Shadow Puppetry
What is Shadow Puppetry?
Shadow puppetry is considered the oldest form of puppetry in the world. It began 1,000's of years ago in China and India. It is a living folk art in China and Southeast Asia -- most notably the islands of Indonesia. In China the shadow plays are often folk-tales and legends of the past, many based on Chinese opera themes. In Indonesia the plays are taken from two religious epics where there is often a struggle between good and evil. Turkey and Greece also have a history of shadow puppetry, where plays are based on everyday
life and contain much physical comedy. In western Europe shadow
puppetry enjoyed popularity during the 1800's when the art of
cutting silhouettes out of paper was fashionable. In 1926 German
shadow puppeteer Lotte Reiniger made the first full length animated
film The Adventures of Prince Achmet. She hand-cut beautiful opaque
silhouette figures that were moved on an animation table.
Traditional shadow puppets are flat and made of leather. Areas
within the puppet are punched out with sharp knives. These areas
suggest facial features and help define clothing. The puppets are
made from separate pieces and joined together with wire or string.
They are controlled by long rods and moved behind a white
translucent screen made from paper or cloth. A lamp on the
puppeteers side of the stage provides the light: the audience on the
other side sees the moving shadows. Cut-out areas within the figures
allow light to shine through.
Contemporary shadow puppets may be made combining a variety of
materials including paper, plastic, wood, colored theatrical
lighting...
View Full Essay