January 18, 2000
Out of the ashes When 50 of a puppet master's creations were destroyed by fire he was plunged into despair. But his family and friends have rallied round to ensure his show must go on-and now they need help from the public Story By Chompoo Trakullertsathienupictures By Somkid Chaijitvanit An old man slowly emerges from an old house with an old friend, an old puppet clad in old, shabby clothes. Following his morning exercise routines, he settles himself down and puts the "old lady" on his lap, bringing her to life with his expert puppeteering. In the morning sunlight, face-to-face, the two friends look alike-exhausted, and pretty much downcast. "We just had the worst nightmare," said Sakorn Yangkiawsod, 78, better known as Joe Louis-one of Thailand's top puppet masters and founder of the unique Hun Lakhon Lek Joe Louis Troupe. "The fire engulfed our house and burnt everything. We were the only two survivors," he added, looking at the old lady who nodded in reply and then turned her head from side to side sorrowfully. In fact, some time back Joe Louis did indeed lose his treasure trove of some 50 traditional Thai puppets in a dreadful fire at his home. He had fashioned the puppets himself since he was a young man. "It was so quick. The fire swallowed up everything in the blink of an eye. I was stunned. I felt as if I was in a trance for a while," said Joe Louis, the 1996 National Artist who started learning puppeteering from his father when he was just nine years old. "When I came back to myself I thought of my puppets and then rushed back into the burning house. But my daughter held me back for fear of the fire. I could do nothing but simply watch as the fire spread far and wide. I felt terrible not being able to rescue my beloved puppets from the flames." After the fire died down, Joe Louis found one intact puppet lying on smothering ashes. The old lady puppet was the only survivor of the fire. "When I saw her I was delighted. I walked around hoping to find more puppets but to no avail. I picked her up and cleaned her. The puppet looked so sad. This made me disheartened," he said. The experience left the old man distressed for several months. His health gradually deteriorated and he became taciturn and withdrawn. "I couldn't turn things back. I desperately missed my puppets. I had no energy to do anything. I felt I had nothing left as a legacy for my children and the country. Hun Lakhon Lek Joe Louis was the country's last small puppet troupe and it seemed I couldn't preserve the ancient Siamese small puppet performance. I felt hopeless," said Joe Louis who is still weak and exhausted some eight months after the blaze. The old man's sorrow also saddened his family and friends. And in an attempt to bring the old man's dying energy back, everyone in the family agreed to make a new collection of puppets. Some 400,000 baht was collected in donations from the puppet master's supporters and family and friends rallied round to help in every way possible. "My father sank into depression after the fire. We couldn't stand seeing him that way. We're determined to relieve his grief and do something. We know all too well the puppets are his heart and soul. We know if we help him get his puppets back, we will get our old dad back too", said Surin Yangkiawsod, Mr Sakorn's seventh son. Joe Louis' love for small puppets shines clearly when he talks about them. The anguish in his face disappears in his enthusiasm and love for his craft. "I love puppets. They are so beautiful. I also love creating them," he said. "I made my first puppet when I was 20. I learned the art myself. When I had money I bought several dolls and toys and studied their details. Then I tried making my own puppets. I began with the smallest puppets and made bigger ones when I was more confident." With the help of the donations and the ready hands of his family and friends Joe Louis has spent the last four months fashioning new puppets. His sons, daughters, relatives, and outsiders interested in puppet making have all joined in. Joe Louis is in charge of making the main characters which require exact and elaborate detail. The others' tasks include embroidery, painting faces, covering with gold-leaf, and dressing. "I'm so weak right now, but I want to continue my work. When I feel tired I take a rest and then start again later. The days when I feel too tired, I just sleep and make the puppets in bed." Joe Louis' new set of puppets are different from the old ones-bigger and more ornate. They stand about 1.5 metres tall and are dressed in colourful costumes embroidered with glass beads and a kaleidoscope of threads. Joe Louis's puppets are designed to be like humans. They can display a myriad of gestures-pointing their fingers, moving their wrists, and shaking their hips. They can even nod and turn their heads. "The puppets look alive if we put such mannerisms into their movements. And I love seeing them move and dance gracefully." The donations have all been spent on creating 12 puppets including Rama, Sita, the god Siva, Hanuman, and Pali-all characters from the Ramayana. "We can't create all the puppets at one time because of the limited budget. So we chose the main characters which appear frequently in the epic. However, we can't perform the entire epic, only one episode. We have to design the other puppets which play minor roles in the Ramayana." Each character including the costumes and ornaments can cost up to 30,000 baht. The donated money has been used up. And the financial obstacle has left the veteran artist deeply worried. "I'm so old and weak. I have little time left. I would like to see the comeback of all the puppets. But I don't know how this will happen," he said. "I made a resolution that this would be my legacy to my children. Besides, the puppets also serve as state property which belong to all Thais. "But at least I feel happier to see some of them back on stage." Aside from working to recreate the puppets, Joe Louis's sons and daughters have brought another delight to their father. Last December they gave him a very special present-the Joe Louis Theatre. This small theatre, built on his son's land, can seat an audience of about 40. It's close to home and accessible to the old man, and it means his unique troupe can continue to appear on stage. On the opening night of the theatre Joe Louis's nine children and 18 grandchildren all appeared on stage to perform khon (masked dance and drama) and hun lakhon lek (small puppetry). The puppert master was the guest of honour in the audience. It was a proud moment for him. "I was glad to have a chance to see the Joe Louis Theatre. And I'm so proud of my children who all are skilful in puppeteering. The young performers are also learning the art from my children. I hope they can keep this traditional entertainment alive," he said. "We're doing our best to make our father smile again," said Mr Surin. "We Care" is a fortnightly series honouring people who believe in giving. Apart from supporting these causes, you can also let us know about people who unselfishly help others so we can make more people aware of their efforts. Fax 'We Care' on 240-3668 or call 240-3700 ext 3208 or 3212. Email can be sent to: sanitsuda@bangkokpost.net. For a comprehensive list of charities covered by Outlook's 'We Care' series, see the Bangkok Post Web site at http://www.bangkokpost.net/outlookwecare/. Info for donations: Name of organisation: Joe Louis Theatre Contact person: Surin Yangkiawsod Address: 96/48 Moo 7 Soi Krungthep-Non 12 (Sirichai 1), Bang Khen, Nonthaburi, 11000 Tel: 527-7737-8 Fax: 527-2008 Bank account: Thai Commercial Bank, Senasarid branch Account name: Kongthun Sang Hun Lakhon Lek Sinlapin Hangchat; number: 308-2-28941-6.		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