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

Bangkok Bangkok, officially known in Thai language, 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 estim ...

Thailand Thailand, officially the Kingdom of Thailand and historically known as Siam (the official name until 1939), is a country in Southeast Asia on the Mainland Southeast Asia, Indochinese Peninsula. With a population of almost 66 million, it spa ...

) was a Thai

puppeteer A puppeteer is a person who manipulates an inanimate object called a puppet to create the illusion that the puppet is alive. The puppet is often shaped like a human, animal, or legendary creature. The puppeteer may be visible to or hidden from the ...

. He was a master of the ''

hun lakorn lek ''Hun lakhon lek'' (, ) is a type of traditional small Thai puppet which uses three puppeteers working together to produce a character with more mobility and lifelike movement. History ''Hun la korn lek'' has been a form of entertainment f ...

'' (traditional Thai small puppets). Also known by his English nickname, Joe Louis, in 1965 he founded the Sakorn Hunlakornlek troupe with his daughter, Thitawan Yangkheiosod. Later, in 2001, his son, Pisutr Yang-keawsot formed a new troupe named Joe Louis and founded Joe Louis Puppet Theatre under his acknowledgment. He was named a

National Artist National Artist is an honorary title issued by some states as the 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 ...

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 (, ) 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 ensemble. A variati ...

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

likay Likay (, , ) 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 vaguely determined ...

(Thai folk opera) troupe as

comedian A comedian (feminine comedienne) or comic is a person who seeks to entertainment, entertain an audience by making them laughter, laugh. This might be through jokes or amusing situations, or acting foolishly (as in slapstick), or employing prop c ...

, but also learned

puppetry Puppetry is a form of theatre or performance that involves the manipulation of puppets – wikt:inanimate, inanimate objects, often resembling some type of human or animal figure, that are animated or manipulated by a human called a puppeteer. S ...

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 (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, 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 (, , ; ; sometimes also spelled ) is one of Thailand's national epics. It is a Thai version of the ancient Indian epic ''Ramayana'', and an important part of the Thai literature, Thai literary canon. King Rama VI was the first person t ...

'', with his puppets constructed from light wood,

papier-mâché file:JacmelMardiGras.jpg, upright=1.3, Mardi Gras papier-mâché masks, Haiti Papier-mâché ( , , - the French term "mâché" here means "crushed and ground") is a versatile craft technique with roots in ancient China, in which waste paper is s ...

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 t ...

(traditional Thai classical music) orchestra.

Sakorn Hunlakornlek (JoeLouis)

His daughter, Thitawan Yangkheiosod (the leader of the present troupe) and Kru Sakorn Yangkheiosod are the founders of Sakorn Hunlakornlek (JoeLouis) since 1965. Later, in September 2007, Sakorn Hunlakornlek (JoeLouis) owned the performance of Hunlakornlek in the 578-seat Aksara Grand Theatre at the King Power Complex on Soi Langnam, Bangkok, Thailand. And Sakorn Hunlakornlek is still stand till these days with the effort to distribute the art of traditional Thai puppet performance to next generations.

Joe Louis Puppet Theatre

From 2001, his Joe Louis Puppet Theatre put on nightly shows in the

Suan Lum Night Bazaar Suan Lum Night Bazaar was a market in Bangkok's Pathum Wan district, at the intersection of Rama IV and Wireless/ Sathorn Roads, opposite Lumphini Park at the MRT's Lumphini Station. Located on land owned by the Crown Property Bureau. It opene ...

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. 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 ( ; ) is the capital and List of cities and towns in the Czech Republic, largest city of the Czech Republic and the historical capital of Bohemia. Prague, located on the Vltava River, has a population of about 1.4 million, while its P ...

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

Sakorn Yang-keawsot Sakorn Yang-keawsot (; 1922 in Nonthaburi Province – May 21, 2007 in Bangkok, Thailand) was a Thai puppeteer. He was a master of the ''hun la korn lek, hun lakorn lek'' (traditional Thai small puppets). Also known by his English nickname, Joe Lou ...