Lesson 61: Sbek Thom: Khmer Shadow Theater

Info Desk: Sbek Thom Advanced Cultural Reading (C1) A  Key Terminology Intangible អរូបី /ɪnˈtæn.dʒə.bəl/ Repertoire បញ្ជីសិល្បៈ /ˈrep.ɚ.twɑːr/ Silhouette ស្រមោលខ្មៅ /ˌsɪl.uˈet/ Invocation ការបួងសួង /ˌɪn.vəˈkeɪ.ʃən/ Articulated ដែលមានសន្លាក់ /ɑːrˈtɪk.jə.leɪ.t̬ɪd/ Static ដែលនៅស្ងៀម /ˈstæt.ɪk/ B  Cultural Briefing Sbek Thom: The Sacred Shadow Sbek Thom (literally "Large Hide") is a revered form of Khmer shadow theater that traces its origins back to the pre-Angkorian period. Unlike *Sbek Touch* (small puppetry) which uses articulated puppets to tell varied stories, *Sbek Thom* utilizes massive, static leather panels carved from single cowhides. Some of these panels can reach two meters in height, intricately dyed to create dramatic silhouettes against a screen illuminated by a roaring fire. A defining constraint of this art form is its repertoire . *Sbek Thom* is exclusively dedicated to performing episodes from the *Reamker*, the Cambodian interpretation of the ancient Indian epic, t…