WATER
PUPPETS
Water puppetry is performed in a chest-deep pool of water, with the
water's surface as a stage. The puppeteers stand behind a curtained backdrop.
First performed a thousand years ago on the surface of ponds and paddy
fields in Vietnam's Red River Delta, water puppetry (roi nuoc in Vietnamese)
is the lively creation of farmers who spent their days in flooded rice
fields. At some point, they discovered that the water was an excellent
medium for puppetry: it not only concealed the puppeteers' rod and string
mechanisms, but it also provided exciting effects like waves and splashes.
www.sagecraft.com
http://www.sfgate.com/ea/hamlin/1012.2.html
www.vietnamesewaterpuppets.com
SHADOW PUPPETS
An oil lamp flickers in the darkness. Lacy silhouettes dance and flutter as epic tales of rivalry and conquest are laced with classic human lesson and unrestricted wit.
Shadow Play, one of exquisite folk dramas in the East, enjoys great popularity in such countries and areas as China, India, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Iran, Turkey, Arabia and Egypt.
Shadow Play of China which is usually called "the home of shadow
play", with the longest history, the most charming images and the most
marvellous techniques in performance, has exerted great influences on the
world culture.
The Chinese shadow play, has three branches:
hand shadow play
paper shadow play
and leather shadow play.
http://www.pacificnet.net/gamelan/shadowtheater.html
http://www.geocities.com/Broadway/9924/
http://www.mahidol.ac.th/Thailand/art/shadow.html
Punch and Judy
Punch and Judy are arguably the most famous traditional puppets in
the Western World, with a colorful history more than 300 years old. Mr.
Punch, with his hook nose, hunched back and garish costume, is a cultural
icon in England. His unabashed joking and rowdy, mischievous behavior have
provoked paroxyms of laughter from audiences throughout time. An impressive
body of art is graced by Punch's outrageous countenance.
http://www.punchandjudy.com/
http://www.punchandjudyworld.org/