The Role of Shadow Puppetry

in the Development of Phatthalung Province, Thailand

2013 NIU Southeast Asia Club Conference

Siew Lian Lim

Shadow Puppet Theater Carved puppets (traditionally leather)

+ light source = shadows on a screen

Shadow Puppet Theater Around the World

China (Shaanxi)

India (Kerala) Tolpava Koothu

http://foter.com/Shadow-Puppets

www.vyshakhullas.wordpress.com

Shadow Puppet Theater Around the World

Central Asia (Turkey) “Karagöz and Hacivat”

Europe (France) “Le Chat Noir”

www.schattentheater.de/files/englisch/geschichte/geschichte.php www.exeter.ac.uk

Shadow Puppetry in SEA

Indonesia (Java) – Wayang Kulit

Shadow Puppetry in SEA

Thailand

Nang Talung

(Traditional) small

Nang Yai (Traditional)

large

Shadow Puppetry in SEA

Malaysia (Kelantan)

– Wayang Kulit

Shadow Puppetry in SEA

Cambodia Sbaek Touch (Left 6); Sbaek Thom (Right)

Research Questions: Nang Talung in Phatthalung Province

Today 1. What role does Nang Talung play today in

Phatthalung?

2. How have changes in Nang Talung supported Phatthalung’s development?

3. How do these changes help Nang Talung’s survival?

4. How does the status of Nang Talung in Phatthalung contrast to Shadow Puppetry in Cambodia?

Phatthalung Thailand Hat Yai

Phatthalung

Phatthalung

• Southern Region surrounded by Andarman Sea and Gulf of Thailand • Phatthalung Province

landlocked - no beaches

• Large, shallow Songkla Lake on the east and mountains on the west.

• Backpacking, mountain climbing, and bird watching

• Major attraction –

Thale Noi Bird-watching Festival

Shadow Play Handicrafts Village Mu 1, Ban Bang Kaeo, Tambon Tha Madua,

Amphoe Bang Kaeo, Phatthlung

Research site •In rural area 22 miles from Phatthalung City •60 miles from Hat Yai, Songkla Province

Shadow Play Handicrafts Village Interviewed Im Chanchum, Director

•Im Chanchum’s father was a popular puppetmaster (nai nang) •Retired from performing to set up Village •Now just leather crafting

Nang Talung puppets

For performing Nang Talung troupes Troupes outsource to Village

Nang Yai as decorative art

Royal family - Rama IX, the Great, and Queen

Includes images popular in Thai culture

Nang Yai as decorative art

• New function for nang “puppets”

Diversification I • Sold to art

collectors & tourists

• Not just puppet figures - Hand crafted to order

Meditating monk

Crafting

Elephants!

Nang Talung crafting family

Diversification II

Souvenir key chain tags

Cambodia • Khmer Rouge

(1975-79) government

Destroyed Sbaek Theater

• Development = Restoration and Healing

(1) Little Angels Orphanage Siem Reap, Cambodia

Sery Rathana Founder & Director

Little Angels Orphanage

•Founder Sery Rathana –orphan, survivor, & puppetmaker •70 Children 4 – 18 Years old •In school 4 hours a day

Humanitarian Art •Craft Sbaek puppets the

rest of the day

Carving

Shellacking & Painting

Drying

Home Made Crucible

Tool Making

Puppets sold to support Orphanage

(2) Sovanna Phum Art Association Phnom Penh

Siem Reap

•Mann Kosal - Artistic Director

•Graduated - Royal University of Fine Arts, Phnom Penh

•Founded Sovanna Phum 1994

Revives - Traditional Khmer Arts

"New Contemporary Dance and Mixed shadow Puppets Theater (Sbeak Thom), Mask Theatre"

Mask

Results

Research Question 1 What role does Nang Talung play

today in Phatthalung?

• Nang Talung - part of Phatthalung’s cultural heritage and identity

• Even without performance, Nang Talung is a tourist attraction

Research Question 2 How have changes in Nang Talung

supported Phatthalung’s development? • Major change: diversification to

production • Outsourcing Nang Talung puppet

production to Phatthalung, The Village • Shadow Play Handicrafts Village –

“Essential” cultural site for Phatthalung tourist industry development

Research Question 3 How do these changes help Nang

Talung’s survival?

•Nang Talung faces same competition from modern entertainment as Wayang Kulit but still popular with Thai people •Diversification from performance to

Decorative Art creates a new market – collectors and tourists

Research Question 4 How does the status of Nang Talung in

Phatthalung contrast to Sbaek Theater in Cambodia?

• Lineage - extremely important to Shadow Puppet folk art

• Thailand - Nang Talung – lineage preserved without interruption

• Cambodia – 1. lineage destroyed by Khmer Rouge 2. Now: needs reconstruction including

Humanitarian Work

Recent work by Lim

Gotcha! 2012

Going Home Where The Heart Is 2012 Taming 2012

Liberation 2012

Echoing Spirits 2011

Thank you

Please visit my website:

www.siewlianlim.com

Bibliography • Bali & Beyond. 19 July 2010 < http://www.balibeyond.com/cover.html>. • Brown, Kevin. “Dancing into the Heart of Darkness: Modern Variations and Innovations of

the Thai Shadow Theatre.” Puppetry International 26, 2009. 7 March 2013 http://www.unima-usa.org/publications/shadow/Brown.html>. • Chen, Fan Pen. “Shadow Theaters of the World.” Asian Folklore Studies, 62, 2003. • "Phatthalung Province." DNQ Travel . 20 May 2012 <http://www.dnqtravel.com/Thailandnews/540/1894P2/phatthalung_province_ Handicrafts village.html>. • Irvine, David. Leather Gods & Wooden Heroes: Java’s Classical Wayang. Singapore:

Times Editions, 1996. • Jermadi, Fikri. “Origins of Film? - Wayang Kulit in Malaysia part 1,” Thoughts on Films, 2

Dec 2009. 30 Nov 2010 <http://thoughtsonfilms.wordpress.com/2009/12/02/origins-of-film- wayang..>. Kiernan, Ben. The Pol Pot Regime: Race, Power and Genocide in Cambodia under the Khmer Rouge, 1975-1979. New Haven, Yale University Press, 2002. • Koanantakool, Paritta Chalermp. "Relevance of the Textual and Contextual Analyses in Understanding Folk Performance in Modern Society: A Case of Southern Thai Shadow Puppet Theatre." Asian Folklore Studies, 48, 1989. • Lim, Siew Lian. Global Impact on the Survival of Wayang Kulit. Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, IL, U.S.A., 2012. .

• Lim, Siew Lian. Transmitting the Ramayana from India to Southeast Asia and the West through Shadow Puppetry and Visual Art. Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, IL, U.S.A., 2010

• Mulyano, Ir. Sri. Human Character in the Wayang. Trans. M. M. Madeiros. Jakarta: Pustaka Wayang, 1977.

• National Gallery of Australia. “Dono, Heri, Flying Angels. < http://cs.nga.gov.au/Detail-LRG.cfm?IRN=172788&View=LRG >.

• "Phatthalung Travel Information." 20 May 2012 <http://www.hotelthailand.com/travelinfo/south/phatthalung.html>.

• Smithies, Michael and Kerdchouay, Kerdchouay. "Nang Talung: The Shadow Theatre of Southern Thailand." Journal of the Siam Society 1971-1980, 60, 1972 10 March 2013 <http://www.siam-society.org/pub_JSS/jss_index_1971-1980.html>.

• Taweethong, Nualmorakot. "The History of Nang Talung :‘Shadow play’ from Asia to Southern Thailand." The 2nd International Conference on Humanities and Social Sciences April 10th, 2010 Faculty of Liberal Arts, Prince of Songkla University. 9 May 2013<http://sv.libarts.psu.ac.th/conference5/proceedings/Proceedings2/article/5pdf/001.pdf>.

• “Thai Shadow Puppets.” Museum of Anthropology, University of Missouri, 2003. 14 July 2010 <http://anthromuseum.missouri.edu/minigalleries/thaipuppets/intro.shtml>.

• Yaacob, Aris, ed. Aris A Yaacob: Radical-Malay-Anglophile Artist. 22 Dec. 2007. 5 Aug. 2010 < http://www.arisayaacob.blogspot.com>.