Rod Puppet Theatre and Islamic Tales: A Lecture and Demonstration of Wayang Golek Menak from Java

Event time: 
Tuesday, November 27, 2018 - 7:00am to 8:00am
Location: 
West Campus Building 900 (Collections Study Center) (W-900) See map
900 West Campus Drive
West Haven, CT 06516
Admission: 
Free, but register in advance
Open to: 
Yale Community Only
Event description: 

Lecture and demonstration from noon – 1 pm, followed by a lunch of Indonesian food from 1 – 2 pm.

This lecture-demonstration will explore the drama and visual culture of wayang golek menak, a form of rod puppetry practiced in Java, Indonesia that enacts tales about Amir Hamzah, the uncle of the Prophet Muhammad. The lecture-demonstration, led by two Fellows at the Yale ISM this semester, Dr. Dewanto Sukistono and Professor Matthew Cohen, will use puppets in the Dr. Walter Angst and Sir Henry Angest Collection of Indonesian Puppets, the world’s largest collection of Indonesian puppets (wayang) acquired by the Yale University Art Gallery in 2017. The event will begin with a short introduction to the art of wayang by Professor Cohen, which will be followed with a description of the specific characteristics of wayang golek menak by Dr. Dewanto Sukistono. Dr. Sukistono and colleagues will then enact a shortened version of the play Amir Sowan (Amir Pays Tribute), in which Amir asserts his country’s independence, with puppets drawn from Yale’s collection. A free buffet lunch of Indonesian food will be available immediately after the performance.