THTR 1011 Study Guide - Final Guide: Wakefield Mystery Plays, Les Précieuses Ridicules, Japanese Aesthetics
Document Summary
Ramayana and mahabharata: sanskrit epic poems, ramayana. Narrates the life of rama, a prince banished from his kingdom by his father (reminiscent of hamlet) Despite many conflicts he returned and was crowned king. One of the largest ancient epics of the world, messages still relevant. Shadow puppet theatre is very reminiscent of traditional cambodian dance forms. Fire used behind screens brings performance to life. Orchestra called gamelan : primarily percussion, drums & xylophone. People pray, the shows are considered religious ceremonies: sometimes even used to heal/pray for certain person or event. Primary religion in indonesia is islam, but bali is a small hindu island, very traditional shadow puppet form there: theatre supported by government because it"s a huge tourist attraction. Scripts based on ramayana and mahabharata: each puppeteer is improvising the language, audience knows plot, basic structure is the same, some puppeteers are better than others in terms of language, improvisation, vocalization (sometimes singing)
