Below the stage stand a crowd of older people, chewing on betel nuts. These patrons of puppet theatre are joined by the four puppet troupes left in Taiwan, who abandon their traditional competitive stance to come together and view the play. Professors and others concerned about the future of folk art as well as reporters and photographers with flash cameras are on the scene. Who behind the stage is responsible for the hubbub? A troupe of youngsters, believe it or not, whose average age is below eleven.

The play is based on the book "The Journey To The West," and begins with a dazzling introduction of gongs and drums and storms and soldiers. As the plot unfolds, the audience becomes enwrapped in the turns of the story, and sighs and shouts of approval can be heard.

Li T'ien-lu, a renowned puppet master, is the leader of the troupe, but its origins lie in the creative mind of Kuo Tuan-chen, arts and crafts teacher at Chukuang Elementary School. He considered marionettes and shadow plays but finally picked puppet theatre, because its relative simplicity made it easier for children.

In an unusual twist, the troupe at the beginning lacked not funds nor students, but a teacher. Says Kuo, "We were all dressed up with no one to tell us where to go." Last February, however, Li T'ien-lu decided to help Kuo and his little charges, eventually teaching four hours a week and generously donating a stage, costumes, gongs, bells, and over one hundred puppets.

Li himself works with the oldest puppet theatre troupe in Taiwan, a group known for its exquisite and subtle movement and elegant language. The students managed well during their performances and upheld the name and reputation of the troupe, but reverted back to elementary school form in their rambunctious rehearsals.

Li and Kuo decided early to teach to the students' interests and not to force them to study puppet techniques. If they wanted to study one technique for a day and another for month, that was fine. Children were also allowed to "play" whatever character they wished, and usually chose the roles that best suited their personalities. War plays proved to be the most popular, with their gongs and drums, but as one child said, "It's fun, but if you drum too long, your hand will go numb."

Among the children, Ch'en Hsing-kuang stood out for his delightful performance as a bodhisattva. With little hands and a clear voice, his singing quickly prompted the other children to join in, creating an interesting melange of different pitches and accents. Children in general were very responsive to the play, baring their teeth and stamping their feet whenever the evil character showed his face.

Being children, mistakes were inevitable. Demons that should have died came back to life as monkeys, drummers forgot to drum, and sometimes characters, without any apparent reason, disappeared from the stage. Nevertheless, such mishaps added flavor to what was, after all, a children's theatre troupe.

The students never tired of rehearsing and performing. What did wear out were the puppets themselves. Heads would droop, and the teachers made the students line up their puppets and fold them neatly to preserve their proper appearance.

At the end of the performance, the students, dressed in uniforms and caps, with bookbags on their backs, lined up in front of the stage. Then they and their puppets, tidied up with equal fastidiousness, thanked their teachers and went home.

[Picture Caption]

"Take that!" Action behind the stage is as furious as it is on it with t his most involved of puppet theatre troupes.

The premiere performance brought out the entire neighborhood as well as attracting many passers-by.

One look and you know who missed their cue.

In the mirror is the life-like world of the puppets, while at right is Li T'ien-lu.

This drummer turns in a brick-aided performance.

The premiere performance brought out the entire neighborhood as well as attracting many passers-by.

One look and you know who missed their cue.

This drummer turns in a brick-aided performance.

In the mirror is the life-like world of the puppets, while at right is Li T'ien-lu.