The churning of the sea of milk
Colored Shadow Theater - Lakhaon Sbaek Por
Company Nguon Samath
Tuesday 7 October, 6.30pm
This play recounts the legendary Hindu sequence of the "churning of the sea of milk," in which the gods and the giants enter into alliance in order to save Amrita, the water of immortality. War begins again between the two camps when the fruit of their common work must be shared
Created between 1859-1904 with the support of Queen Sisowath Kosamak Neari Rath, the theatre of coloured leather is composed of dyed figurines which do not move. They are cut from a single swath of leather, and decorated with Khmer motifs called "pni tes." The artists play in front of a wide black screen and wear costumes linked to the story. This type of theater is usually performed only during the day.
Here is a sound sample from early on in the performance. The text is sung in Pali, a Pin Peat orchestra is playing and the performers also add their voices. Three minutes of heavily compressed sound.