As has already been observed, the performances at these theatrical exhibitions are of several distinct kinds, and vary considerably in different places. The Joget, a kind of dramatic and symbolical dance, has been described under the head of Dances. The Ma’yong is a theatrical performance which includes both dancing (or posturing as Europeans would be tempted to call it) and singing. It is generally performed by travelling companies of professional actors and actresses, who go on tour and perform either at the houses of Rajas or other persons of some social standing, or before the general public in some public place.[193] Just as the dances of the Joget are supposed to be symbolical of different actions and ideas, and are accompanied by appropriate music, so in the Ma’yong there is quite a long list of tunes, each of which is considered to be appropriate to a particular action, or to some one or more of the dramatis personæ. In fact, one may almost say that we have here, in principle, the rude germ of the Wagnerian Leitmotif. Thus when one of the performers is supposed to be sent to sleep, the Lagu Lĕgor Radin is the one used; in the representation of a death, the Lagu Mĕrayu; when a character is supposed to be entering the jungle, the Lagu Samsam; when any one sits down, the Lagu Patani Tuah. Similarly the Lagu Puyuh, the Lagu Dang Dondang Lanjut Kĕdah, and the Lagu Sendayong Dualapis Pŭtri are appropriated to the Princess (Pŭtri), one of the stock characters of this species of play, while other tunes can be used only by the Princess and the Raja or principal male character (Pa’yong); and others, again, are employed indifferently to accompany any of the parts, whether prince, princess, clown (P’ran), or maid (Inang).
Plate 21.—Masks of Clowns and Demon.
Theatrical masks used by Malay strolling players. The two masks at each end are worn by the clowns (pran), and cover the upper jaw only, the eyes being mother-of-pearl with hollow pupils. The central mask represents a forest demon (hantu rimba).
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The costumes of the performers in the various kinds of dramatic exhibitions vary, of course, with the subject-matter of the representation. The clown’s masks and the forest demon (hantu hutan), of which illustrations are given, will serve as specimens to indicate the nature of some of the accessories in use. A fairly full list of their Malay names will be found in the classification given below.
The Ma’yong is perhaps the most typical form of Malay theatrical representations, but another very characteristic performance is the Shadow-Play, properly termed Wayang, a name that has been loosely extended to cover theatrical exhibitions in general.
“The show is called Wayang Kulit, or leather puppets. It is exhibited in a rough shed, which has a flooring raised about three feet from the ground; the building is usually twenty feet square and enclosed on three sides, the front alone being open; across this opening a white sheet is stretched on which the shadows of the puppets are thrown and seen through by the audience; the latter sit or stand in the open air.
