Sakorn Yang-keawsot ( th, สาคร ยังเขียวสด; 1922 in Nonthaburi Province – May 21, 2007 in

Bangkok Bangkok, officially known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon and colloquially as Krung Thep, is the capital and most populous city of Thailand. The city occupies in the Chao Phraya River delta in central Thailand and has an estimated populati ...

Thailand Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is b ...

) was a Thai puppeteer. He was a master of the '' hun lakorn lek'' (traditional Thai small puppets). Also known by his English nickname, Joe Louis, in 1985 he founded the Joe Louis Puppet Theatre. He was named a

National Artist National Artist is an honorary title issued by some states as a highest recognition of artists for their significant contributions to the cultural heritage of the nation. An equivalent title, People's Artist, has been known in countries of the f ...

for performing arts in 1996.Thailand's famous puppet master dies
, Agence France-Presse, retrieved 2007-05-24.Legendary Thai puppet master passes away
''The Nation'', retrieved 2007-05-24.Renowned puppetry master dies
''Bangkok Post'', retrieved 2007-05-24 (link expires after seven days when it is archived for subscribers only).

Biography

Sakorn was born in 1922 to parents who were both

khon Khon ( th, โขน, ) is a dance drama genre from Thailand. Khon has been performed since the Ayutthaya Kingdom. It is traditionally performed solely in the royal court by men in masks accompanied by narrators and a traditional piphat ensembl ...

(masked drama) performers and puppeteers in the troupe of Krae Suppavanich. Sakorn performed in a

likay Likay ( th, ลิเก, , ) is a form of popular folk theatre from Central Thailand (not in Bangkok, where Teochew opera are folk theatre.). Its uniqueness is found in the combination of extravagant costumes with barely equipped stages and va ...

(Thai folk opera) troupe as comedian, but also learned puppetry from Krae. He adapted and improved upon Krae's large ''hun luang'' (royal puppets) and revived the art of the ''hun lakorn lek'' puppets, which were not as detailed as the larger puppets but allowed for more mobility and lifelike movements. As many as three puppeteers would be used to control the moves of one puppet. His puppet troupe was popular in the years following the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...

, and it was during this time he was given the nickname Joe Louis, taking the name from a mispronunciation of his Thai nickname, "Liew", and in honor of the American heavyweight boxing champion.Krausz, Tibor. 2007-04-17
More than a puppet on a string in Thailand
''Christian Science Monitor'', retrieved 2007-05-25. He revived the art of Thai puppetry, which dates back to the 11th century, but struggled to keep the artform relevant as Thailand modernized. In 1985, he formed the Joe Louis Puppet Theatre with his children, performing adaptations of epic Thai literature, such as the ''

Ramakien The ( th, รามเกียรติ์, , ; ; sometimes also spelled ) is one of Thailand's national epics, derived from the Buddhist Dasaratha Jataka. Fundamentally, it is a Thai version of the Hindu epic Ramayana. Ramakien is an importa ...

'', with his puppets constructed from light wood,

papier-mâché upright=1.3, Mardi Gras papier-mâché masks, Haiti upright=1.3, Papier-mâché Catrinas, traditional figures for day of the dead celebrations in Mexico Papier-mâché (, ; , literally "chewed paper") is a composite material consisting of p ...

and fabric. The performances are accompanied by a

piphat A ''piphat'' is a kind of ensemble in the classical music of Thailand, which features wind and percussion instruments. It is considered the primary form of ensemble for the interpretation of the most sacred and "high-class" compositions of the ...

(traditional Thai classical music) orchestra.

Joe Louis Puppet Theatre

From 2001, his Joe Louis Puppet Theatre put on nightly shows in the Suan Lum Night Bazaar in Bangkok. The troupe nearly collapsed in 2004 when it could not afford the rent of its venue, but was saved after a public outcry and funds were raised. At the time of Sakorn's death in 2007, the future of the Suan Lum Night Bazaar was in doubt, and a new troupe formed by some of Sakorn's children was to start giving shows in the 578-seat Aksara Grand Theatre at the King Power Complex on Soi Langnam in Bangkok in September 2007. Sakorn had nine children. His son, Pisutr Yang-keawsot led the Joe Louis Puppet Theatre, which won the "Best Traditional Performance Award" at the 10th World Festival of Puppet Art in

Prague Prague ( ; cs, Praha ; german: Prag, ; la, Praga) is the capital and List of cities in the Czech Republic, largest city in the Czech Republic, and the historical capital of Bohemia. On the Vltava river, Prague is home to about 1.3 milli ...

in June 2006. Sakorn suffered from lung disease and kidney failure and had been admitted to Kasemrad Rattanathibet Hospital on 9 May. He was discharged on 18 May because he wanted to return home, but was re-admitted on 20 May and was being treated in its intensive care unit at the time of his death.

Funeral rites A funeral is a ceremony connected with the final disposition of a corpse, such as a burial or cremation, with the attendant observances. Funerary customs comprise the complex of beliefs and practices used by a culture to remember and respect th ...

were at Wat Bangpai in Bang Bua Thong, Nonthaburi Province.

References

External links

Thailand National Artist profile
{{DEFAULTSORT:Yang-Keawsot, Sakorn 1922 births 2007 deaths Puppeteers Sakorn Yang-keawsot Deaths from lung cancer Deaths from kidney failure Sakorn Yang-Keawsot Sakorn Yang-keawsot