Theatre in Southeast Asia

An astonishing variety of theatrical performances may be seen in the eight countries of Southeast Asia--Burma Cambodia Indonesia Laos Malaysia the Philippines Thailand and Vietnam. James Brandon spent more than three years observing and interviewing troupe members in these countries. He describes twenty-five of the most important theatrical forms grouping them according to their origins as folk court popular or Western theatre. He considers the theatre from four perspectives: its origins its art its role as a social institution and its function as a medium of communication and propaganda. Brandon's wide-ranging and lively discussion points out interesting similarities and differences among the countries and many of his superb photographs are included here.