Hjemmusa (The Home Mouse)

Wang and Helgesen write the following: "Hlavaty captured the style in the Norwegian text, and built a primitive, simple stage. The selection of materials was sober. With painted, flat pieces of plywood, felt and simply shaped knitted puppets, the whole became coherent. (...) Terje Mærli went to his first assignment with courage and professional demands. When the outer decor was so spare, the purity of the simple performed scenes became even clearer. His choice as a director of the production was to build a love story within the fairytale. A Japanese parasol of paper gave sufficient femininity to Hjemmusa (The Home Mouse), and Fjellmusa (The Mountain Mouse) was knitted in green yarn, with a worn backpack. The couple was unforgettably played by Kjersti Germeten and Kjell Smidsrød."

Hjemmusa was played by Kjersti Germeten. She was an urban mouse with polished manners. In addition, she was very romantic. 

Sceneweb also refers to the puppet Fjellmusa, registered from the production Hjemmusa og Fjellmusa* (The Home Mouse and the Mountain Mouse).

SOURCES:

Hlavaty, Karel (1970): Dukketeater. Hånddukker - bygging, dekorering, spill (literally: Puppetry. Hand puppets - construction, decoration, performance). J.W. Cappelens Forlag, Oslo. 

Stiftelsen Modum Blaafarveværk/The Royal Cobalt Works of Modum (2006): Dukketeater underveis. Familien Mykle og norsk dukketeater (literally: Puppetry underway. The Mykle family and Norwegian puppetry). Book published at the occasion of an exhibition. 

Wang, Ragnhild and Vibeke Helgesen: Den magiske hånd. Dukkespill og figurteater gjennom tidene (literally: The magic hand. Puppetry throughout the ages). Pax forlag, Oslo 2000.

Donated by: Oslo Nye Teater (Oslo New Theatre).

Transported 27.04.2020.

*Not yet translated into the English. The title within parentheses is the Norwegian title's literal meaning.

Hjemmusa (The Home Mouse) was a traditional glove puppet. Its head was cut from Styrofoam, shaped with a long snout. It was strengthened with cotton gauze and glue. The eyes were half rounds made of wood, painted black, and the ears were large and rounded. The inside of the ears was lined with a white field of felt. Hjemmusa was a female mouse with a pleated collar around her neck, making her look feminine. The rest of the puppet, with head, body, and feet, was crocheted or knitted in a detailed, correct manner to keep its figure rigid. The feet were padded for the sake of prolonging them. 

The description is based on photos. 

Oslo Nye Teater (Oslo New Theatre)'s production Hjemmusa og Fjellmusa* (The Home Mouse and the Mountain Mouse) was one of Karel Hlavaty's early stage design assignments in Norwegian theatre.

Through his book Dukketeater. Hånddukker - bygging, dekorering, spill (literally: Puppetry. Hand puppets - construction, decoration, performance, 1970), he was to strengthen the position of the glove puppet in Norwegian puppetry. This type of puppet had been mostly dominant in Norwegian puppetry in the two decades following the war.

His textbook addressed all interested parties, amateurs as well as professionals. Among other things, he thoroughly described and illustrated placement of hand, undersleeves, oversleeves/costumes and choice of materials in his book.

Hjemmusa (The Home Mouse) was constructed according to Hlavaty's instructions: A head of Styrofoam, an undersleeve adjusted to the puppeteer's hand, and a fully covering, crocheted or knitted oversleeve/costume. 

The description is based on photos and knowledge of his book. 

*Not yet translated into the English. The title within parentheses is the Norwegian title's literal meaning.

Arne Mykle, son of Agnar Mykle, took over the management of Oslo Nye Teater (Oslo New Theatre)'s puppetry the spring of 1969. He organised a four-week trainee course, attended by ten persons. In this group, there were several who were to make their mark on Norwegian puppetry, at Oslo Nye Teater (Oslo New Theatre) and other Norwegian theatres, in the years to come. The spring of 1970, Arne Mykle withdrew as the leader of Oslo Nye Teater (Oslo New Theatre)'s puppetry, and he stated the following:

"The resignation was the most anonymous resignation in the world. We went out through the backdoor." (Stiftelsen Modum Blaafarveværk/The Royal Cobalt Works of Modum, 2006:89). 

In 1970, Oslo Nye Teater (Oslo New Theatre)'s puppetry consisted of a new generation of puppeteers. They were first hired on freelance contracts, but eventually became steadily employed. They were young and enthusiastic, but they had little experience with puppetry. This, they were to gain through practice at the theatre.