Shadow Puppet Theatre in Northeast Thailand

Among the theatrical traditions of Asia, shadow puppets are perhaps the best known and the most highly developed. The most lively traditions are found in Java and Bali as well as in northeastern Malaysia and southern Thailand. Shadow puppets were important elsewhere too, especially China, India, Cambodia, but except for India these traditions seem to be nearly extinct now, as is the nung yail tradition in central Thailand. To our knowledge no one has previously taken note of the fact that shadow puppet theatre flourishes in northeastern Thailand, a region whose cultural heritage is Lao rather than Siamese (central Thai). While there is no doubt that shadow theatre in the northeast began under outside stimulus, what is especially interesting is the process of acculturation which has taken place and is still taking place, the Laoization, if you will, of shadow theatre

Art · Geography · Psychoanalysis · Puppetry · Shadow (psychology · Visual arts · Diversity and Impact of Dance · Psychology · Southeast Asian Sociopolitical Studies · Theatre and Performance Studies