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THE SHADOW PUPPET THEATRE OF MALAYSIA: A Study of Waya ng Kulit with Performa nce Scripts and Puppet Designs. By Beth Osnes. Jefferson, NC: McFarland, 2010; pp. 204.
In The Shadow Puppet Theatre of Malaysia: A Study of Wayang Kulit with Performance Scripts and Puppet Designs, Beth Osnes shares her personal journey and scholarly research regarding the world of shadow play in Malaysia. With over twenty years of research and performance experience, Osnes presents not only the insight given by Dalang Hamzah Awang Hamat, with whom she studied as a Fulbright scholar in Kelantan, Malaysia, but also her own lessons learned as a Western scholar seeking an understanding of the art form. More than an autobiographical journey, Osnes's book expands upon the scholarship of Dato' Ghulam-Sarwar Yousof, whose 1997 book The Malay Shadow Play: An Introduction briefly describes shadow play style, equipment, repertoire, operation, religion, symbolism, and performance in a brief sixty-six-page text. In a far more detailed account, Osnes situates Malaysian puppet theatre within the landscape of shadow puppet theatre forms. The first part of the book surveys performance and literary influences from Southeast Asia, China, and India and their correspondences with the Malaysian shadow puppet form. The central chapter focuses on Malaysian shadow puppet theatre and more specifically the rituals and performance conventions associated with Wayang Siam. The final section of the book details the characters, scripts, and performance techniques for puppeteers, educators, and students of all ages.
Chapter 1 presents Southeast Asian shadow puppetry as a multifaceted tradition meant for general audiences that provides "entertainment, healing, balance, spiritual refinement, the appeasement of spirits, and cultural education" (13). Common among shadow puppet performances, Osnes notes, is the use of a muslin screen, a single light...