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ABSTRACT Title of Dissertation: THE PHENOMENOLOGY OF ...

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present his particular imaginations <strong>of</strong> authentic black life (tribal African warriors and<br />

African American folklore) lead him to attempt to represent these works more<br />

realistically than he might a minstrel show. Sarg makes an aesthetic distinction between<br />

humorous distortion and sympathetic realism. As he attempts to set aside trivial puppet<br />

shows in favor <strong>of</strong> artistically rich works <strong>of</strong> drama, he also sets aside the most egregious<br />

distortions <strong>of</strong> blackface puppetry. Excess exaggeration would lead the spectator to think<br />

<strong>of</strong> the puppet as an icon <strong>of</strong> humor; Sarg wishes his blackface puppets to act in serious,<br />

epic dramas. The essence <strong>of</strong> the Sarg blackface puppet is a realistically detailed, exotic<br />

object-actor for a serious dramatic production.<br />

Sarg’s greatest contribution to puppetry was in breaking up the cabalistic<br />

mentality <strong>of</strong> the nineteenth-century showpeople. By constantly revealing his tricks, in<br />

books and articles, or in post-production demonstrations, Sarg laid the foundation for<br />

organizations like the Puppeteers <strong>of</strong> America, and influenced generations <strong>of</strong> American<br />

puppeteers, among them Sue Hastings.<br />

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