A Theatre That Knows Nothing But Success
From "Guignol de la Guerre" to "Marionnettes à l'École"

There is a work that at first glance seems essentially childish, yet contains many lessons for adults: it is the work of "Marionnettes." In it, children have fun, adults reflect, and the wooden puppet called Guignol is not only a lively doll that makes people laugh, but also often represents human morality under the guise of comedy.
Many people are unaware of the origins of Guignol and easily imagine that its creation goes back no further than "in our country." Many even accept it, as we accept anything already established, without worrying about its origins. However, the history of today's Guignol is very vast. The animated doll has existed throughout time and in all countries.
Herodotus speaks of the puppets that entertained the Egyptians at festivals in honor of Bacchus. Puppets have been found in the tombs of ancient Egypt, in the hypogea of ​​Thebes and Memphis, etc. Xenophon, in the account of the famous banquet of Gallias, recounts that a Sycracusan puppeteer greatly entertained the guests.
We find traces of them in the Orient, particularly in Japan. It was there that Guignol enjoyed the longest popularity and earned the nickname for his talent. He was called "Ghidayu" after his creator.
Puppets are therefore very ancient. They then traveled to Italy, then crossed the Alps to visit us. In the Middle Ages, entertainers showed them from town to town and from castle to castle. In churches, scenes from the Passion were represented using animated dolls, but it was especially during the Renaissance that puppets began to play an important role in popular entertainment. It was the Italian Brioché who brought us Polichinelle in 1630. He was so famous at the Pont-Neuf and at the fairs that his success won over the actors. The jealous Comédie-Française could not compete with the satire, skillfully wielded by the wooden puppets, and they continued their march towards fame.
Under Louis XIV, Séraphin entertained the Court of Versailles with his shadows, so much so that he came to Paris to settle at the Palais-Royal.

Our current Guignol was only born in 1808 with Laurent Mourguet, in Lyon. Georges Sand inaugurated the Literary Puppets, followed by Maurice Bouchor. Then Lemercier de Neuville, by giving his puppets a fabulous extension, became the promoter of the modern Guignol. Following in his footsteps is Gaston Cony, the renovator and protector of Puppets and Puppeteers.
He devotes himself body and soul to his work. His adoration for children facilitates a wonderful task to which he devotes every moment. His goal is not only to entertain toddlers; he places his constant observation of life at their service. The child's brain, often unable to retain written instructions, too arduous for their young intelligence, is impressed by animated teaching. He learned while recreating in the cool shade of the Parc des Buttes-Chaumont, where, in the summer, their teacher Gaston Cony constantly brought the wooden figures to life.
The children of Paris weren't the only ones to enjoy the Marionette Theater. From town to hamlet, from school to college, Gaston Cony was at every gathering, every fair, and every popular festival, where he brought the magic of his amusing and educational plays. During the war, Guignol tout court became Guignol poilu. In charming acts and revues of great literary value, well within children's reach, Gaston Cony told them about the lives and exploits of their fathers, the glory of France, and the future of the country, of which they themselves were the precious hope. And our friend Pierre Calel, the valiant director of the Écho des Gourbis, said at the time that Gaston Cony could be called the "Corneille" of Guignol. This is saying something, but we don't mean anything either.
Until now, we have neglected the power of shaping the hearts and minds of children by leaving this task to people who lacked the necessary qualities for this work, who stuck to nonsense, and who sometimes even distorted the moral sense of their young audience. For this work, we need people of Gaston Cony's caliber, true and great artists, the best of the good.
From an educational point of view, Gaston Cony attaches great importance to his work. We extract from the Écho de Paris of March 12 this passage from the interview that a friend of the Marionnettes obtained from their president:
"Guignols can be set up anywhere in a few minutes. The teacher's chair is almost a ready-made Guignol..."
"And think, then, of the services that Guignol could render to the male and female teacher. I've written scores of very entertaining plays, very easy to perform, which instructed young schoolchildren as much as many long hours of lessons.
"Guignol, while playing jokes, while entertaining, can give his audience the wisest and most sensible advice. And how well they listen to him!..." "For a moralizing Guignol can very well not be a boring Guignol." Beneath a burst of laughter, the malleable child learns to see things, to understand good and evil, to discern between false and true. The most difficult proverb for his brain takes on a more accessible form as soon as Guignol takes it upon himself to develop it. How many of these little spectators we've seen, glued to the bench, screaming so as not to leave their friend Guignol!...
It's an art of living, an art of bringing art into life, even in the form of wooden puppets: the Puppets combat the failings of society, give birth to the ideal, the usefulness of this ideal.
Gaston Cony was, in his time, the most admirable of teachers, since he himself created the work that was supposed to moralize children without boring them, without giving them a foretaste of social bitterness, quite the opposite!... Let us wish the work of Puppets in School the success it deserves as much for its goal as for the reward due to the development of its organizer.

Jean MARIX.