Malaysian Shadow Play and Music: Continuity of an Oral Tradition.

Traditional shadow puppet theater is found in various forms in both insular and mainland Southeast Asia. These forms range from large-scale productions associated with classical court traditions to relatively small-sized folk-art productions in small rural villages. With a history going back several hundred years, this multifaceted performing art tradition combines music, drama, literature, and storytelling with movement and dramatic visual effects.

Most of the previously published materials on this subject deal with Indonesia (primarily Java and Bali) and to a lesser extent Thailand. The Malaysian shadow puppet tradition can be considered a bridge between the …