Puppet Theatre: Form and Ideology in Bamana Performances

Abstract

The Bamana living in the Segu region in central Mali carve a range of masks and puppets for specific performance contexts. These sculptures are related to and must be interpreted in light of the community's definition of the event for which they were created. This study examines a category of sculptures which are produced for youth puppet theatre. It compares these sculptures to a second category of masks which are produced for men's initiation associations and relates both categories to the definition of their respective performance events. It then analyzes the social identity of the actors in youth theatre and the ideology which organizes the import of the puppet theatre in these communities.