PUPPET THEATRE
Southeast Asia has a rich tradition of puppetry, a theatre form varying in style within the region but, at the same time, demonstrating many similarities. Puppets are made of various materials—cloth, wood, clay, skin and leaves—and may take the form of glove puppets, rod puppets, or hand or finger puppets. Manipulation techniques depend on the figures used and the intended effect.
The most visually exciting puppet theatres in Southeast Asia include the marionette theatre of Myanmar, the water puppets of Vietnam, and Chinese puppetry. Shadow play (Wayang Kulit), however, remains the most popular form, appearing in two forms—one using single-character figures and the other using large, composite figures as in the Cambodian Nang Sbek Thom and the Thai Nang Yai. The former is by far the most widely distributed, being active in Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand and Cambodia.
The best-known example of shadow play is the classical Javanese Wayang Kulit Purwa, which is also active in other parts of Indonesia as well as the southern sections of the Malay Peninsula, particularly in Johor. In addition, three other styles of shadow play are active in Malaysia: Wayang Kulit Gedek, which represents a southward expansion of the Thai Nang Talung and continues to use the Thai version of the Ramayana story; Wayang Kulit Melayu which developed as a result of the borrowing of the Javanese Wayang Kulit Gedog based upon the story of the Javanese hero Panji; and Wayang Kulit Siam, which uses a Malaysian version of the Ramayana.
Historically Malay shadow play has been the repository of the indigenous belief system and literary traditions. While essentially serving the purpose of providing entertainment, it also plays an important part in traditional ritual situations, particularly on occasions marking the paying of homage to teachers. The length of time—up to five years—devoted to training a puppeteer indicates the complexity of the training process itself. The apprentice learns the art of puppet manipulation, develops a suitable repertoire, and masters the music. These skills are required in presenting Wayang Kulit. In addition, he may also make puppets and musical instruments, as well as conduct rituals for healing and exorcism, thus continuing in many ways to be an important member of his community.
Although an ancient tradition, Malaysian puppetry has suffered a decline due to several factors—economic, political and cultural. Wayang Kulit Siam has, on occasion, been banned in Kelantan. There are few troupes left and those remaining are finding new ways of maintaining Wayang Kulit through adapting to changing circumstances. As a result, new emerging forms have replaced the classical style, presenting comedy skits rather than serious stories, and using figures that bear little resemblance to the traditional ones. While artistically less impressive, such forms may eventually be the only ones keeping the Malay shadow play alive.
