Sakorn Yang-keawsot

Sakorn Yang-keawsot (Thai: สาคร ยังเขียวสด; 1922 in Nonthaburi Province – May 21, 2007 in Bangkok, Thailand) was a Thai puppeteer. He was a master of the hun lakorn lek (traditional Thai small puppets). Also known by his English nickname, Joe Louis, in 1985 he founded the Joe Louis Puppet Theatre. He was named a National Artist for performing arts in 1996.

Sakorn was born in 1922 to parents who were both khon (masked drama) performers and puppeteers in the troupe of Krae Suppavanich. Sakorn performed in a likay (Thai folk opera) troupe as comedian, but also learned puppetry from Krae. He adapted and improved upon Krae's large hun luang (royal puppets) and revived the art of the hun lakorn lek puppets, which were not as detailed as the larger puppets but allowed for more mobility and lifelike movements. As many as three puppeteers would be used to control the moves of one puppet.

His puppet troupe was popular in the years following the Second World War, and it was during this time he was given the nickname Joe Louis, taking the name from a mispronunciation of his Thai nickname, "Liew", and in honor of the American heavyweight boxing champion. He revived the art of Thai puppetry, which dates back to the 11th century, but struggled to keep the artform relevant as Thailand modernized. In 1985, he formed the Joe Louis Puppet Theatre with his children, performing adaptations of epic Thai literature, such as the Ramakien, with his puppets constructed from light wood, papier-mâché and fabric. The performances are accompanied by a piphat (traditional Thai classical music) orchestra.

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