~ Myanmar Puppet Theatre ~
by Hoshiko Murasaka
The hsaing-waing orchestra consists of a large pat-ma drum, a set of twenty-one tuned pat-waing drums, two sets of gongs, the kyi-waing and the maung-zaing. There are also one or two hnay shawms. Dramatic moments are
accentuated by the be maung melody, and is strongly supported by the various sets of drums, gongs and cymbals. For other effects, there are the his bell and bamboo or wooden wasaung guak, a wooden harp with silk strings and the patala, a xylophone with bamboo keys. During the reign of King Mindon (1853 to 1878) a piano was introduced to court and became an instant hit with the musicians.
The orchestra backs up the marionette action on the stage. The original ‘band’ of puppets was eighteen, but this was changed to twenty-eight by a treaty, in 1776. This was not enough for many of the stories, so an edict in 1821 allowed an increase to 36 or 42, as needed in a particular play to be performed. It was considered unlucky to have an uneven number of marionettes in a play.
The Marionettes are made of Yamanay wood, a rare but strong and light wood. To make the puppets even lighter, so the puppeteer can work over a long period, the head and torso are hollowed out. Human hair is used, and they are dressed in the materials that the people they represent would wear. The puppets are amazingly articulated and can perform some very realistic moves. The best are Zawgyi, the magician-alchemist, and Myauk, the monkey. Any puppeteer who can manipulate these is considered a master at the craft.
The puppets are manipulated by strings. Short lengths are loosely twisted, doubled and tied, forming an adjustable loop and attached to the puppet at seventeen places on the body. Longer strings are attached to these, and attached to a wooden handle, or looped over the handle or the puppeteer’s arm. He then manipulates the marionette by pulling on the strings. It takes two or three people to bring one marionette to life, “three-bodies-one-soul”. A singer is the voice of the puppet, both singing and reciting, backed up by the music of the orchestra. Besides the soloists, there is usually a chorus to help carry the tale along.
A typical play opens with a court scene, even if royalty is not in the rest of the play. The Jakata tales are parables that illustrate right and wrong ways for people to act. They are often about animals rather than humans, though many include both. During the Pagoda festival, after the rice is harvested, people gather from all over. They bring their wares to sell and camp under the huge Tamarind trees. The puppet stage is set up on the shore, and is built of bamboo. Tradition decrees that it is not built with its back to the village. It slopes slightly towards the audience, who sit on the ground on mats they bring from home. The puppet plays are open air shows and usually lasts all night. The themes are drawn from historic legends, the ten great lives and the 550 birth stories of Lord Buddha.
Sources
Asian Wooden Marionettes
Mynamar Culture
Mynamar Puppets
About the Myanmar String Puppets
Music and Dance of Myanmar (Burma)
Burma
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