The research for this paper aimed to explore the environment for rod puppet performances in Thailand from 2014-2023. Rod puppet performances were analyzed by examining the existence of various troupes and the occasions such troupes hold performances. Rod puppet troupes can be classified into three types: 1) traditional folk rod puppet troupes; 2) contemporary rod puppet troupes and; 3) applied rod puppet troupes. The occasions for which rod puppet performances are held indicate that the functions of such performances has shifted from entertainment to a form of cultural heritage that needed to be preserved. Losing the function as entertainment has had a significant impact on traditional folk rod puppet troupes in that they are no longer hired to perform, thus many have disbanded. Whereas, contemporary rod puppet troupes have revamped their puppet performances to be more interesting by adjusting the method to present the puppets, expanded the stories used for performance and used special techniques in puppet shows. This has provided the opportunity to perform on special occasions, for example, royal funerals, the royal coronation ceremony of the king, as well as other kinds of performances, such as khon-masked dance plays and lakorn classic dance plays As for applied rod puppet troupes, which includes puppetry clubs in schools and universities, such troupes have adjusted the functions of the puppets to present local or cultural content of each community and, thus, have been able to perform more constantly.

Authors:
Ratchaneekorn Ratchatakorntrakoon, Chulalongkorn University, Thailand

About the Presenter(s)
Dr Ratchaneekorn Ratchatakorntakoon is an expert researcher at Institute of Thai Studies, Chulalongkorn University Thailand. Her research interest is literature and media, puppet performance literature, cultural preservation.

Connect on ResearchGate
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Ratchaneekorn-Ratchatakorntrakoon

Additional website of interest
https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=59Co2NkAAAAJ&hl=th

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