Puppet theater is a theatrical form in which inanimate objects – such as puppets or marionettes – under the control of an actor themselves appear as actors. Plays with anthropomorphic puppets were the most widespread type in the early modern period. The category of scenic arts involving the animation of non-human forms is called Figurentheater (figure theater) in the German-speaking world, and includes not only puppet theater, but also, for instance, object theater (or object puppetry).