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The Southern Thai Shadowplay Tradition in Historical Context

1993; Cambridge University Press; Volume: 24; Issue: 2 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1017/s0022463400002654

1474-0680

Peter Vandergeest, Paritta Chalermpow-Koanantakool,

Diversity and Impact of Dance

The shadowplay of Southeast Asia has often been understood as a reflection of local cultural patterns, and it has therefore been the object of much scholarly interest. That interest has been directed especially at the Javanese play, although much has also been written about Balinese and Malaysian shadowplay performances. The shadowplay performance is not usually associated with Thailand, and the shadowplay there has not been subjected to the same degree of scrutiny as in Indonesia and Malaysia. Nevertheless, such a tradition is thriving among Tai-speaking Buddhist peoples in peninsular (Southern) Thailand, particularly in the provinces of Songkhla, Thammarat, and Phatthalung on the long-settled rice plain stretching from Songkhla near the Malay border to Nakhon Si Thammarat, where most puppeteers are found.