Summer of Lore #17a: Conventions of the Shokiyan Stage

--Actors need to do more than just say lines--their roles often require them to sing (or play an instrument), dance, fight (either unarmed or with a weapon) and any other feats of skill

--In addition to the speaking roles, there is sometimes a chorus comprised of speakers and singers that comment on the action (or serve as a group narrator)

--Animal and other creature roles are typically played by puppets, but sometimes a live actor will play the role (birds, butterflies, and fish are the most common animals played by live actors, but felines and canines are not unheard of) Bird and butterfly actors usually perform acrobatics and aerial martial arts, while fish actors (always cast in groups of females) occasionally perform a water dance not unlike synchronized swimming (only with a lot  more time spent underwater--the tank they perform in is visible to the audience unless it is required to be hidden by the script)

--Larger puppets (such as large animals, monsters, and occasionally gods) are performed by at least two people (who often work in plain view of the audience), and voiced by the narrator (or a designated chorus member). Smaller puppets work like puppets in our world, and voiced by the puppeteer (a skilled puppeteer will often know how to do thousands of voices)

--Like in the Asian theater--anyone in black, be they musician, stagehand, or puppeteer, is a shadow,and unseen to the audience (even the puppeteers hidden from the audience are completely in black

--While there is a basic background set on the stage, the stagehands will bring on props to add detail to the scene

--A Shokiyan play can run for a long time, but the average length is two to five acts long.