters; they live now in the Land of Marionettes, they wear gloves and generally travel by a right hand. For details please check the About page.  
I don’t know how Tulip did it, but he left the others locked in the house for two or three days.  When he came home…

Gron: Alkie arse! What’s cooking?

Tulip: Oh, no, he is just a guy I met…

Bipolic: Where have you been?

Mely: We wanted to call the police!! Hello, police, how are you?

Tulip: I am so sorry guys. You shouldn’t have had to worry.

Bipolic: We were not worried. We were absolutely hysterical…for being looked in for three long days!!!

Gron: Who are you to deny our freedom?!! To starve us???

Tulip: Please, I have an explanation. But later! Let me introduce my new friend.

Gron:  Our dinner is your friend??? Is it alive? Let me look at this junky food…You smell good! What’s your name?

Pie: Keep your dirty…fingers…from me!!!  You are going to contaminate me.

Bipolic: A naughty talking pie! Do you know what happens to little naughty pies?

Gron: Are being eaten!!!

Bipolic: Correct answer, Gron. Bring me a serviette.

Tulip: Oh my God, guys! I can’t believe!! How can you even think about eating my friend???  He is the only reason I am here today, back to open your door. He saved my life, you dumbasses!

Mely: I never heard you talking like this.

Tulip: I never saw you acting so stupid.

Gron: We are hungry. You brought a pie. We eat the pie. What is stupid about this?

Tulip: What gives you the right to gormandise a person? Is it shorter? Is it poorest? Is it…

Gron: The pie surely smells better than all of us!!

Mely: Tulip, darling, you know I love you. But you are not well today. Pies are for being eaten as common people are for being absorbed by work. No society functions unless fingers move and pies are being eaten. It is just natural.

Pie: Why didn’t you say your friends were politicians? Eat me up, guys! I am starting to get alleged.

 

Episode 9 / Talking about friends and God

The Second Stringers had some jelly fish time in the past few weeks, danced on their own roses, read some shitty news, skipped a war or two, but they sound like being back in business for a while. How long? No one knows. Not even their mothers and sisters. Not even Tulip’s Grandma!!

 

Melly: I have this friend who likes to write and read about stuff. Mostly art…So he sends me an article about God…

Gron: Oh, my God!

Bipolic: I’m sure it was not about yours.

Tulip: I don’t want to hear this conversation, you bloody monsters! You know that my Grandma prays for each of us. She would go mad if she knew I was listening to a conversation about mocking God.

Melly: Who’s mocking? I just wanted to tell you about that article, but one can’t open a serious conversation around these two.

Bipolic: Gron, I think he’s talking about us.

Gron: I knew that from his first sentence!
Tulip: I’m throwing my glove!

Bipolic: Hot stuff! Naked puppet on the stage!!

Gron: Should I order chinese? Oh, sorry, you were about to tell us about an article…

Bipolic: Are you going to tell us the story about a friend who sends a letter containing an article of another person about someone else’s God? How lovely!

Melly: You know what? You are right! This is a habit I inherited from The Land of Marionettes: Never talk about yourself! When you meet someone, just tell him or her about the longest stupidest shittiest movie you ever saw. Tell every detail: cuts and characters profiles. Even draw the storyboard on a napkin. And at the end of your conversation tell this person you would be more than happy to see her or him again. And if this person is an artist, you must surely tell her or him you used to draw stuff when you were little. You even made a short last week.

Bipolic: Oh, mate, I am so sorry. I didn’t know this article about God made you so upset.

Melly: What article?

Bipolic: You were telling us about a friend who sent an article about God.

Melly: Really? Was this today?

Bipolic: Mate…

Melly: Have you checked my e-mail?

Bipolic: Are you crazy? I wouldn’t do something like that.

Melly: How could you know, then? Was the article good? I have to read it…Was it about God, you said?

Gron: Well…What just happened around here?

 

Episode X – Puppets Protest / When a boat is sinking the sailors’ voice is unheard.

Apparently The Second Stringers were floating on a slender boat when suddenly it dashed on the shore of a big continent. Their dizzy country man spread around this new kingdom setting up little tents and speaking a different language that never stopped to post its secrets. Many remained on the boat fretting their gizzard to chink and cork the slippery deck. But nobody noticed when their commander uncorked their work and cruised again. Where were they floating this time? Nobody knew. They only found out their commander is determined to take them to destination.

In the meantime The Second Stringers were waiving their white handkerchiefs from the bank of The Land of Marionettes. The wind was taking their voices. So they stopped screaming from their little finger throats. Who would have known their acts will be captured by the surveillance recorders?
Let’s hear what they said.

Gron: The commander kidnaped the Fingerlanders!!!!  We have to save them. Let’s call the fireman!!

Bipolic: The fireman is lost! Maybe they wanted to go with the commander. In this case, there is nothing to do about that.

Tulip: Of course they wanted! Is their boat! They have all the rights to take back the hull and determine a new destination.  Mister B is the intruder.

Gron: They should fling him overboard!

Tulip: They are trying. But you see, the commander have control over the cabin. And he’s not coming out.

Mely: All hands must struggle to take over the ship. A new commander has to take its place.

Gron: Listen to them. They are asking for help. Oh, my god. They released the beast. The captain’s daughter [i] is at work!!!

Tulip: Someone has to take control over the ballast tank. There is no other way.

Bipolic: Don’t be naïve. There is no one there who knows how to do it.

Tulip: Someday I will kick your bloody face!

Mely: Don’t start it. Look! The boat is sinking! There is no one to rescue the Fingerlanders???

Bipolic: When a boat is sinking the sailors’ voice is unheard.  Our little puppets must take control over the cabin and save themselves. This could happen only if there is someone among them who really knows how to sail!!!

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[i] a type of multi-tailed whipping device that originated as an implement for severe physical punishment, used on board on the captain’s personal orders

Episode 8 / Traveling by Planet Earth

Some people travel by cars, trains or planes. Other just walk to their destination, a destination that was always planned before. Some would name this as an “essential truth”: people go somewhere. No matter what language you use to describe the action of ´going´, a destination is always implied.
“I am going to the supermarket”, “I am going to meet some friends”, “I am going to New York”, “I am going for a walk”. You might question this last statement. If someone says to you, “I am going for a walk”, there is no destination marked on your mind map. But the walker/traveller will know that he or she would get to a certain destination without having a pre-set plan.
Even when you say: “I am going nowhere”, you are still going somewhere. We all have our own map where we leave a blank space to call “nowhere”. Then we draw randomly dispersed elements to create the theatrical set of our “nowhere”. By this time, ´nowhere´ is very clearly described in our minds. Again, you may argue with me. You may tell me that ´going nowhere´ implies lack of activity which is contradictory to ´going somewhere´. But Mely Stringers found a way of traveling when not going anywhere. And this is not a metaphor! I am going to let you into his thoughts. 

Mely’s thoughts: The first dream I can recall was seeing the world. I was “me” from the moment when my craft man touched the piece of clay that became “Mely”. I smile when I remember how the craft man insisted on shaping and reshaping my features. As if my eyes were not good enough to see or my cheeks were not good enough to describe who I am. Then he drew the colour of my eyes, eyebrows and my downsloping mouth line. And every one said: “Mely is a sad character”. But my craft man already knew I wasn’t sad. I was just very anxious to see the world. Because I was “me” even before I had any shape, my desire to see the world was deepened in every feature. That is why the craft man worked so hard to make me, trying again and again to control his moves on my face, crafting my features again and again. Washing my face several times until no lines or hills were left on my piece of clay, he started me from the beginning.  But I must admit: only when I was complete could I start to see the world.
I started to travel using buses and trains, planes and cars; to walk using the hand of my puppeteer. I have seen the ocean and the desert; I have seen houses made in the ground and houses made from the ground over ground. I have seen puppets made of wood and wool, paper and plastic, metal and sand. I then arrived at this huge Land of Marionettes where I found all the species of puppets ever crafted in the world together in one place. And this changed my perspective of the world. It became so clear that the vision of the world lies in every eye that you look into; it is spoken by every mouth one has ears to hear.
And one day I looked to the sky: it was still daylight but I could see the moon. An hour later, the moon was in a different place. An “essential truth” of course!  Deep in the night I could see the moon at the opposite side. Only then I realised I was traveling by Planet Earth. I was sitting in the same position but the earth took me to see the universe and rotated me to see all the visible points of the universe.
Sometimes I get closer to the moon, sometimes I get closer to the sun. But when I want to see the world, I just need to sit and wait for the Planet Earth to move. And she will take me on a long journey through the universe.

Episode 7 / All I want for Christmas

Christmas is coming. Like any other normal person from Fingerland, The Second Stringers gathered in front of the fireplace to write Santa a letter.  But because they are so different from time to time, they couldn’t write just one letter.  Although they share the same address, they are not in the mood to share the same desires.  Not to mention that one of them wanted to send it on e-mail, other by post and Bipolic simply wanted to call. Let’s find out what they wish for Christmas…

Bipolic: I am going to call him!! It is much simpler and more direct…

Tulip: Do you really think Santa is having time to chat over the phone? When did you ever speak directly with someone important on the phone? First you will reach an elf with a funny accent…and probably a smoked tired face. And he will tell you he is ready to take your message, while actually he is chatting with his neighbor elf about the Christmas Party.

Gron: And because you really want to speak to Santa, you will insist. But the elf will call his manager.

Tulip: Who doesn’t have a funny accent…so you know it is not negotiable.

Mely: Let’s concentrate now! Let the man do what he needs to do. If you call Santa, say hello from us.

Bipolic: I won’t!! You know how to scare people!

After a while…

Tulip: Who’s having the longest letter?

Gron: Why?

Tulip: So we could decide who’s reading first.

Bipolic: Not again!! We have to read it loud? I thought it was a secret!

Mely: I am going to read it first. “Dear Santa, It was a funny year…

Gron: Oh, come on! Santa is not God. Are you going to tell him your life story, now?

Mely: Do you want me to tell the guy directly what I want? This is not polite. Let me do some conversation first!

Gron: Than you should have started with “It was a funny weather this year…”

Bipolic: This is how I started!

Gron: You see…?

Mely: I am a sensitive person. I need to express myself. So…”Dear Santa, It was a funny year, with god and bad. But I am not going to lie. Even the most painful event was an inspiration for life. Dear red old man…

Tulip: Don’t make him “old”! You don’t actually know if, in Christmas years, Santa is old or not. And you don’t know if his white beard is a sign of agedness or a metaphor.

Bipolic: What are you talking about??

Tulip: I only suggest we should be more open, to look at things from different perspectives.

Mely: For God’s sake, can one express a little wish?? Or you are all full of your own desires and deaf to other people’s thoughts??

B,G,T: ….

Mely:  I erased “dear red old man”, though I thought it was funny. “ Dear Santa, all I wish for Christmas is inspiration. There is nothing in the world I desire most than the force of being inspired and to share my inspiration with all my friends and the world. Thank you! Have a lovely Christmas, Santa”.

Tulip: Never cross my mind until now, thanks to you, Mely…  What do you think Santa wishes for Christmas? Shouldn’t we ask him?

Bipolic: And what if we ask him?? Do you think we have the power to give Santa a gift he would like to have?

Tulip: Why not!?? Why not!?? I am going to ask him. If Santa knows what we all want, he would probably know also what we could offer… I mean our human limitations. I did a little introduction in my letter, a little conversation that I am going to skip on this occasion. So, “ all I want for Christmas is wisdom and strength. What about you, Santa? What do you wish for Christmas? Kind Regards, Tulip Stringer”

Bipolic: “It was a funny weather this year, isn’t it? Dear Santa, I would like snow in the middle of the summer and a tropical rain on a cold winter night…”

Tulip: You don’t have to ask this from Santa! You will have it anyway, very soon.

Bipolic: You can’t see the beauty of contrastive desires!! “ Dear Santa, I would like to live on a green planet and all the trees and flower to fly above the light seas. Merry Christmas! Bipolic Stringer”

Gron: “ Dear Santa, I know it’s been a while since I last wrote you a letter. All I want for Christmas is that me and Mely and Tulip and Bipolic to keep having a nice home and good jobs; I wish our families to be healthy and safe; and not the last, I wish our friends to be happy and well!! Many thanks, Gron Stringer. PS: Can I also have the green jacket I saw two days ago in the shop window? ”

Tulip: Should we post them?

Gron: Do we have the correct address?

Tulip: Yes, it is on Santa’s website.

Episode 6 / Little white truths

The Second Stringers were invited to attend an academic research interview for the purpose of learning about the life of immigrant species around the Land of Marionettes. They are now in the office of the university which is responsible for the research.

Interviewer: Hello, nice to meet you. Thank you all for coming. It is such a lovely day, isn’t it? Please take a seat. I’ll be back with you in a second. Would you like some coffee? No? That’s fine. We have plenty of water. Please enjoy.

Gron: Where did she go? Do you think they have cameras?

Bipolic: Of course, they have…

Gron: Why did she invite us in if she had other things to do?

Bipolic: This is a classic…leaving the mouse by itself before the experiment.

Interviewer: So sorry about this, I needed to leave a message to a colleague of mine. Such a lovely day, indeed. You know why you are here…We kindly appreciate your help. First I will tell you something about our company. We are the leading university. Our staff is premium and we ask only for the best from our people. We are elite, so, anyone who comes to us, who collaborate with us, must be elite. Are you elite? Because if you not, I would kindly ask you to leave the room now. Lovely! I would like you to stand up if you think you have the proper dress code for an interview. Oh, dear! Oh, my God! Mr Gron, you don’t have your strings!!  I am afraid I need to ask you to leave the room.

Gron: What? Is this a joke?

Interviewer:  This is serious. We are a premium company and we ask the best from people. I am afraid you are not properly dressed for an interview. It is a matter of respect. We respect our people. This is why we are leaders. You can’t come here without strings. As I told you, it is a matter of respect. All our people use the strings. This is how we function.

Gron: But I didn’t know you have a dress code. There was nothing about this in your invitation.
I thought you needed me the way I am. Who is going to pull my strings here?

Interviewer: This is quite hilarious. Nobody ask this question. We take proper care of our people. We are premium.  I am sorry, Mr Gron. Please leave the room.

Gron: This is ridiculous! I thought you are a serious company.

Interviewer: Hilarious! Is your friend always so direct? You must know we don’t work this way. We do not appreciate this behaviour. I am so disappointed. I tried to be your friend. I always tried to help you!

Gron: What are you talking about, lady? It is the first time I see you.

Interviewer:  This is so offending. Yes, lovely, now I would kindly ask you to leave the room.  We can’t afford to let the others to lose their precious time.

Gron:  I will make a complaint!

Interviewer: Lovely! Feel free to contact my colleagues. Have a lovely day! And thanks for coming…
Is your friend always so direct? We don’t work this way. This is hilarious. I am so sorry you had to witness something like that. Lovely! So, you are all from Fingerland. Lovely… I will ask you some questions now. Do you mind if I take some notes. Thank you. How do you feel about our generous life conditions? Our country is the leading country regarding life conditions.

Mely: It is overwhelming…

Interviewer: Lovely, yes indeed.

Tulip: I have noticed there are so many poor people.

Interviewer: Dear, if you want to continue this interview, you mustn’t say that at any time. Do you understand?

Tulip: Yes, I understand.

Interviewer: Lovely, remember, if someone asks you this question, you mustn’t say what you just told me. Ok? Lovely, thank you! Have you noticed how good we treat you?

Bipolic: How do we have to answer this question?

Interviewer: Be completely honest! We appreciate honesty the most. We are elite, so we ask from people the best. We encourage people to explore their feelings and to express their needs. So, can I write in my file that you are happy with the way we treat you?

Bipolic: Yes, please.

Interviewer: Lovely! And a very quick last question.  What do you think about our customer service?

Bipolic, Tulip, Mely: Great!!

Interviewer: Thank you so much, gentlemen, for your support. I am very happy I had the chance to meet you, today. You are very welcome at any time. Please, feel free to write your comments on my e-mail address. We really want to know your thoughts. Have a lovely day!

Episode 5 / Species and systems

You might remember from the last episode that The Second Stringers arrived in the Land of Marionettes. If not, go back one episode to get some insights from this new country they are visiting.  

Despite the strings they are forced to use when traveling around the Land of Marionettes, The Second Stringers are simply fascinated about their new abidance. They knew long before there are incredibly many species of puppets crafted among the world theatres, but they never hoped to meet them all on a single stage. And what is even more fascinating, is the fact that some of the species established their own traveling system within the strings system. And others made their sticks and wooden legs to function according to the wire networks, improvising with new technologies and using strange materials like wheels, rails, and screws and even…wireless.  The Second Stringers took some walks just by themselves and meet again at night in their set.

Tulip: Oh, my fingers are hurting. I don’t understand. Why are they choosing to stay all day with their arms hanging? This traveling system makes me want to scream. My blood flow paralyzed!

Gron: The question is why do they prefer to be pulled and dragged and banged all day?

Bipolic: Funny, you’re talking as if it was their choice. You never stop surprising me with your delighting innocence.

Gron: Oh, oh…evil face is back. Take a look at him, guys!!!The smirked face has something to tell us.

Bipolic: I am telling you something, my friends: you will never succeed here without me.

Mely: What?? Heteroclite!! Do you pretend that a normal puppet would never find its way here?

Bipolic: Let me think … Yes! I do not pretend – I am sure that a normal puppet would never find a way in the Land of Marionettes by being “normal”. If you care about being “normal” – but, of course, we need do define this characteristic – than go back to Fingerland.  This country is for heteroclites like me. So watch and learn! I had a long walk in the city, I opened all my four eyes and guess what? Not everybody is using the strings to travel.

Tulip: What??? No way! Those were tourists or foreign students.

Bipolic: No! They were not!

Mely: You lifted over, Bipolic ! You might have found an of of of stage, where every puppet passes over in its own way…But not on the main stage.

Gron: Let the man speak!  In the end he has four eyes.

Bipolic: Thank you, Gron. Guys, I am taking about the main stage. Which, as you noticed, it is full of finger characters, wayangs, bunrakus, bamanas, khayal al-zill[i] and other.  At first you think this puppets use strings purchased from here. But when you look closer, something is peculiar about their walk. Their systems look very alike the strings marionettes use. For a normal eye, there is no difference.  But this puppets know exactly they are not in the power of the same strings. The marionettes are also aware that the puppets pretend to have strings but they fake it. The puppets now that the marionettes now. The marionettes know that the puppets know…But nobody talks about that.

Gron: This is so fucking strange!

Tulip: So, you are telling me that the marionettes admit in their system the presence of fake strings?

Bipolic: Not only they admit it, but some of the fake systems are created by themselves. They actually love it.

Gron: Throw a wet blanket over me! Why would they do that?

Bipolic: As I told you, the systems look exactly like the strings.

Mely: But they are not!

Bipolic: Who cares? If I make a copy of a famous painting many will know it is not genuine, but they will still celebrate the talent of the famous painter through the copy of an anonymous.  The mainstream will not even notice the painting is a fake as long as they are told it is the original. Moreover, if they find out the truth, they will still believe in the beauty of the painting.  And everybody will talk about the famous painter again and again. As for me, I will never be a true artist, but also not a hungry one. Everybody wins something.

Gron: So what should we do, then?  How are we going to travel from now on?

Bipolic: We need a plan!

Gron: I bought some wine. This is going to be a long night.

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[i] Traditional puppets used in theatre from different countries.

Episode 4 / The Land of Marionettes

The Second Stringers decided to explore the world. They were ready now to make acquaintance with another species of puppets. The Land of Marionettes becomes the “must to be there” place. Before starting their journey, The Second Stringers did some research about their habits, their functions and their favorite stories. And not to mention they even learned the language. Oh, and obvious, they found out they need strings to travel around the Land of Marionettes, so they ordered some on the internet. When the strings arrived, they were ready to go…They pecked several gloves, the strings and some dictionaries and left their home country.

The shock they had arriving in the Land of Marionettes made them speechless for a while. That is why the narrator is still with you. At first they visited the hot spots and the castles, the museums and Marionette Theatres. Everything was so different…Fascinating and different…They tried to speak their language, but of course with a funny accent. But let’s be serious, there were a lot of marionettes speaking with a funny accent too. So The Second Stringers did not worry…at first. But then…  

Bipolic: Gron, you have a horrible accent. Please, let me do the talking. Otherwise we will starve.

Gron: You know what? I am sick of all this. If the Marionettes restaurants are not open to us because we are too short or because we have a funny accent, I don’t fucking care. I will go to a Wayang[i] Restaurant. There are plenty of them around here.

Tulip: But can you eat with sticks?

Gron: I will learn!!

Mely: I think is time to attach the strings. If we join their traveling system it will be much easier to use the same restaurants as they do. There are so many places we can’t enter because we don’t have the strings.

Bipolic: With strings or no strings, we’ll still be finger characters. We won’t fool anybody.

Gron: Uh. I can’t place mine on the system.I told you not to order the strings on the internet. They are too short!!!

Tulip: Mine doesn’t work as well. One is too short and one is too long.

Bipolic: They fooled us.

Gron: Really? How did you notice??? I told you we should have bought them directly from here.

Tulip: Unfortunately they don’t sell strings to finger characters.

Mely: But why??? We are puppets too…

Tulip: In their eyes we are too short, our language is muddy and we are not so expressive like marionettes. Look at our bodies! We can’t play as profound and deep as they do. We have a very limited number of movements. Our theatre is complicated, our plays confusing and our humor…dark.

Gron: You know what? I am going home! This is not a place for me. Since I came here I had to snick, slip or jump over these massive puppets. My gloves are always dirty and wet.

Mely: I have an idea. You all must admit there is so much to learn from the Land of Marionettes. We have to cope with the mud for a little while and strive to attach ourselves on the system. Listen, one of my strings is good, and the other is longer. We can cut it and tie it to yours, Gron.  And Tulip can help Bipolic. This is how we all going to fit on the traveling system. It is true that our strings will still be too short, but we can give a try.

Tulip: I am in!!!

Bipolic, Gron: …ok …anyway…whatever.

 

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[i] Javanese shadow theatre; sticks are used at the puppet’s joints in order to effectuate the moves.