One evening in the winter of 1801 I met an old friend in a public park. He had recently been appointed principal dancer at the local theatre and was enjoying immense popularity with the audiences. I told him I had been surprised to see him more than once at the marionette theatre which had been put up in the market-place to entertain the public with dramatic burlesques interspersed with song and dance. He assured me that the mute gestures of these puppets gave him much satisfaction and told me bluntly that any dancer who wished to perfect his art could learn a lot from them.
"Thought-provoking" is a phrase that seems to pop-up in reviews of any kind of substantive piece of literature, as if it is a compliment of the highest order. Surely a passive reading experience should not be considered normal?
This may only take you 10 minutes to read, though it is something that may provoke thoughts for a long while after.
On the Marionette Theater
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