What I Need to Know

Asia has a very rich culture and tradition which are best reflected in their
festivals, theatre, music and many other forms of displays. Our region’s theatre plays
and festivals are known across the globe for their unique styles of drama, music and
implementation of other elements like acrobatics in the play, and use of costumes and
props for embellishments.

Our country, likewise, has a very unique theatre forms and festival
presentations. Let us find out what makes our theatre art and festivals different from
that of our neighboring countries such as Indonesia and Thailand. At the same time,
let us identify the elements and principles of art used in their costumes,
embellishments, and props.

In this module, you will discover the people, festivals and theatre arts of
Indonesia and Thailand. Let me accompany and guide you in working out the activities.

What I Know

SELECTION
Direction: The items below are festivals and theatre forms from Indonesia, Thailand,
and Philippines. Choose from the box the country where the festival/theatre
performance originated. Write the letter of the correct answers in your MAPEH
notebook.

A. Thailand B. Indonesia C. Philippines

1. Sky Lantern Festival

2. Nang Shadow Puppetry
3. Wayang Kulit
4. Sarswela
5. Ati-atihan
6. Balinese dancing
7. Loi Krathong

What’s In

Direction: Examine the photo below. Answer the questions that follow in your Arts
notebook.

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 http://mygrade8art.blogspot.com/

What’s New
1. What do you see in the picture?
2. What makes it unique from other theatre plays?
3. What are the main elements/materials used in this kind of theatre show?
Directions: Use the pictures below to make a simple 5-sentence essay about the
culture and traditions of Asia reflected in the festivals and cultural presentations. Cite
the elements that you see in the pictures that make the festivities livelier.

Anido, 2013 Anido, 2013

What is It
WAYANG KULIT OF INDONESIA
Wayang Kulit, an Indonesian form of shadow puppetry, holds the audience’s
attention with riveting storylines executed masterfully by the dhalang, or puppeteer

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 The puppets are made of buffalo hide
and intricately designed, down to the most
minute detail of costume and color, to help
the audience distinguish between the
different characters.
Sometimes the puppet itself is
referred to as wayang while the word kulit
means skin which is used to create the
puppets. Performances of shadow puppet
theatres are accompanied by a gamelan
AsiaSociety.org
orchestra in Java, and by gender wayang in
Bali. The Indonesian shadow puppet theatre shows are based on the stories of
Ramayana and Mahabharata. Wayang Kulit was declared a Masterpiece of Oral and
Intangible Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO in 2003.
Elements of Performance
The fundamental components of a performance include:
• the puppeteer, dhalang (Java) / dalang (Bali)
• a hammer used by the dhalang to knock on the puppet box, cempala
• metal plates that the dhalang hits with his foot, kepyak
• a traditional Indonesian orchestra, gamelan
• shadow puppets, wayang kulit
• a light source, blencong
• female singers and a male chorus, pesindhen and penggerong
• a screen frame and screen, gawang and kelir; it is the main focus of the
performance
• banana logs, gedebog; the pointed sticks of the wayang base handle pierce the
peeled trunk of a banana tree and the spongy substance holds the
puppets in place
• a puppet box, kothak

BALINESE DANCE FESTIVAL OF INDONESIA

Balinese dances are a very ancient

dance tradition that is a part of the religious
and artistic expression among the Balinese
people. In Hinduism, dance is an
accompaniment to the perpetual dissolving
and reforming of the world. The creative
and reproductive balance is often
personified as Shiva’s wife, Durga,
sometimes is called Uma, Parvati or Kali.
This has significance in Balinese Hinduism,
since the common figure of Rangda is
similar in many ways to Durga.
Oktavia Blog, 2015

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 In Bali, there are various categories of dance, including epic performances such
as the universal Mahabharata and Ramayana. Certain ceremonies at village temples
feature a special performance of a dance drama, a battle between the mythical
characters Rangda, the witch representing evil and Barong, the lion or dragon,
representing good.

Bali dancers learn the craft from their mothers as soon as they are born. In the
womb, they are played the Balinese music and are taught to dance with their hands
before they can walk. Official training as a Bali dancer starts as young as seven. In
Balinese dance, the movement is closely associated with the rhythms produced by
http://bit.ly/3dmefwC
gamelan, a musical ensemble specific to Java and Bali.

Multiple levels of articulations in the face, eyes, hand, arms, hips and feet are
coordinated to reflect the layers of percussive sounds.

Dance Elements

Female dancers wear various

colors of make-up, a crown, both real and
golden flowers in the hair. They also wear
sarong and wrap a long sash from their
hips to their breasts as well as many gold
decorations.

On the other hand, male dancers also

wear make-up but use more red color for their
eyes and cheeks and their eyebrows are
colored to enhance masculinity. They also
have a mask when they dance the topeng
dance, a crown, a cloak, or many pieces of Anido, 2013
these clothes are worn around their body. Male
dancers also carry a sword on their shoulders.

NANG SHADOW PUPPET OF THAILAND

Nang is an ancient form of

shadow theatre in Thailand which
dancing puppeteers perform scenes
from the Ramakien by presenting
cut-out leather figures against a
semi-transparent cloth screen. Its
main drive is to relay to the audience
the importance of Thai values and
ideologies in changing the world.
However, the mystical and historical
events remain fundamental in all
performances.
Miettinen, Disco.teak

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 It is still very popular at village festivals, temple fairs, and celebrations such as
marriages. Its characters are made from intricately cut out and articulated shapes of
leather. In shadow puppet shows, the shadows of the puppets appear on a screen. A
puppeteer behind the screen moves the puppets and speaks their lines. Shadow
puppets like these are popular in some Asian countries.

A large screen, 7–10 metres wide and some 3 metres high, is erected on poles
approximately 2.5 metres above the ground. In front of the screen are often the
musicians of the traditional Thai piphad orchestra, consisting of oboes, xylophones,
gong sets, and other percussion instruments. Sitting and sometimes standing among
the orchestra are two narrators, who recite and sing the text enacted by the silhouettes
on the screen.

Two Types of the Nang:

1. Nang Talung – is played with leather puppets, each representing a separate

character, about 50 centimeters high. They usually possess a movable, jointed arm
controlled by a string.

2. Nang Yai – is normally made of cowhide and rattan, a large, decorated

scenes and characters measuring around two meters high and a meter wide. They do
not have jointed arms, but the themes and styles remain the same.

SKY LANTERN FESTIVAL OF THAILAND

The Sky Lantern Festival of

Thailand is held not just in this
country but also in China, Taiwan,
and other neighboring countries.
This event is about the launching of
lanterns which are actually small hot
air balloons. Each release of a sky
lantern is a petition, small prayer or
good wishes of the person who
released the lantern. This event is
held on the full moon of the 12th Anido, 2013
month in the traditional Thai lunar
calendar. In the Western calendar this usually falls in November.

Here are some samples of different meanings/symbolism of releasing Sky Lanterns:

1. It sends a person’s bad luck and misfortune away into the air, especially if it
disappears from view before the fire goes out.
2. People say a short prayer before launching the lantern. Sometimes they will
also write their address in the lantern. Anyone who later finds the lantern can then
claim money from the sender. In this way, the good fortune is shared.

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 3. It is considered good luck to release a sky lantern, and many Thais believe
they are symbols of problems and worries floating away.
4. It is an act of veneration to Pra Ged Kaew Ju La Mannee (the Crystal Chedi
in heaven in which the Buddha’s hair is kept) by sending air ballooned lanterns into
the high sky.

LOI KRATHONG FESTIVAL

Perhaps one of the

most visually mesmerizing
celebrations in the world, the
Loi Krathong festival in
Thailand. It is a favorite
memory for all who
experience the magic. For
good reason, Loi Krathong
(also spelled as Loy
Krathong) is the most popular
fall festival in Thailand.
Kkday, 2019.
During Loi Krathong, thousands of small, candlelit floats (krathongs) are
released on rivers and waterways as offerings to the river spirits. Krathongs are small,
decorated floats made from dried bread or banana leaves that are placed in the river
with a candle as an offering.

Sometimes a coin is placed on the float for good luck as misfortune floats away.
Krathongs are launched to demonstrate gratitude to the Goddess of Water and to ask
forgiveness for the pollution. Ironically, much pollution as a result of the festival can be
seen floating on the water the next day.

What’s more
Directions: Read the sentences below. Answer the questions that follow in your Arts
notebook.

Festivals are very lovely and wonderful occasions. Who wouldn’t want to be a
part of any festival?

Q1. Do you remember the last festival you joined or participated? What was the
name of it?
Q2. Which of the festivals discussed in this module would you like most to be a part
of? Why?

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 Even if festivals are wonderful occasions, they also have their downsides.

Q3. Cite at least 2 downsides of festivals. Explain each.

Q4. How do you think can these downsides be avoided?

What I Have Learned

Directions: Copy and complete this diary in your Arts notebook.

My Diary

Dear Diary,

I observed that the festivals and theatre arts of Indonesia, and Thailand
are . I learned that _
_. Aside from the things I learned, I also developed my
skills in _.

While doing the activities, I felt _ .

Sincerely yours,

What I Can Do
You have learned, through this module, that Wayang Kulit of Indonesia and Yang Nai
of Thailand uses puppets to portray different characters in telling stories. Now this will
be your chance to draw/color a sample 2D image of Wayang Kulit puppet.

You will need:

• Any coloring materials you have at home, or can buy (crayons, or coloring
pen/pencils, or pastel, or watercolor, or paint), whichever is most accessible or
available.
• Printed coloring pattern (this will be provided by the teacher) If the teacher is
unable to provide due to limited resources, you may draw the pattern provided
in the next page.

Instruction:
• Prepare the above materials

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 • Using any coloring material, color the Wayang Kulit pattern as you desire.
• You may use any color in doing so and make your puppet look as beautiful as
you like.

5 4 3
Criteria
Excellent Good Poor
1. Color and The use of at least 5 The use of at The use of one
creativity colors or more least 3-color color leading to
combination having combination with poor output.
remarkable an acceptable
creativity. skill of creativity
2. Craftsmanship Output is Output is fair with Output is poorly
exceptionally unique less attention to made with no
with much attention details. attention to
to details. details at all.
3. Effort Work shows extra Work shows Work shows little
effort is exerted to basic effort is to less effort is
make the output exerted to make exerted to make
special. the output. the output.
4. Punctuality The student The student The student
submitted the output submitted the submitted as a
on time. output a few “removal”.
weeks after the
submission
period.

Suggestion to the teacher: please provide photocopy to the students (if possible) of
the pattern found on the next page so that they will no longer have to draw.

Name: _ Grade and Section: _ _

Points earned: _
“WAYANG KULIT PUPPET MASK”

Source: https://bit.ly/3uhwnh5

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 Assessment

I. Multiple Choice. Read the questions carefully and write the letter of the correct
answer in your MAPEH notebook.

1. It is the shadow puppet play of Indonesia.

A. Gender Wayang B.Kabuki C. Nang D. Wayang Kulit
2. Bali dancers learn the craft from their as soon as they are born.
A. friends B. nurse C. mothers D. teachers
3. The Puppeteer of Java, Indonesia is called .
A. Blencong B. Dalang C. Gawang D. Kothak
4. The Indonesian shadow puppet theatre shows are based on the stories of
.
A. Biag Ni Lam-ang C. Ramayana and Mahabharata
B. Nagarakretagama D. The tale of the Heike
5. During Loi Krathong, thousands of small, candlelit floats (krathongs) are released
on rivers and waterways as offerings to the .
A. dieties B. fairies C. river monsters D. river spirits
6. The light's source in Wayang Kulit performances is called .
A. blencong B. cempala C. gamelan D. kepyak

II. Enumeration

7-8. Two types of Nang

9-10. Meaning/symbolism of flying sky lanterns

Additional Activity

Do this activity at night, better after you have eaten dinner with your family.
Grab a flashlight and invite your family to watch your performance. Using your hands,
or any material that are available at the moment, make a shadow performance in a
blank wall to entertain them. Be sure that the story will tell something good and nice,
or something that your audience will get positive lessons from. You may document
your performance and submit it to your teacher (if possible)