The Survival of the Joe Louis Theater : theater management

To examine the types of theater management that have contributed to the survival of the Joe Louis Theater in the last decade and other factors that have enabled the theater to thrive in difficult time. Hun lakhon lek, a Thai variant of doll-puppetry, emerged about a century ago. Joe Louis Theater stages regular performances of hun lakhon lek in an urban area and through domestic and international recognition it has established a strong foothold. The puppet theater in the past and to a certain extent in the present gave performances at occasions such as funerals. Unlike these ritual ties between the theater and the audience, the Joe Louis Theater has established a commercial relation with people. The research undertaken reveals that the Joe Louis Theater uses modern theater management methods. A small family troupe has come to operate like a company. A formal hierarchical structure is found in this organization. This organization consists of a board oftrustees, and arts manager and staff that emphasizes the commercial aspect. A strategy, molded by this organization, is practiced in the four P's: place, promotions, price and productions. It has urban, popular and commercial characteristics. Located them in Suan Lum Night Bazaar, which is a shopping and entertainment complex, Joe Louis Theater survives as a part of it. While modern management methods are used in the Joe Louis Theater, there still exists traditional way of management, based on family members. Particularly, among puppeteers, the master-apprentice relationship plays a significant role. The findings of this research suggest that the management methods used by the Joe Louis Theater are a mixture of modern and traditional methods. However, this mixture is changing. Modern theater management methods used by the Joe Louis Theater have created new cultural and commercial relations with people, and thereby ensured its survival in a rapidly changing world. Its presentation style and well-trained puppeteers have also enabled it to survive and thrive in difficult times, thus enabling the art form of hun lakhon lek, their artistic creations and their love for the art to survive.

本研究旨在探究近十年来助力乔路易斯剧院（Joe Louis Theater）存续的各类剧场管理模式，以及使其在艰难时期得以蓬勃发展的其他影响因素。泰式木偶戏（hun lakhon lek）作为人偶木偶剧的泰国分支，诞生于约一个世纪前。乔路易斯剧院在城市区域定期上演泰式木偶戏，凭借国内外的广泛认可奠定了稳固的市场地位。过往乃至当下一定程度上的木偶剧场，多在丧葬等仪式场合开展演出，与受众建立的是仪式性联结；而乔路易斯剧院则与受众构建起商业性联系。本研究显示，乔路易斯剧院采用现代化剧场管理模式：原本的小型家族剧团已转型为企业化运营机构，设有正式的层级架构，包含董事会、艺术经理及侧重商业运营的工作人员团队。该机构所践行的营销策略围绕4P营销组合框架展开：渠道（Place）、促销（Promotion）、价格（Price）与产品（Productions），具备都市化、大众化与商业化特征。乔路易斯剧院坐落于珊岚夜市（Suan Lum Night Bazaar）——一处综合性购物娱乐综合体——并作为其组成部分存续至今。尽管乔路易斯剧院采用现代化管理模式，但其仍保留了基于家族成员的传统管理方式；尤其在木偶艺人群体中，师徒关系发挥着至关重要的作用。本研究结果表明，乔路易斯剧院的管理模式是现代与传统方法的融合体，但这种融合模式正处于变化之中。乔路易斯剧院所采用的现代化剧场管理模式，使其与受众建立起全新的文化与商业联结，从而确保其在快速变化的时代中得以存续；其独特的呈现风格与训练有素的木偶艺人团队，同样助力其在艰难时期存续并蓬勃发展，进而使泰式木偶戏这一艺术形式、剧团的艺术创作以及从业者对这门艺术的热爱得以传承延续。