FPS543 : Traditional theatre / College of Creative Arts

Traditional Theatre is designed to build the students’ understanding and awareness of the principles and concepts of the Malay traditional theatre such as Mak Yong, Wayang Kulit, Menora. The course exposes student to the basic principle of researching new creation, development, and performances. The issues of the involution of traditional Malay heritage, the arts as an expression of nationalism that are needed to be addressed if the high culture is to be considered is also discussed. Revival and preservation of the heritage will remain an urgent priority must now shift to one that emphasizes creativities and productions that can be accepted by the masses. The students will get to experience the traditional way of learning process through a system of mentorship (Art activist or Maestro), the study of the ritual performance in the Malay culture of Nusantara. Among other topics are the elements of the arts, such as dance movements, the songs and singing, the dialogues or ucap, the scripts, story tellings and music. While the focus will mainly be on Malaysia, other South East Asia Traditional Theatres will also used as an examples for comparative purposes.