A Galaxy of Things explores the ways in which all puppets, masks, makeup-prosthetic figures are "material characters," using iconic Star Wars characters like Yoda and R2-D2 to illustrate what makes them so compelling.
As an epic franchise, Star Wars has been defined by creatures, droids, and masked figures since the original 1977 movie. Author Colette Searls, a theatre director and expert in puppetry studies, uncovers how non-humans like Chewbacca, semi-humans like Darth Maul, and even concealed humans like Boba Fett tell meaningful stories that conventional human characters cannot. Searls defines three powers that puppets, masked figures, and other material characters wield-distance, distillation, and duality-and analyzes Star Wars' most iconic robots and aliens to demonstrate how they work across nearly a half-century of live-action films. Yoda and "Baby Yoda"-two of popular culture's greatest puppets-use these qualities to transform their human companions. Similarly, Darth Vader's mask functions as a performing object driving mystery and suspense across three film trilogies. The power of material characters has also been wielded in problematic ways, such as stereotypes in the representation of service droids and controversial creatures like Jar Jar Binks. Bringing readers forward into the first Star Wars live-action streaming series, the book also explores how the early 2020s stories centered material characters in particularly meaningful, often redemptive ways.
A Galaxy of Things is an accessible guide to puppets, masks, and other material characters for students and scholars of theatre, film, puppetry, and popular culture studies. It also offers useful perspectives on non-human representation for researchers in object-oriented ontology, posthumanism, ethnic studies, and material culture.
Rezensionen / Stimmen
Winner of the Nancy Staub Publications Award 2024!
"Colette Searls is here to remind us of how much puppets and performing objects shape and make the world of Star Wars, and what a fun, fascinating and insightful reminder it is. Her analysis of the use of puppets, masks, and performing objects in the eleven Star Wars films and related live-action streaming series is both spot on and useful for thinking about how this franchise uses physical objects to make the stories more "real." [...] Perhaps the highest praise I can heap on Searls' wonderful, brief volume is, as a life-long Star Wars scholar/fan, I learned a good deal from it, and it made me want to go back and rewatch the films and series through these new eyes. And, if I am honest, I have started to do so. Searls is another scholar/fan, clearly deeply knowledgeable about the franchise and unafraid to scrutinize and critique that which she loves. Plus, in conclusion, A Galaxy of Things is just fun, well-written reading."
Kevin J. Wetmore, Jr., Loyola Marymount University, USA, in Puppetry International Research, Vol. 1(2)
"Colette Searl's A Glaxy of Things is revelatory and game-changing in this respect through its analysis of the epic film universe of Star Wars. Rather than avoiding the complications of understanding masks, puppets, suit characters, automata, stop-motion and digital animation central to blockbuster series, Searls leaps into the complex fray of object performance methods used in the films with a deep understanding of how such techniques work, how they are related to each other, and how exactly such essential material performances produce meaning. [...] Searls, a puppeteer and puppet scholar, brings her deep understanding of puppets, masks and objects to bear in her look at the highly developed world of Star Wars."
John Bell in Puppetry International, Vol. 54
"Even reading the preface to Colette Searl's new book awakens a force within me. Her consideration of the Star Wars epic promises to be rigorous, thorough, and informative."
Andrew Periale in Puppetry Journal, Vol. 74(3)
Sprache
Verlagsort
Verlagsgruppe
Zielgruppe
Für höhere Schule und Studium
Für Beruf und Forschung
General, Professional, and Undergraduate Advanced
Illustrationen
11 s/w Abbildungen, 11 s/w Photographien bzw. Rasterbilder
11 Halftones, black and white; 11 Illustrations, black and white
Maße
Höhe: 234 mm
Breite: 156 mm
Dicke: 8 mm
Gewicht
ISBN-13
978-0-367-68441-9 (9780367684419)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Klassifikation
Colette Searls is an Associate Professor of Theatre at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC), USA, where she teaches acting, directing, and puppetry. She is an award-winning puppetry artist and has received grants from the Jim Henson Foundation and Puppeteers of America for her original works in object theatre.
1. The Things in the Galaxy 2. Distance, Distillation, and Duality 3. Powerful, Puppetry is: How two Yodas make meaning 4. I Find Your Lack of Face Disturbing: The mask performance of Darth Vader (and friends) 5. Climbing Out of the Sarlacc Pitt: The problematic side of material character powers
