nowhere is this situation more readily apparent than behind the scenes of the salzburg marionette theaterthe scenery is built from wood and wire. the puppets are only dolls manipulated through their wires or strings from above by a puppeteer. yet, untold fascination lies in watching a marionette come to life through the movement of its body. the puppeteer breathes life into the marionettes, transfers personality and dramatic expression from his hands into the strings. the marionette lives, the fusion of fantasy and reality. for many years, zart's the magic flute has been an important part of the repertoire of the aicor family's marionette theater. through their skill, the fanciful tale becomes a reality. creatures from the recesses of an imaginary world become characters of genuine existence. the popular folk theater character papageno, bird hunter, with his suit of feathers, woos papagena and merrily leads audiences into the magic of illusion. [music] theater always has functioned at its best when it has most fully accepted the theater condition which allows the imagination to be transpo