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Playable heritage game

Yoke thé

Also known as ရုပ်သေးရုံ · Burmese marionette theatre

Yoke thé is the string-puppet theatre of Myanmar: carved and costumed marionettes with many strings, played to the music of an orchestra and a sung story. At the royal court it was also used to say gently what could not be said openly.

Play the previewAbout this tradition
Yoke thé: photograph by Jacklee
Photo: Jacklee, CC BY-SA 4.0, source on Wikimedia Commons
Yoke thé: the game in attract modeLive previewPlay

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How to play

  1. Read the scene and choose what the puppeteers do.
  2. Wit finds the clever way to speak; goodwill keeps the court on your side.
  3. Tell your tale with care: bold words may stop the show.
  4. Reach the last scene to see your stars.
Rules at a glance
  • A plain complaint is easy to silence; a parable is harder to stop.
  • Choices change wit and goodwill; both are needed for three stars.
  • Some endings leave the court kinder than others.

About the tradition

Yoke thé, literally the small figures, is the marionette theatre of Myanmar, thought to have reached its classic form in the late 1700s. Each puppet has around eighteen or nineteen strings and its own puppeteer, and the plays are accompanied by a hsaing waing orchestra with the performers voicing the characters. At court the puppets could voice veiled complaints and parables; the art was revived in the late twentieth century.

Origins

Usually placed in the era of Classical Worlds (about 1000 BCE to 500 CE), although its exact origins are uncertain, within the cultural world of Southeast Asia and the Islands.

Credits

Sources

Get the app

Yoke thé is one of 10 stories and theatre games in the Story & Theatre of the World app for iPhone, iPad and Android. Submitted to the App Store and Google Play; in review. Store links appear here the day it goes live. One app, many traditions, no account needed.

See all 10 stories and theatre games in the app

In review on theApp StoreIn review on theGoogle Play

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