Puppetry has a long history in China, dating back to the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD). However, it wasn't until the early 20th century that puppetry became a serious art form in China, with the establishment of the Shanghai Dramatic Arts Center and the Beijing Experimental Theater in the 1930s. Today, Chinese puppetry is known for its elaborate costumes and intricate puppetry techniques.
More recently, puppetry has become a popular medium for exploring themes of identity, diaspora, and cultural heritage. In her short, filmed puppetry performance Chang and Eng and Me (and Me), Tobi Poster-Su examines the lives of the famous conjoined twins Chang and Eng Bunker, who were born in Siam (now Thailand) and later toured in the United States as a sideshow act.
Poster-Su uses puppets to represent the twins, as well as herself and her mother, who emigrated from China to the United States. Through the manipulation of these puppets, Poster-Su explores the complexities of diasporic identity and the ways in which our cultural heritage shapes our sense of self.
The performance begins with the construction of the puppets, using materials such as paper, fabric, and wire. As the puppets take shape, we hear snippets of the twins' biography, including their childhood in Siam, their journey to the United States, and their eventual marriage and fatherhood.
As the performance progresses, we see Poster-Su manipulating the puppets, becoming increasingly frustrated with her inability to fully capture the twins' essence. At one point, she even tears apart one of the puppets in frustration, emphasizing the difficulty of representing a complex and multifaceted identity through a single artistic medium.
Ultimately, Chang and Eng and Me (and Me) serves as a powerful reminder of the ways in which our cultural heritage shapes our sense of self, and the difficulties inherent in representing that identity through art. By using puppetry, Poster-Su provides a unique and thought-provoking perspective on the lives of Chang and Eng Bunker, as well as her own experiences as a second-generation Chinese American.
As Chinese puppetry continues to evolve as an art form, we can expect to see more artists like Poster-Su using this medium to explore complex themes of identity, diaspora, and cultural heritage.
Keywords: China, Sculpting, Puppetry, Chang and Eng Bunker, diaspora, cultural heritage.