Jointly reported by:
Rachel Koh Huey Shin Jr3Z(2)
Ho Chia Chien Jr3Z(4)
Lim Shu Mih Jr3S(4)
In association with the Bulan Bahasa, Malay Education Week, Kuen Cheng High School organized a webinar featuring Dr Fiona Wang from Sunway University on 25th June 2022, starting from 10.30 a.m. till 12.30 p.m. This talk about shadow play or shadow puppetry is obligatory for all Junior Middle 3 students to attend.
After a brief self-introduction, Dr Fiona proceeded to share different types of shadow plays in Asia and the Southeast Asian regions. She explained that shadow plays in Asia are an ancient form of storytelling and entertainment. It is an old tradition with a long history in Southeast Asia, especially in Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, and Cambodia. It is also an ancient art and a living folk tradition in China, India, Iran and Nepal.
Different Types of Shadow Plays in Asia and the Southeast
Up next was the introduction to various types of shadow plays in Malaysia. Among many of them, Kelantan shadow play will be the main shadow play introduced in this talk. Indian (Hinduism), Javanese Balinese traditional beliefs as well as Thai and Islamic influences are obvious in the Kelantan shadow play performances, characters and puppets. Dr Fiona then showed the participants a documentary about the history of Kelantan Shadow Play in 1956.
Moving on, Dr Fiona narrated a captivating story from Kelantan’s shadow play vividly. The students listened, enthralled, as she unfolded the tale. Afterwards, she asked the students to sketch a hero using their imagination and creativity and then post it on the Padlet given. She highly encourages students to draw in the traditional way instead of the digital way because feelings and creativity can flow better without restrictions when one draws with a pencil.
Lastly, the speaker showed students the process of making Kelantan shadow play puppets.
Kelantan shadow play Puppet making process
Photo with Dr Fiona and Vice Principal
Puppets
Before the talk ended, there was an interview session in which she shared her first exposure to shadow play. Surprisingly, she was not at all interested in shadow play until she met two experienced professors in shadow play who showed her its beauty. Through them, not only did she fall deeply in love with shadow play, but she was also presented with a new perspective on local cultures.
In Dr Wang’s opinion, she must introduce the world to such a beautiful art as Shadow play to increase its exposure to the public so that it can be passed down through generations and continue to flourish for many centuries to come. Let us appreciate and protect the unique art of Malaysia hand in hand!