When Kumbhakar Swallowed a Dead Dog : A Diasporic Rendering of the Reamker
Date of Award
5-2020
Document Type
MSU-Only Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Fine Arts (MFA)
College/School
College of the Arts
Department/Program
Theatre and Dance
Thesis Sponsor/Dissertation Chair/Project Chair
Elizabeth McPherson
Committee Member
Apollinaire Scherr
Committee Member
Claire Porter
Abstract
Part performance, part lecture-demonstration, and part modern ritual, When Kumbhakar Swallowed a Dead Dog is a postmodern interpretation of an episode of the Reamker, the Cambodian version of the Indian epic Ramayana. In this written thesis, I lay out the foundational material for my work, consisting of a summary of the epic’s narratives and interpretations pertaining to its structure and symbolism, as well as an overview of three major dance theatre forms in Cambodia: shadow puppet theatre (sbaek thom), all-male masked dance-theatre (lkhon khol), and classical court dance (robam kbach boran). An account of the methodology employed and creative process follows, in which I include influences related to the contemporary climate change crisis, black and white cinema, and my experiences studying Cambodian dance theater forms. I conclude with a description and a short analysis of the performance, its impact on audiences, and relevance for my current choreographic practice.
File Format
MP4
Recommended Citation
Phuon, Emmanuele, "When Kumbhakar Swallowed a Dead Dog : A Diasporic Rendering of the Reamker" (2020). Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects. 501.
https://digitalcommons.montclair.edu/etd/501
PDF file of thesis
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Comments
The performance video is restricted to the Montclair State University community but the PDF file of the thesis, which is located at the bottom of the screen, is available to anyone interested in reading it.