Jump to content

Anyeint

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Eternal Rose group performed as comedians in Singapore
Comedians performing together as part of theHtawara Hninzitroupe (Eternal Rose) in Singapore on 6 Mar 2011.

Anyeint(Burmese:အငြိမ့်;MLCTS:a ngrim.;IPA:[ʔəɲḛiɰ̃];Burmese:အငြိမ့်;also spelta-nyeint) is a traditionalBurmeseentertainment form that combinesdancewith instrumental music,song,andcomedy routines,in theatrical performances.[1][2]It is a form ofpwe,theBurmeseword for traditional entertainment. While classicalpwecan be quite formal and almost ritualistic,anyeintis considered light entertainment.[3]

In recent years, popularanyeinttroupes such as Thee Lay Thee & Say Yaung Zoun (သီးလေးသီးနှင့်ဆေးရောင်ဆုံ) andHtawara Hninzi(ထာရဝနှင်းဆီ) have performed overseas, includingThailand,Singaporeand theUnited States,which have large Burmese immigrant populations.[4][5]VCDsof popular troupes' performances are also widely distributed; politically insensitive ones, includingSay Yaung Zoun(ဆေးရောင်ဆုံ), have been banned by Burmese authorities.[6]

Characters[edit]

The lead singer and dancer in ananyeintperformance is called theanyeint minthami(အငြိမ့်မင်းသမီး). Well-known film actresses and singers, includingMay Than NuandYadana Khin,are often featured as leadanyeintactresses.[7]Theanyeint minthamidances to instrumental music and singing eithera cappellaor to music are interspersed with comedic dialogue andslapstickperformed by clowns. The result is a sequence of solo and group dances. The costumes ofanyeintperformers are identical to those worn by puppets in traditionalmarionettetheater.[8]Although lead actresses were once the main focus of performances, the focus has now shifted to the comedic skits performed.

Slapstick comedians, known aslu shwin daw(လူရွှင်တော်) orlu pyet(လူပျက်,although this term is falling out of usage) provide entertainment while theminthamichanges outfits.[9]ZarganarandKuthowere successful comedians in earlyanyeintrevival. In more recent times, well-known film actors and singers, such asYe Lay,Nay ToeandHtun Htun,Kyaw Kyaw Bo, have featured as comedians.[10]Comedians typically dressed in checkered-patterned Taungshay-stylelongyi(sarongs) and wear loose coats, a development innovated byU Po Sein,an influential 19th-century performer.[9]

A small all-male music orchestra, led by thepattala(xylophone) music, accompanies the performance.[11]

Format[edit]

Anyeint performances begin with a recitation and explanation of ancient verses, followed by apari kamma(ပရိကမ္မ), a formal speech by troupe members to introduce themselves and thank the show's patron.[11]Comedians then provide an introductory slapstick skit, before inviting the lead actress to the stage for a performance, during which they will provide improvised jokes and playful insults to the audience.[11]At the end of the dance set, comedians direct jokes at the actress, who rebuts them and defends herself.[11]

In the past, the anyeint performance was concluded with a verse play calledzat kyi(ဇာတ်ကြီး), although this portion is now omitted from contemporary anyeint programmes.[9]

Origins[edit]

The name "anyeint" comes from aBurmese languageword meaning "gentle". The form originated as a royal court dance performed by female dancers and was originally confined to the royal court.[1][11]However, after the end of the Konbaung dynasty in 1885, anyeint troupes were forced to seek work outside and popularized a hybrid dance and comedic performance that has become popular throughout Burma,[1]especially appealing to the growingmerchantclass inBritish Burma,who patronised and sponsored these performances.[11]The first known anyeint troupe was formed inMandalayaround 1900, by comedian U Chit Phwe and his wife, dancer Ma Sein Thone.[11]

In the colonial era, famous anyeint actresses often became recording artists and were the headlines of anyeint shows, as composers wrote individual songs and dances suited to them.[11]However, the importance of the lead actress has diminished.[11]Anyeint reached its height in the 1970s, during a period ofsocialist rule,with one of the most influential troupes beingMandalay'sLamin Taya(The Hundred Moon Troupe).[11]In 1973, the troupe's scriptwriter, Maung Myat Hmaing wroteDancer of the Ganges,which was one of the first Burmese plays to include the concept of democracy.[11]

During thecolonial,U NuandNe Winadministrations, troupes commonly included political satire and critiques, including social commentary, as part of their skits.[1]However, since 1988, regulations have become stricter, with comedians who perform political satire subject to arrest.[12]From 1988 to 1992, a military curfew at night prohibited all-night anyeint performances.[11]

Since the release of theanyeintplayHninzi Thakhin(နှင်းဆီသခင်,lit. "Rose Master" ) in 2010, censorship of play contents have become stricter; the Myanmar Motion Picture Enterprise, the censorship body that regulates allanyeinttroupes in the country, now mandates a full dress rehearsal to audit for any questionable content (such as jokes targeted at government officials, or cross-dressing scenes).[13]

The Burmese comedian,Zarganar,has frequently performed in anyeint.[14]In 1986, he formed the Mya Ponnama Anyeint troupe, whose performances have appeared on television. The Burmese performance artHtein Linhas also performed anyeint, which is an influence in hisperformance art.[15]

References[edit]

  1. ^abcdSeekins, Donald M. (2006) "Anyeint (Anyeint Pwe)"Historical dictionary of Burma (Myanmar)Scarecrow Press, Lanham, Maryland,page 77,ISBN978-0-8108-5476-5
  2. ^Myanmar Anyeint, Myanmar theatre performance,Myanmar Arts.
  3. ^Shepherd, John (2005) "Myanmar (Burma)"Continuum encyclopedia of popular music of the world: Volume 5 Asia and OceaniaContinuum, page 197,OCLC493643751
  4. ^"Thee Lay Thee & Say Yaung zon".The Irrawaddy.December 2008.Retrieved15 August2011.
  5. ^Thein, Cherry (4 October 2010)."In Singapore, expatriates enjoy a traditional treat".Myanmar Times.Archived fromthe originalon 16 July 2011.Retrieved15 August2011.
  6. ^Paung, Shah (27 December 2007)."VCD Political Comedy Draws Laughter in Rangoon".The Irrawaddy.Retrieved15 August2011.
  7. ^Zon Pann Pwint (13 October 2009)."Myanmar TV show inspires young generation of comedians".Myanmar Times.Archived fromthe originalon 7 November 2011.Retrieved15 August2011.
  8. ^Falconer, John; Luca Invernizzi Tettoni (2000).Burmese design and architecture.Tuttle Publishing. p. 218.ISBN978-962-593-882-0.
  9. ^abcDiamond, Catherine (2000). "Burmese Nights: the Pagoda Festival Pwe in the Age of Hollywood's 'Titanic'".New Theatre Quarterly.29(3). Cambridge University Press: 227–248.doi:10.1017/s0266464x00013865.S2CID190693966.
  10. ^"LA ရင်ခွင်သို့နှင်းဆီ အငြိမ့်သဘင်နှင့် စတိတ်ရှိုး ကြေညာ"(in Burmese).Retrieved15 August2011.
  11. ^abcdefghijklDiamond, Catherine (Spring 2009)."A Delicate Balance: Negotiating Isolation and Globalization in the Burmese Performing Arts".The Drama Review.53(1): 1054–2043.doi:10.1162/dram.2009.53.1.93.S2CID57564331.
  12. ^Guyot, James F. (Feb 1997). "Burma in 1996: One Economy, Two Polities".Asian Survey.37(2). University of California Press: 192.doi:10.2307/2645487.JSTOR2645487.
  13. ^Phanida (12 July 2011)."Censorship target: Burmese traditional dance troupes".Mizzima News.Archived fromthe originalon 12 July 2011.Retrieved13 July2011.
  14. ^Thee Lay Thee & Colorful Anyeint, Burmese Performance Troupe, a success in San Francisco,MoeMaKa,February 2, 2009.
  15. ^Htein LinArchived2010-04-30 at theWayback Machine,Free Zarganar.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Anyeint&oldid=1211724450"