This style of Scarf marionette was developed by my friend and puppet master, Albrecht Roser. He created them years ago in response to others who would expound at length that marionettes were hard, requiring years to perfect their manipulation. Roser believed that if you build a puppet incorporating knowledge of gravity and motion, they don't have to be hard to perform. In fact, a child could do it. And indeed, the design of these puppets is so simple anyone can make them not only dance and move about, but truly come to life.

They are my favorite type of marionette, not only because I have an natural, deep-seated sympatico for performing with them, but also because their simplicity is a facade. Many marionettists train with this style of puppet only in the beginning, then cast them aside as their skills grow. If you look closely however, you would see that they are much more than they seem. Because they are so simple, there is nothing they cannot do, no one they cannot become.