1. Directorial Vision / Concept
Directional Vision
“One should not make rash decisions or else he will suffer the consequences.” is the directorial vision that I want to educate the young with. The story that I had chosen is ‘The Legend of Bukit Merah’ with an ending that is different from what we were taught of. ‘The Legend of Bukit Merah’ is a local folktale that talks about Singapura’s fifth ruler – Parameswara and how Bukit Merah came about. In the story, he was seen as an unjust leader. My view of the story will be based upon the ruler and how his actions led to his befall. The ending will be tweaked in such a way that it corresponds to the directorial vision where Parameswara suffered the consequences.
The two skills that I had chosen are puppetry and sound design.
Puppetry
Puppetry is a traditional way of retelling myth and legend and also inculcating values into their audience. It is most appropriate a skill to use into my piece as I will like to use my piece to educate them with the values of the folktale. My second objective is to allow the younger generation to have an interesting view of the folktale and be able to remember one of the few legends of Singapore. By using western puppetry, the form of puppetry that most children are familiar with, it keeps the audience more focused with the story rather than the puppet form. Other forms of puppetry like Japanese Bunraku or Vietnamese water puppetry will let the audience be more interested in the way the story is presented, not the story itself. Therefore, it does not reach the directorial vision that I had. Hence, Western puppetry is used to enhance my piece instead of Southeast Asian ones.
Sound design
The sounds that I will be using are traditional Malay music that is played using instruments. It will be mainly Wayang Kulit music as it is the music used to accompany puppetry. Music is very important in the performance of the Wayang Kulit because it enhances the story by making it more interesting and entertaining. The wayang kulit orchestra usually consists of 12 instruments, the most important being the flute (serunai).
Effect of the combination of skills
By using a legendary tale of Singapore, it allows the audience to have a sense of familiarity with the piece. This allows them to be more opened with the ideas that are brought forward from the piece. The objective of allowing them to remember one of the few of the legends of Singapore will be fulfilled too. By enriching the piece with Malay folk music, the piece is more complete as it brings out the atmosphere of each scene. Especially for Wayang Kulit music, a music that is used for puppetry, it benefits the play such that the emotions for each scene is translated out well.
2. Performance Theory / History of Tradition
History of Puppetry
Puppetry is a form of theatre or performance which involves the manipulation of puppets. It is used in almost all human societies both as an entertainment – in performance – and ceremonially in rituals and celebrations such as carnivals. Puppets have been used since the earliest times to animate and communicate the ideas and needs of human societies. It has been used to relate myth and legend, enact simple traditional forces and use in education.
There are different types of puppets. Most types of puppet in use today fall in four broad categories – hand or glove puppets, rod puppets, marionettes and shadow puppets – but there is a variety of combination. The glove puppet is used like a glove on the operator’s hand and its structure is simple. These puppets, although limited in gesture to movement of one’s hand, are ideal for quick, robust action and can be most expressive. The live hand inside of the puppet gives it a unique flexibility of physique. The rod puppet is held and moved by rods, usually from below but sometimes from above. It varies in complexity and offer potential for creativity in design and presentation. Their range of swift and subtle movements enables them to deliver anything from sketches to large dramatic pieces. The marionette is a puppet on strings, suspended form a control held by the puppeteer. It is versatile and can be simple or complex. Performances can be graceful and charming, and fast and forceful action is generally avoided. Shadow puppets are normally flat cut-out figures held against a translucent, illuminated screen. It is ideally suited to the illustration of a narrated story but the can also handle direct dialogue and vigorous knock-about action.
I chose marionettes for the main characters of my piece as their actions are more graceful and elaborate. Small gestures are more amplified using the marionettes as their actions have more flow as compared to the rest. The illusion is also better than the rest as the puppeteer is not seen. Some characters are rod puppets as they have more forceful actions.
There are differences between Chinese marionettes and Western ones. In terms of construction, Chinese marionette has leaf-shaped string control while Western marionette has cross-shaped string control. In terms of stories, the Chinese puppet shows mainly adapt literature classics like Journey to the West and The Legend of Three Kingdoms. However, Western puppet shows have a greater variety. In terms of stage, the traditional Chinese stage is octagonal. The octagon is a divine symbol of Taoism. They were designed to entertain gods during festivals such as the deities’ birthdays. Thus, besides staging performances, puppeteers also conducted essential religious ceremonies required in these festivals. Incense, candles and other offerings were even placed on the puppet show stage. In contrast, Western marionettes do not require a stage unless it reflects the individuality of the puppeteer. One tradition in the Chinese puppet art — respecting the guardian deity, Xianggongye — is still preserved nowadays. This would cause an inconvenience for my play and hence, I chose Western marionettes over Chinese marionettes.
Bibliography
Summary of story:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bukit_Merah and also,
http://ramblinglibrarian.blogspot.com/2005/03/legend-of-bukit-merah-or-how-redhill_01.html
Some Malay music instruments:
http://musicparadise.8m.com/malay_inst.htm
More about traditional Malay music:
http://www.etourz.com/malaysia/malay_dance.htm
http://www.asiarecipe.com/malmusic.html
History of puppetry:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Puppetry#Asia
Difference between types of puppet:
Puppets and Puppet theatre by David Currell
Difference between Chinese and Western marionettes: http://www.com.cuhk.edu.hk/varsity/0104/culture%20and%20leisure/puppet.htm
Annex:
1) Chinese puppet:
(http://farm1.static.flickr.com/5/7896105_faeeb2fe2d.jpg)
