functions & manipulation

Editor's Notes

• #2: Good …………………. Lady and gentlemen !!!!!!!!!!!!!
• #3: Among the four varieties of puppets namely the glove puppet, the rod puppet, the shadow puppet and the string puppet, the Myanmar puppet falls into the last category, string puppet. The string puppet is the most capable of presenting human movements.
• #4: Myanmar puppets are entirely different from the puppets of neighboring countries in style, form of dance, connection of parts, dress and handling. The puppets are specially designed to enable them to perform dancing movements rather than characteristic stage movements. In fact, Burmese puppetry embodies in itself, the different arts such as dancing, singing, painting, sculpting and costume designing. Movements are coordinated with the song, that is sung or played.
• #5: For the puppets of major characters, the singers or the actor and the manipulator are different persons performing in synchronized manner. Because the singer, the puppeteer and the musicians all work together in precise timing and step, puppetry is often referred to as an art that employs two or three persons having a single mind. (Three-body-one-soul). It is not easy for a person with just two hands to manipulate a puppet with 16 to 30 strings making it more precisely with the music. Moreover, it is difficult to coordinate movement, music and speech in order to present a deep feeling of romance, sadness, humor, hatred or admiration.
• #9: Emphasis was on the dialogue, relying on the poetry to describe the scenes. Words are his means. Not ordinary words, but words of the poetry with elegant phrases which could insinuate themselves through the ears of the audience to their imagination, so that in no time, whatever their eyes may be seeing, their mind's eyes are seeing not a stick but a snake! With the captured imagination so grippingly that, marionettes were no longer dolls but human beings as large as life, on a stage, as large as nature. Even the strings were forgotten. Until the 1870s, many of the puppets were worked with very few strings and acted merely as a focal point for the vocalist. Audiences came to listen to rather than see a performance. So, a vocalists was senior to a manipulator because no matter how cleverly the puppeteer worked his puppets, it was the voice that held the audience’s attentions
• #10: Myanmar marionette enjoyed the rare and powerful privilege of being speakers of both king and man. IT was not only for entertainment, but also a highly esteemed art by all classes. Marionettes were means of making people aware of current events, a medium for educating the audience in literature, history and religion, a display of life style and customs. At the same time they functioned as mouthpieces for the people in the days of royalty, tiny hands in state and social affairs. The small dolls-Yoke Thei-enjoyed greater freedom of speech, dress and movement than live performers. They therefore played a significant role in the development of dance and dramatic arts.
• #11: The ancient people admonished their children by telling the example of the stories in the puppet show. The main purpose of showing the puppet show to the children of those days was for their civilization and intellectuality. It is said that there were some very selfish people who changed and mended their wrong ways and did the social welfare after learning the lessons from the puppet show. So, the puppeteers and the dramatic artists of those days were enlisted in the educational service. It means the puppeteers were the functionaries who enable the public civilization. Marionettes not only educated the audience but also gave the warning with dialogues or the jokes to make the remedy of unsuitable matters. So the puppeteers always kept learning to know every matters in the state or the area of the puppet show and they put it in their dialogues and jokes. When the public dare not apply some matters to the king directly, they tried to send it to the king's ear through the Grand Imperial stage of the king using their wisdom. In this way, marionettes were the public forum and they could function for the good of public.
• #12: Second part of the puppet show always began with four ministers within the palace. That part was known as the foundation of the kingdom. In days of few newspapers, they passed on news of current affairs, discussion on the finger points of religion and secular texts and on the affairs of government, with their wide knowledge. That part was considered to have freedom to discuss as the public forum. Puppeteers who were late for a performance were punished by the Lord Mayor. (U Thar Pyaw was the most famous Mintha vocalist during the reign of King Mindon, and soon became the king's favorite) Once, puppet singer U Thar Byaw was late for a royal performance, and the mayor had him fettered with leg iron and thrown in jail. Beseeching his warders, U Thar Byaw sneaked onto the stage where he fettered his puppet prince, and made it shuffle to and fro across the stage, wailing piteously- No gold anklets did Mama adore me, No gold anklets did Papa adore me, Here I stumble, iron anklets did the Mayor adore me! The king, much amused and ordered his release.   And there was another case then. Every appointment of the nine district ministers never lasted and were dismissed within a year. So that the new nine district ministers asked Thabin Wun U Thaw for help. U Thaw created a plot of that case in a scene of puppet show for the king. He let the district minister who was traveling on horseback ride backward. When the Hluttaw Minister asked the reason of sitting backward, U Thaw explained that it was because to be easy to dismount when order of his dismissal arrived. When that joke reached to the king's ears, the king made out order not to dismiss the nine district ministers without his order. Moreover, the warriors of that time had to serve their service at any time with mental and physical hard work. So Thabin Wun U Thaw had to contrive to make it into the king's ears. So, one day at the puppet show of the grand imperial state, U Thaw plotted a joke and let the jester boil the water. Another jester suggested that- "Hey, why don't you put the tea pot on a warrior's back to boil very quickly instead of making it with that piece of wood?" When the king learnt that he made out an order not to ill-treat and torture the warriors. And there was another thing also. When a warrior died his wife was ordered to be with the march on behalf of the husband. So U Thaw plotted a question to a minister after the four minister's discussion in the puppet show.   1 st Minister – Could you tell me the meaning of "Mi Ni Tat Pr"? (Tat = Army/Par=be with) 2 nd Minister - Mi Ni Tat Par means Comparison in Grammar. 1 st Minister – No! When a warrior died, his wife was ordered to serve in the march on behalf of her husband. So, this is just asking you whether you know that about Mi Ni.   When the king knew about that, ordered to let MI NI go back home. 1821 to 1885 was a high time for the Myanmar Puppetry. With Royal patronage from the officials and riches.  
• #13: So, a normal size of a puppet is 28 inches high, about 2 feet. A human figure is divided into a 3 sections with 32 to 45 strings attached to the appropriate parts. But, now only 12 strings are strung to be easy to manipulate. There are 2 strings attached to the temple from the cross-bar, making the head nod and move. A distinctive feature of Myanmar puppet. And 2 strings at the shoulder and one at the base of the spine. These so-called 5 guy ropes are the basic strings, taking the weight of the marionettes, called the life-strings, for the slightest movement of them give a puppet ‘life’ making the bosom fall and rise as if breathing. The dancing strings are the ones, connecting the hands and legs. There are 3 methods of manipulating the Burmese Marionettes. Single string handling, double strings handling and triple strings handling
• #14: Single string handling is used to walk or dance a puppet. It is connected to the knees of a puppet. Normally, when manipulate such kind of characters like Ogre and Alchemist, we use this technique.
• #15: Double strings handling is used to show the gesture, manner or the action of a puppet. And the jerky dance. And to pick up the pearl beads or the pasoc. (They are) – Double strings are the ones connected to the arm and palm. So they are the arm string and the palm string.
• #16: Triple strings handling is used when both hands and feet are desired to dance. Triple strings are the arm string, palm string and the leg string, 3 strings are to be held together but the arm string is to be twisted clockwise by thumb. We use this technique for the prince, princess, lady votaress and the page boy to get a beautiful dance.
• #17: When manipulating a Myanmar Marionette, the handle must be held in the left hand and the strings are to be held in the right hand. The way to hold the handle is like this. The handle (cross bar) must be on the index finger. Set the middle finger free and the back cross bar must be between the thumb and folded ring finger and little finger. It is important to hold the handle in correct way. Even with non-dancing puppets, the puppeteer’s talent is judged solely on how alive a puppet appears in his hands from the moment the crossbar is held.
• #18: Explain something for this slide but you did already something about it previous slide ????
• #19: The hip string of the puppet must be placed on the middle of the palm and is to be controlled by the ring finger not to fall down. The liveliness of a puppet entirely depends on the movement of the left hand. Even the slightest movement of the left hand with the life strings give a puppet ‘life’, nodding, titling head or making the bosom fall and rise as if breathing. In this way, movements of the head can be manipulated with the appropriate movement of the handle. When holding the strings in the right hand, the thumb must be stretched out. The string is on the thumb and it goes under the index finger and on the other three fingers. The strings are to be adjusted on the hand to get center. One important thing is, the left hand, which is holding the handle must be stretched out, straight, lifted high enough, let the feet of the puppet touch the floor, standing tall, so that the puppet would not be looking awkward. So, you have to be strong enough to keep lifting and manipulating the puppet without rest. In order to make the puppet look alive, the handle must be kept moving manipulating. So, also the head of the puppet as well must be moved in accordance with the speech or music.
• #20: Thank you !!!