In Yen Duc, Vietnam we had “backstage passes” to check out the water puppet theater–one of the most celebrated artistic traditions dating back to the 11th century. It’s charming and surprisingly impressive. We sat on miniature stools cramped among an array of puppets and watched the action unfold before us. Nine people in waders maneuvered the puppets in perfect time to the music, while hidden behind a reed screen. Some of the beautifully painted puppets required 4 people to handle and manipulate the pulleys and poles to make the characters dance, jump, and run over the water.
Leave a Reply