Celebrating Paper Theater

(Visit: www.uctv.tv) UC San Diego's Geisel Library hosts an annual Paper Theater Festival, celebrating an art form with roots in Victorian Era Europe. Paper theaters (also known as toy theaters) were used to promote productions. They were printed on paperboard sheets and sold as kits at the concession stand of an opera house, playhouse, or vaudeville theater. The kits were then assembled at home and plays performed for family members and guests, sometimes with live musical accompaniment. The theaters gradually declined in popularity during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, but have enjoyed a resurgence in interest in recent years among many puppeteers, filmmakers, theater historians, and hobbyists. Presently there are numerous international paper theater festivals throughout the Americas and Europe, as well as several museums. Series: "The Library Channel" [6/2018] [Show ID: 33264]

[@richardglady3009]

That was amazing. Thank you for making and posting this video.

[@marilynscott-waters7786]

This was lovely. Well done!

[@NatashaCreatesThings]

These are gorgeous! Very informative thank you!

[@justintaisenchoy]

Lovely, I adored toy theatres when I was young

[@gogoshagara5475]

it's really wonderful, why i didn't find anything about the English paper theater before??

[@deardinosaurio]

This is beautiful!

[@LadyArt123]

Thank you, your Festival was a wonderful event - a pity that I could not participate.
But, I am sorry to tell you that your guess of "dark countries" has no historic basics.
Remember: In Germany there were the brothers Engelbrecht in Augsburg in the first part of the 18th century - Marin Engelbrecht published more than 3000 sheets for dioramas and they were sold all over Europe. But they were not meant to be played with - they were extremely expensive and only for wealthy people and nobility.
In the 19th century in Germany it was a time where people admired the art of intelligent theatre productions by Goethe, Schiller, etc. and Operas by Mozart and Weber, and others.
From 1810 until 1875 there were never widespread prints for children like fairy tales or other.
Only in 1878 it was a German Firm in Esslingen, Schreiber, that started to print fairy tales - Grimm, Andersen, Hauff, 1001 - and many others.
There has never been a "period of darkness" here in Germany (regarding paper theatres)- and I do not believe that this was actually the reason (at the beginning) why Denmark, Sweden or Norway were so successful with the paper theatre. Danish best paper theatre producer was Alfred Jacobsen - but he only started at the end of the 19th century and his work has never been topped. There has been a continuation of playing and realising paper theatre in those countries even until now, which is just wonderful. And the long, dark winters - might perhaps - really have been an additional reason for the continuation of playing ...
I loved your video. Thank you!

[@dramatic12]

So inspiring! Thank you.

[@ChapterMasterADO]

He sounds like "Little Finger" from Game of Thrones

[@chrisperrien7055]

IDK, these seem like Luddittes who cannot appreciate the advantages of 3D CGI to make their art better.
Chit, look at the Lego Movies.

[@thenoblepoptart]

this, is advanced bait…

[@chrisperrien7055]

@@thenoblepoptart Yea, no telling what condition I was in at the time. 🙂

[@thenoblepoptart]

@@chrisperrien7055 i’m making a videogame aesthetically inspired by antique paper theatre. The paper dolls are good for sprites, no animation, and there are theatric conventions that work well within a game like the applause or derision of an audience or curtains closing over the level. The little paper box they use for the puppets is even the same aspect ratio as a computer monitor