In the eyes of a sociologist, puppet theatre might be said to belong to the realm of popular culture. With its origins and main audience located in the humbler classes of rural society, this art is an important part of Chinese tradition. Its form has changed little since the Ming dynasty (1368-1644), and the daily life of the Han dynasty (206 B.C.-221 A.D.) serves as the basic material for its stories and themes of loyalty and righteousness. Owing to its popularity, it was used for both educational and entertainment purposes in traditional society.
Puppet theatre has experienced difficult times as of late. A rural art, it lost much of its audience in the tremendous urbanization of the past twenty years. In addition, being educated has come to mean being Westernized for many people, leaving them to shun traditional Chinese art. Another factor has been the communications revolution, which forced puppet theatre to compete with many new forms of entertainment. Puppet theatre and other traditional arts were obliged to adapt or die out.
Updating and keeping puppet theatre alive is no easy task. One televised troupe features heroes with laser guns, but such an innovation is at best a stopgap. Adaptation requires a keen sensitivity to the essentials of this art and considerable appreciation for the potential of modern media. The efforts of the Chukuang Elementary School and the artisans in Tainan mark a good start but only that. Puppet theatre will require long-term commitment and planning from sectors both public and private if it is to have a healthy future.
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Folk art is popular culture, coming out of the lives of the common people and supported by the middle and lower classes of society. (Photo by Chang Liang-kang)
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