– A refreshing look at the ancient art of Malaysian shadow play
For this week’s edition of Jom Belajar, Grade 8 Drama students were recently visited by special guest Tintoy Chuo from Fusion Wayang Kulit (Fusion WK), an award-winning Malaysian shadow puppetry and gamelan ensemble.
Wayang kulit or shadow puppetry is described in Beautiful Terengganu, an official Malaysian tourism website, as a fascinating theatre of shadows and light where intricately carved puppets are used to act out stories of good and evil based on ancient myths and legends. Wayang kulit is also considered part of Malaysia’s heritage and is protected under the UNESCO Masterpiece of Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity.
During the Grade 8 virtual session, Tintoy shared with the students how Fusion WK keeps the tradition of wayang kulit alive by fusing Malaysian puppetry techniques with well-known modern pop culture icons such as Star Wars, DC superheroes (Batman, Wonder Woman), and Bruce Lee, to name a few.
He spoke to the students about the difference between Malaysian wayang kulit and other forms of shadow puppetry worldwide, showed samples of his puppetry artwork, the design process, and how their performances and artistry have impacted the global cultural scene.
Thank you again to Mr. Tintoy for visiting our Grade 8 Drama Students and MS faculty Tori McClanahan and Abena Baiden for sharing this wonderful learning experience with our community.
