Date: Fri, 23 Jun 2000 00:20:52 -0400 (EDT)
From: John Bell <jb44-AT-is3.nyu.edu>
Subject: PUPT: Am. Museum of Natural History/Vietnam Museum of Ethnology


>Return-Path: <RBConnors-AT-aol.com>
>From: RBConnors-AT-aol.com
>Date: Thu, 22 Jun 2000 08:45:56 EDT
>Subject: Am. Museum of Natural History/Vietnam Museum of Ethnology screening
>To: vme18-AT-hn.vnn.vn
 
>June 5, 2000
>
>
>Dear Friend,
>
>We are pleased to invite you to a special evening about Vietnam at the 
>American Museum of Natural History on Wednesday, June 28th from 6 – 8 p.m., 
>which will offer views through different lenses of this rapidly developing 
>country with its own rich cultural traditions.  While many Americans' 
>perceive  Vietnam only as a country torn by war, our program will reveal some 
>of the unique cultural, ethnic, and geographic qualities that make this a 
>land of great beauty and interest. 
>
>The evening will premier a short documentary film, “Tay Puppet Story: Tham 
>Loc Village," by the Vietnam Museum of Ethnology.  A tale of cultural rebirth 
>and the timeless nature of puppet art, “Tay Puppet Story” follows the
story 
>of three dozen puppets that were hidden at the onset of the war against the 
>French colonials.  After nearly 50 years, the last two surviving members of 
>the original Tham Loc Village Tay puppet troop lead younger villagers in 
>reviving their magic-infused puppets.  Through their rehearsals of ancient 
>puppet shows, we see the training of local youth to mount the first public 
>performance since the revolution and experience the vision and beliefs of 
>these master artists as well as the perspectives of their young apprentices.  
>Richard Connors, Film Production Supervisor for the Vietnam Museum of 
>Ethnology, will join us to discuss the making of the film and his experiences 
>in Vietnam.
>
>We will then continue our journey to discover the new Vietnam with an 
>introduction by Laurel Kendall of Vietnamese Journeys of Body, Mind and 
>Spirit, an exhibition that is being jointly curated by the American Museum of 
>Natural History and the Vietnamese Museum of Ethnology in Hanoi.  The 
>exhibition reflects a marvelous Vietnamese/American collaboration combining 
>the Museum's superb exhibition, education, and public programming skills with 
>the rich ethnographic collections and scholarly expertise of the Vietnamese 
>Museum of Ethnology.  
>
>Finally, to give you an understanding of the exquisite and varied landscape 
>that is the backdrop for Vietnam's important steps into the 21st century, 
>Eleanor Sterling, Director of the Museum's Center for Biodiversity and 
>Conservation, will speak about the Center's efforts to protect Vietnam's 
>unique ecosystems and rare species.  She will also describe the Center's 
>exciting recent mammalian discoveries in Vietnam.
> 
>We hope that you will plan to join us for this program about Vietnam on June 
>28th for a reception at 
>6 p.m. followed at 7 p.m. by the film and presentation.  You may enter the 
>Museum on 77th Street between Central Park West and Columbus Avenue.   Please 
>call (212) 496-3458 by Monday June 26th to RSVP.  
>
>Sincerely,
>
>
>
>Lynn DeBow                          Laurel Kendall          
>Vice President                          Curator
>Development and Membership          Asian Ethnography Collection
>
>



  --- Personal replies to: John Bell <jb44-AT-is3.nyu.edu>
  --- List replies to:     puptcrit-AT-lists.village.virginia.edu
  --- Admin commands to:   majordomo-AT-lists.village.virginia.edu
  --- Archives at:         http://lists.village.virginia.edu/~spoons