The Shadow Puppet Theatre of Malaysia

A new study of Malaysian Wayang Kulit with Performance Scripts and Puppet Designs in five comprehensive chapters. Chapter One  gives the history and background to shadow puppet theatre in Malaysia. Chapter Two outlines the Stories of this theatre including the Malay version of the Ramayana and a useful synopsis by Lisa Hall. Chapter Three deals with the Shadow Theatre in Performance with sections on the geography, physical setting, puppet characters, inner magical knowledge in performance, ritual conventions, performance conventions, humour conventions, musical conventions, life and training of the puppet master and a special profile of Dalang Hassan Bin Daud. Also an important contribution by Penelope Cole on Keeping Tardition Alive.  Chapter Four focusses on 5 key puppet scripts: Dalang Muda, an English Translation of the Opening Ceremony for the Wayang Siam; Cerita Bentara Kala; Hanuman Ikan-Adventures of the Monkey Fish; When Elephants Fight; Ezra and Icebaby. Chapter Five gives an insight into the Teaching and Performing of Malaysian Shadow Puppet Theatre. There  is an afterword followed by a useful appendix of puppet desigh line drawings as used in the above scripts plus chapter notes,full bibliography and index.The author,  Beth Osnes,  is a professor and director of graduate studies at the University of Colorado in Boulder. This study is intended as an in-depth examination of the Malaysian puppet tradition and reflects the author's interests in the meeting point between scholarship and theatre art. Quarto size, pp.194, 50 b/w photos and 30 line drawings.