The Air puppet is the softest of them all. It’s details and shapes are not as chaotic as some of the other puppet designs. The scalloped shapes of the fabric mimic the fluffiness of clouds and the hanging gemstones and beads, are a motif of rain falling from the sky. The fabrics chosen would have a softness to them, not literally a puffy material, but something that would give the same feeling of softness that clouds have. The puppeteer would move the puppet with a certain gentleness. The fabric would be very light and react to the many wind effects present on stage, making the puppet appear to be floating in the wind.
The puppeteer wears a backpack type harness that holds the head pole. The harness extends around their legs and has two more pole attachment points at the hips. At these points, the poles can either be removed or inserted depending on the motion and stamina of the puppeteer. The hip attachment points work like ball-in-socket joints, allowing the inserted pole to still give a range of motion for the puppet’s arms. The fabric of the body drapes both in front and behind the poles making them nearly invisible to the audience.
The Earth puppet is less abstract than the others. The layering of fabric and organic shapes mimics the forest’s many layers and complexity of life forms. The golden leaf shapes, “falling” from the main tree as well as the “vines” of fabric hanging behind. Like the Earth costume, the puppet’s color palette features color from all four seasons. The facial design took inspiration from tiki masks, and the layering elements those have.
The Water puppet is visually chaotic. Water consists of so many different colors and shapes. From rivers, to oceans, the puppet needed to embody all of it. The head creates a similar shape to the Water headdress. Crashing waves overlapping each other, creating a very smooth and organic shape. This puppet also features falling water drops as glittering gemstones, mimicking the splashing of water and waves. The thin green fabric hanging underneath, gives the illusion of flowing seaweed.
