What is the purpose of shadow puppet theatre?

Shadow puppets are figures that are placed between a light and a screen. Moving them creates the illusion of moving images on the screen. An experienced puppeteer can make figures appear to walk, talk, fight and dance.

What is Shadowplay presentation?

shadow play, type of theatrical entertainment performed with puppets, probably originating in China and on the Indonesian islands of Java and Bali. Flat images are manipulated by the puppeteers between a bright light and a translucent screen, on the other side of which sits the audience.

Who invented shadow puppets?

China
Shadow Puppetry is said to have originated in China over two thousand years ago during the Han Dynasty. The most popular origin legend tells of Emperor Han Wudi who was rendered irrevocably heartsick at the sudden passing of his favorite concubine.

What do you call the type of shadow play?

Shadow play, also known as shadow puppetry, is an ancient form of storytelling and entertainment which uses flat articulated cut-out figures (shadow puppets) which are held between a source of light and a translucent screen or scrim. More than 20 countries are known to have shadow show troupes.

What culture uses shadow puppets?

A retrospective of the appearance and development of Shadow Art in Chinese historical records. Shadow puppetry is a form of theatrical performance that uses the shadow of puppets cast onto a screen. The shadow puppets used in China are typically semi-transparent leather plates to which semi-transparent dyes are applied …

How are shadow puppets created?

Chinese shadow puppetry is a form of theatre acted by colourful silhouette figures made from leather or paper, accompanied by music and singing. Manipulated by puppeteers using rods, the figures create the illusion of moving images on a translucent cloth screen illuminated from behind.

What are the two types of Nang?

Nang yai, whose name specifically means “large shadow puppet”, features life-size puppets, while nang talung (a similar tradition of shadow puppetry whose name derives from Pattalung, a southern city where the tradition has long been popular) features much smaller puppets.

Who is the puppet master in shadow puppet play?

The dalang
The dalang, the puppet master, squatted on bended knees in front of the huge sheet-like screen, illuminated by a hanging bulb. He is the key to all shadow play — the music conductor, the epic storyteller, the comic, philosopher and political pundit.

When did shadow puppet become popular?

Shadow puppetry, or Shadow Play, was very popular during the Tang (618 – 907) and Song (960 – 1279) dynasties in many parts of China.

Where is the origin of the traditional form of puppet shadow played originally and found in the culture?

Java
Wayang kulit is a traditional form of puppet-shadow play originally found in the cultures of Java, Bali, and Lombok in Indonesia. In a wayang kulit performance, the puppet figures are rear-projected on a taut linen screen with a coconut-oil (or electric) light.

Where is the origin of the traditional form of puppet shadow played originally and found in that culture?

Who performs Chinese shadow puppetry?

Shadow plays are performed by large troupes with seven to nine performers and smaller troupes of only two to five, primarily for entertainment or religious rituals, weddings and funerals and other special occasions. Some puppeteers are professional, while others are amateurs performing during slack farming seasons.

Where are shadow puppets popular?

Shadow puppetry has been popular in various parts of the world, including China, India, and Turkey , but it has reached an extraordinary level in Java. It is usually performed in an eight to nine hour performance that goes all night.

What is a shadow puppet show?

n. A play presented by casting shadows of puppets or actors on a screen. Also called shadowgraph, shadow show. a show in which shadows of puppets, flat figures, or live actors are projected onto a lighted screen.

What is shadow puppetry?

Shadow play, also known as shadow puppetry, is an ancient form of storytelling and entertainment which uses flat articulated cut-out figures (shadow puppets) which are held between a source of light and a translucent screen or scrim. The cut-out shapes of the puppets sometimes include translucent color or other types of detailing.