Water puppets will provide more than just a child’s play

Friday, October 10, 1997

Water puppets will provide more than just a child’s play

THEATER:

By Trinh Bui

Daily Bruin Contributor

Two years ago, the Thang Long Water Puppet Theater embarked on
its first tour of the States. During the visit, Thang Long intended
to introduce an ancient form of water puppetry to a small group of
curious Americans. Instead, it wound up mesmerizing sold-out
audiences with its vibrant colored wooden puppets and
fire-breathing dragons bobbing up and down in a pool of water.

Thang Long returns to America this weekend at the Sunset Canyon
Amphitheater — this time in an attempt to win Los Angeles over
with a little culture and an ensemble of floating water
puppets.

There is a lot to absorb for the inquisitive parent or child who
happens to see a Thang Long puppet show this weekend. Come prepared
for a sensory explosion of color and sound that will remind the
average Westerner of the quintessential Far East experience.

The orchestra, composed of bamboo and wood xylophones, shells
and gongs, creates an earthy singsong atmosphere. As the band
plays, the puppets, wrapped in primary colors, slither across the
pool, splashing water and throwing fire at the audience. It can
only be compared to a low-tech Speilberg fairy tale.

"It is amazing what they can do with water and puppets. It is a
Dr. Suess book come to life on stage. The dolls are lifelike,
completely three-dimensional. It is just so pleasing to the eye
that it makes it hard for people to resist the water puppets," says
touring manager Rita D’Angelo.

Though compared to contemporary children’s entertainment, the
love of this theater has an extensive history. The Thang Long Water
Puppet Theater started out as a children’s-education program nearly
three decades ago in Hanoi, Vietnam. Initially, the troupe was
commissioned by the state to promote education in Hanoi’s suburbs.
From their humble inception, the company soon bloomed into a
national phenomenon, attracting adults as well as children.

For the company’s artistic director, Le Van Ngo, the success of
the program is due in large part to the water puppets, which have a
long history in Vietnam.

"The water puppets represent more than entertainment to the
Vietnamese people," Ngo says. "It is the history and traditions of
our ancestors brought to the stage in the same manner as it was
back then. So there is a tie between the past and present that
attracts people to the performances."

The story behind the water puppets dates back nearly 1,000 years
to the rice paddies of northern Vietnam. Using techniques devised
by peasant farmers, Thang Long performers operate in waist-high
water behind a pagoda, mock up and control the intricately designed
puppets with bamboo rods. For the more difficult movements, two or
more puppeteers are needed.

The carefully choreographed puppet dances are performed on the
water’s surface while musicians and singers encourage the
puppeteers to embellish the story. This unusual technique of
puppetry piques the interest of the foreign audience.

"They are all pretty shocked by how sophisticated the entire
production is because you hear the word puppet and immediately
assume that it is a children’s show," Ngo says. "But once they
actually see the puppets move, they start to figure out how the
puppets are moving without strings and they realize that it is an
elaborate production."

Now, with over 12 years of successful touring experience in Asia
and Europe, Thang Long is one of the few Vietnamese exhibitions to
find a niche in the international-theater scene.

Coming from a state-regulated country, Thang Long seems to have
escaped the pitfalls of censorship. D’Angelo cites the troupe’s
strict dedication to children’s folk art as their shield from
censorship.

"There are not many theatrical groups in Asia and there are
fewer that deal strictly with folk art and education. Thang Long
was created just for the people. It has nothing to do with
government or political issues," D’Angelo says. "This is something
that suits everybody, be it adult or child. There is really nothing
to censor. It is just a simple story of how they fish and
farm."

Through the exquisite backdrop and an eclectic cast of
characters, Thang Long’s goal has remained the same since they
first began touring. They continue to teach people about the
Vietnamese farmlands and their everyday activities through a stage
of floating dolls.

"We just want to show our daily activities and how we live," Ngo
says. "Through water puppets, we hope to remind people about man’s
relationship with his natural surroundings in a way that we are
proud of."

THEATER: Tickets for the Thang Long Water Puppet Theater are
from $9 to $20. For more information, call 310-825-2101.

UCLA Center for the Performing Arts

Thang Long Water Puppet Troupe presents handcrafted character
puppets that dance on the water to Vietnamese drums, gongs, flutes
and harps.

Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *