| Description |
The founder of the Thẩm Rộc puppet troupe is Mr. Ma Quang Bằng (ie Ma Công Bằng). Initially, the puppet set had 5-6 puppets, including 2 male and female puppets with a play/collection of father puppets and mother puppets. During the reign of Mr. Ma Quang Lai, the puppet set increased to 33 with images of mandarins, farmers, buffaloes, dogs, dragons, cranes, horses, geckos, etc. All puppets are shaped in association with aesthetic concepts in The art of painting worship paintings of the Tày people. Most puppets are controlled by bamboo sticks attached to the character's body, head, arms, and legs. The material used to make the puppet is "squid rope" wood. Shallow puppet performance tools include a black canvas stretched up as a stage, musical instruments (string, flute) along with teachings, and the skillful hands of the artist. While the men control the puppets, the women play the zither, sing the keys, and read the characters' lines. Teachings are often rhymed texts. The puppet's performing movements simulate the daily activities and productive labor of the Tày community. There are 16 stories recorded in Nôm Tày Writing. But currently, the puppet troupe can only perform 5 acts, because the remaining acts do not fit the context. The most typical performance of Tày land puppetry is the "tree climber catching gecko" trick. Land puppets are performed by the puppet troupe on holidays throughout the year such as Lunar New Year, Field Festival, etc.
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