In the old days, the Marionette Theatre was there at various events, from temple celebrations to the celebration of a child "going into the garden" as literally translated from the Teochew tradition.
Today, the Marionette Theatre is mainly for the Gods. The kids of yesteryear loved it when the Marionette Theatre "came to town" (or to the kampong - village - as the case might be). Today, there are too many distractions. There's no grandma or grandpa to help explain the stories from the Marionette Theatre, which could be in Hokkien (Minnan) or HengHwa (MinDong). There are the TVs, PCs and the Internet.
But most important, it is still for the Gods. The performance of the Marionette is intricate and has many aspects, some of which are related to the religious rituals.
Today, we hope to create more awareness and in the process, better appreciation of the Marionette Theatre. And through, preserving what is left of the Marionette Theatre scene in Singapore.
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