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| Wednesday, 25 August 2004 |
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Revitalising puppet theatre A special performance of puppets of various types was recently presented at the primary school of Dharmashoka, Ambalangoda. Although the school authorities had decided to confine the show to about 500 students the interest in the possibility of seeing the new presentation with puppets modelled on foreign clowns and comedians attracted a large number filling over the several classrooms used. Nearly a thousand gathered there including the staff and others interested.
Prof. J. Tilakasiri and his wife as well as the members of the Sri Anura Puppet Troupe of Ambalangoda, who were invited by the Vice-principal, responded to offer the show free of charge for the benefit of students. The theme of the playlet was 'Let the puppets speak' and its purpose was to introduce several of the foreign clowns gathered together to discuss present-day problems and find a solution. A substantial financial award had been made by the Sunethra Bandaranaike Trust for designing and making puppets in a new style to encourage the youth and make them participate in the new venture. It was felt that the traditional style of puppetry, based on Buddhist lore, though appreciated among village folk, had lost its appeal in urban areas owing to its non-changing style and manner of presentation. It was Prof. Tilakasiri's aim to introduce a new theme using the main ethnic types (representing the communities here) and also underline the connexions between puppetry and folk drama by introducing a drummer and a mask-dancer, at the commencement of the action and develop the theme by a dialogue between them. After the recognition of the relationship and shared features among the puppet figures and the humans a demand is made to display the skills of the puppeteers' art. In response, the konangi introductory dance is shown, followed by the dancing girl in the gorgeous (almost Indian) costume, the most acclaimed expression of the traditional performance. Observing the modes of dress used for the clowns and comic figures the curiosity of the local persons is roused and they wished to know how the foreign clowns appeared, suspecting borrowing from them. This was an occasion for showing the local versions of the famous Punch and Judy couple, engaged in their quarrelling duels in a short scene, the glove puppets (made here) appearing in a scene on a special booth. Punch, then, recalled his colleagues and counterparts in several European countries, Pulcinella of Italy, Guignol (the factory clown of France) who regaled audiences with his coarse humour, Germany's Hanswurst and Kasperl, Kasper from Czechoslovakia and Petrouska of Russian origin. They performed their roles as clowns while serving as a vehicle of socio-political commentary and satire. As hand puppets they were bunched together in their appearance. In this brief exposure of varied types and styles of puppetry it was difficult to convey the wide range of figures, but the performance included a brief glimpse of the shadow play, too provided by means of a few of the flat, leather figures of the Indonesian variety (with shadow forms cast on a white screen being illuminated). It is indeed an important theatrical art still holding sway in several Asian lands and in the West, too. This performance ended with the puppet figures, drawn from the local communities, deciding to discuss the pressing problems facing the people requiring a drastic change to achieve unity and harmony. They searched for an arbitrator to guide them and while they all argued the proposed solution for the ills of the day-a new system of government following the model of the World Government, in the form of a National Government to end wrangling, acrimonious debate and disunity. To conclude they sang the song for World Peace. The response received in appreciation of the innovations tried was quite encouraging and considered worth the effect put into it. It is now realised that our traditional puppet theatre cannot thrive entirely upon its traditional status. It is time for a change to prove the vitality of the art. It can best be done by combining mask dancing, acting and puppet of the art. It can best be done by combining mask dancing, acting and puppet performance methods to make puppetry a lively form of theatre appealing to children and adults. As this cherished theatrical art is now in a state of neglect, almost facing oblivion in the future as a result of it, the hidden talents of promising youth need to be brought out and harnessed competently in order to bring it into line with the developed standard of puppet theatre in other parts of the world. **** Back **** |
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