Water puppetry, or roi nuoc is one of the most autnentic expressions of Vietnamese culture. The puppeteers stand in waist-deep water behind a stage and maneuver wooden puppets that tell traditional folk stories set to music played by a traditional orchestra.
4 comments:
This looks like it would be a interesting and fun performance to watch.
LW,
It was pretty cool to see this show. You go into a big auditorium and instead of there being a stage, there's a pool of water with a curtain (about half way back from the front of the pool) hanging above it. On the side is the stage and when the show is about to begin, the orchestra comes out (with instruments you've never seen before) and starts to play. Eventually, the puppets come from under the water and act out stories.
Here's some more information and a picture of the "stage."
http://www.traveltovietnam.com/catalog/Shows/Water%20Puppet/
I don't know if you can watch UTube movies at school, but here is one that actually shows you the performance!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eYP0gd2uEaQ
The puppets look really interesting. Are they all handmade and unique?
Jalyn W
Yes, Jalyn. Every puppet is a piece of real folk sculpture. It is made of wood, painted with water-proof lacquer. The prominent character is buffoon Teu with a plump body and a humorous smile.
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