NANG SHADOW PUPPETS OF THAILAND

Shadow puppet (Thai: Nang) was one form of public entertainment in the south of Thailand. It is still very popular at village festivals, temple fairs, and celebrations such as marriages.

Its characters are made from intricately cut out and articulated shapes of leather. They are delicately colored, but this does not show during a performance as the puppets appear only in shadow against a white sheet, with light shining through from behind.

They are manipulated with rods that control movements of the arms and legs. The puppets are colorful but really they do not have to be because you only see the black shadows. In the second picture you can see the people holding the puppets. Normally you can see only the shadows like in the third picture.

Performances:

• have a religious theme or have an episode from the Ramayana epic which contains dozens of individual stories. They may also be specially written to include up-to-the minute reflections, songs, and poems about local events and matters of current interest in the district or country.

there are hundreds of different characters each with a distinctive shadow, but the show will almost always include a clown, funny old man, scatter - brained old woman or rather stupid yokel, who are all great favorites with the fun - loving audiences.

• Mr. Suchart Sapsin, he is a man of many talents. He is not only an expert in the craft of making the puppets but he is also an award - winning writer and poet. He is narrator, speaking or singing all the parts using different voices, and he is a superb mimic

Themes commonly seen in Nang performances include

• family conflict, • fantastic adventures of a wandering hero, • star-crossed lovers and • romantic tales, hermits teaching magic to their

apprentices, and abandoned children seeking lost loved ones

A hermit (adjectival form: eremitic or hermitic) is a person who lives, to some degree, in seclusion from society.[1] In Christianity, the term was originally applied to a Christian who lives the eremitic life out of a religious conviction

Nang attempts to relay to the audience the importance of Thai values and ideologies in a changing world, however, the mystical and historical events remain fundamental in all performances.

The association with karma (all actions have equal reactions) and the underlying message of rewards and punishments act as allegories for Buddhist morality and philosophy. And it is usually performed during the country's dry season (February to August).

Two Types of the Nang:

• Nang Talung is played with leather puppets, each representing a separate character, about 50 centimeters high. They usually possess a movable, jointed arm controlled by a string.

• Nang Yai is normally made of cowhide and rattan, a large, decorated scenes and characters measuring around two meters high and a meter wide. They do not have jointed arms, but the themes and styles remain the same.

The Nang's Theater Troupe

• Usually consists of five to ten puppeteers and musicians. • Nai Nang - the teachers and presenters of the Nang Talung

• There are over 300 Nai Nang in the southern regions of Thailand.

• They perform using the puppets on a backlighted white screen, and hide themselves in small wood and bamboo shelters.

• The performances run from dusk to dawn and incorporate narration, songs, prose, and the performer's improvised dialogue.

• The rhythm and fluidity of each performance is essential in maintaining audience interest, thus the Nai Nang must vary their techniques and story lines.

Characters such as: • gods and

goddesses, • kings and

queens, • magical figures,

and • comedians.