Revitalization Effort in General:

Unfortunately puppetry has been on the decline for many years. Puppetry doesn't have the same level of artistic respect that other forms of drama and sculpture have. Regional "folk" puppetry was being driven to extinction by the stigma of being considered "A LESSER ART", political changes, and the pressures of modern forms of entertainment (TV, Movies, and etc.)

Also ritual uses of puppets declined because of the above reasons and in part because ritual appeasement rites were viewed as superstitions and were generally discouraged. They became unpopular and quickly declined. Thus the ritual use of puppets has not had the same level of effort paid to its revitalization.

Luckily several groups have realized that regional "folk" puppetry is a cultural treasure and they are researching some forms of traditional puppetry: puppet making methods, stories, staging, characters, etc. Hopefully with the dedicated efforts of puppetry revitalization groups, regional puppet theaters will continue to make their "dolls dance".

In many cases too many years have passed. Can a revitalization of a folk tradition be truly authentic? This is especially difficult if there are no living eye-witnesses or detailed written descriptions of the traditional performances. Jane-Marie Law stresses that any revitalization effort can only strive to be "authentic as they can or want to be". An unpopular element of an old tradition can be very easily edited from the revitalization effort and most people would not know nor care.

"Throughout the 1950s, the (Japanese) Ministry of Education asked regional and prefectural boards of education to identify local performance traditions. In numerous villages throughout Japan, committees were formed to identify the folk performances of local shrines or temples and carefully reconstruct their histories, often filling in details and borrowing dance, music, and costuming from other areas to lend an air of authenticity. Claiming historical accuracy was of ultimate importance, even if the performance tradition had been interrupted by as much as eighty years."

quoted from Jane-Marie Law in PUPPETS OF NOSTALGIA

Revitalization Effort: China

Like other Asian countries, China is eager to show the world the richness of the Chinese culture and arts. Chinese puppet theater groups have toured outside of China, and have participated in many International Puppet Festivals.

Chinese puppetry has a very long history and tradition but it is still evolving. One of the government of Taiwan web sites describes some of the changes in the Taiwan glove puppet tradition:

"Puppetry in Taiwan has had to adjust to new trends in order to maintain its appeal to a gradually diminishing audience. The stage has been expanded and modified. The glove puppets have been enlarged. More three-dimensional props are used, and a wider variety of plays are presented with diverse themes and greater dramatic appeal."

Revitalization Effort: Japan

Revitalizing The Awaji Island Puppet Tradition: (based on PUPPETS OF NOSTALGIA)

Awaji Island has a great history of ritual and theatrical puppetry. At the beginning of the nineteenth century there were eighteen fully functioning troupes and more than several hundred itinerant puppeteers living in Sanjo. In 1907 the number of troupes was twelve; in 1936, eleven; and in 1951, only four, none of which was really managing to survive. Hardly any troupes and no itinerant puppeteers were performing.

Efforts at revitalization were started as early as 1935 with the organization of the "Awaji Puppetry Arts Revival Society". The war interrupted this organization. In 1949 Fudo Saiichi founded the "Awaji Ningyo Honzonkai" and wrote the book, "Awaji Ningyo Shibai no Yurai (Origins of Awaji puppetry)". The book was followed by local efforts to collect documents and preserve artifacts. Despite the revitalization efforts before and after the war, the Awaji puppetry tradition was on the road to extinction.

Awaji - The Mihara Senior High School Folk Performing Arts Club
345-1, Engyoji Ichi Mihara-cho Mihara-gun Hyogo-pref. Japan

The Mihara Senior High School Folk Performing Arts Club was established in 1952. The club has striven to study, preserve and promote the Awaji Puppet Theater.

According to text from the Usa Hachiman shrine, puppeteers played a role in the defeat of the Hayato by the centralized government in 720. Until the late Meiji period, puppeteers from two rival subsidiary shrines of the Usa complex (Kohyo and Koyo shrines) presented a sumo match with puppets as part of the larger Usa rite.

Today Kohyo has received large government subsidies to house and maintain its collection of ancient puppets and to revive its performance traditions. Basing their reconstruction of performances on written texts, the physical capabilities of the extant puppets they possess, and on the most general ideas of Shinto performance, puppets again perform appeasement ceremony every four years as part of the Usa Hojo-e at the Kohyo Shrine.

Unfortunately the rival shrine, Koyo, did not receive the subsides and has not been able to do much more than maintain its collection of old puppets - thus this traditional rivalry has not continued.

Zaw-Gyi (Alchemist / Wizard) (75 cm) photo thanks to Mandalay Marionettes & Cultural Show

Mandalay Marionette Theater & Cultural Show A private team of professional artists (under the supervision of researcher Dr. Tin Maung Kyi) has tried to restore the folk art of Burmese puppets. This special marionette show gives tourists an idea of ancient Myanmar and Burmese culture. Photo of princess and handmaiden on stage photo of an artist stringing a marionette

Revitalization Effort: Thailand

Royal Encouragement

Realizing the importance of puppetry in the Thai cultural experience, the King of Thailand celebrated a recent anniversary by calling for an International Puppet Festival:

"In August 1996, the Thailand Cultural Centre, Office of the National Culture Commission of the Ministry of Education organized the INTERNATIONAL PUPPET FESTIVAL in honour of His Majesty the King’s Golden Jubilee Celebrations."

(quoted from a now defunct web page about Thai puppetry)

"HUN LAKORN LEK is a recent revival of an art form which had actually died out. Master Puppeteer Sakorn Yangkeowsod re-invented a full figure puppet show adding his own developments. His large troupe of family members now stage puppets which have sophisticated (and secret) joints."

(quoted from a now defunct web page about Thai puppetry)