How to Make A Shadow Puppetry Show

Shadow puppetry is a form of puppetry, in which you move puppets, cut out of paper (or another thin material), between a light source and a screen. The audience at the other side of the screen only sees the shadows. It is a lot of fun to do just by yourself, with friends, or as a family activity. You can make it as ambitious as you like with moving body parts and different props and scenes. Below you will find instructions for performances that you can do from a desk or table, a door opening, or even (in case you are sick) from your bed.

The shadow puppeteer's tool and supply kit

1. Cardboard box, box lid (about 13"x16" or bigger), or 2'x3' cardboard/foam display board for presentations (bought at craft and office supply store)

2. Parchment (wax) paper, tracing paper, architectural vellum (from office supply store), or thin white plastic disposable table cloth found in party stores

3. Masking tape (ducktape too when using parchment paper)

4. Black poster board (or, if not available: card stock or cardboard from cereal box)

5. Scissors

6. Hole punchers: standard size for eyes, 1/16" for the connecting holes (optional)

7. Brass paper fasteners (smallest size: 0.5" to 1")

8. Bendable straws

9. Wooden barbeque skewers

10. Velcro sticky back fasteners (optional)

11. White or light colored pencil for sketching on poster board

12. Bright desk lamp (preferably 75Watt, more for bigger screens)

13. Photo copy transparencies and permanent markers for sceneries (optional)

Pick your story

If you think of shadow puppetry like a cartoon, you can act out anything: a story that you come up yourself, or a familiar story such as fairy tale, an ancient myth, or a story from a favorite picture book. You can even make caricatures of yourself, your family members, and friends! )

Making the screen

A desk top theatre is made of an upright cardbroard frame, supported by two sides, with a screen taped on the inside. Ready made display boards from a craft or office supply store are easiest to use, as you only need to cut out a rectangle at the top half. If you use a large cardboard box, you need to make the supporting sides yourself, which can be square or triangular as the frame shown below at light behind the screen. If you use a box lid you can keep it upright by taping it to the table with masking tape or by using small heavy objects to keep it in place.

To cut out the screen you need a box cutter or knife and the help of an adult. Make sure that the rectangle that you cut is out is not bigger than the screen material that you have available. You can choose parchment or tracing paper, vellum for architectural drawings (available in large office supply stores), or a piece of thin white disposable plastic table cloth (available in a party store). Cut it to a size at least 1/2 inch larger than the rectangle in your frame and tape it on the inside with masking tape.

Making the puppets

Design your puppets and props first on white paper before you trace them on the poster board (or card stock, or cereal box). If you find it difficult to get it right, don't be afraid to look at books or websites for inspiration (Jack, for instance, the puppet on this page, was inspired by Quentin Blake's illustrations of the story of Jack and the beanstalk, retold by Roald Dalh).

Size and proportions:

Make sure the puppets are not too small, between 8 and 11 inch tall. To get an idea about size and proportions I have examples and cutouts online that you can print out. To the right: Jack in letter size format (less than half the size of the puppet photographed on this site).

                                         Faces sideways:

Shadow puppets work best if you watch their face from the side, so that you can make the nose stick out and have the mouth a little open. Eyes should be cut out with very small pointed scissors (you may need some help). You can also use a hole puncher for that. To make an eye ball like Jack's, tape a small oval piece over the eye hole.

Moveable body parts:

To let a body part move (such as an arm or a leg), you have to cut it out separately, because it overlaps with the body. Make a little hole where the body and the arm or leg connect (Use the 1/16" hole puncher or the pointed end of your scissors). You attach the parts with a paper fastener. It is usually enough to                                            have only one part that can move.

Rods to hold and move the puppets:

For rods to hold and move the puppet you can use sticks or bendable straws, or a combination of both. To make a sharp shadow you need to keep your puppet as close to the screen as as possible. For desk top size puppets this means that the rods should be attached at the backs of the puppets at right angles, using bendable straws. Tape the smaller end to the back of each puppet and bend the straw in an angle. You do the same for the moveable body parts (cut the flexible part shorter if necessary). You can straighten the rods again if you want to store the puppets.

For larger puppets and screens you will have a light behind you, so you need to stay below the screen and hold the puppets up. Use a straight straw or (if you can handle the pointed edge) barbeque skewer for parts that do not move. This is the 'holding' rod (in the example attached to the puppet's back). For parts that move you use a bended straw, attaching the short end to the body part (in the example the arm). If you prefer a thinner rod, use the 'Wisniewski invention' (left): Cut off the bendable part of the straw, leaving 1" on each side of the bending part. Put this part over the pointed edge of a barbequeskewer and wrap with a piece of masking tape where they connect.

Props  

If you want to use other objects than puppets (the so called 'props') be careful in deciding what you need. If you don't have a big screen, you should not have too many props: there is little space and you only have two hands to hold or move the puppets. Use a piece of rolled up scotch or masking stick a prop to the screen, so that it won't be visible on the other side of the screen. If you use plastic disposable table cloth in your doorway, you can draw on it with permanent marker instead of using props.

Light behind the screen

Choose a light source that is convenient and bright enough for the screen that you use. For desk top size screens a desk lamp is best but if you use parchment paper or vellum a flash light or even day light from your window will do.

For bigger screens, for instance in your door opening, ask a parent for the brightest light source in the house. The darker you can make the room, the better. If you do shadow puppetry in the classroom it would be best for your teacher to use an overhead projector. This provides the best light and can also be used for very cool background scenery on transparencies (see Teaching with shadow puppetry).

History of Wayang Kulit in Malaysia and musical instrument used

\

With the introduction of modern forms of entertainment such as the Internet, television and radio, traditional performances have taken a backseat in today’s modern lifestyle. Although less common these days, traditional shows are still nevertheless strong expression of a particular culture. Some have withstood the test of time and are still going strong today.

Wayang Kulit is one such activity which holds great prominence in many South East Asian cultures (including Malaysia), having entertained a great number of people since its introduction to the region around two thousand years ago. It is currently still practiced in Malaysia, particularly in the states of Kelantan, Kedah, Perlis and Terengganu. Wayang Kulit usually becomes one of the cultural highlight when travelling to Kelantan, Malaysia.

 

Wayang is a generic term in Javanese for theater, and throughout the years there have been many variations of the activity with a number of differences between them. Of all the different types, Wayang Kulit is perhaps the best known, with the Indonesian Wayang Kulit having been designated as a Masterpiece of Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO.

Wayang Kulit or Shadow Puppet is a traditional theatre presentation shown during major festivals in Malaysia. Wayang Kulit is an old cultural entertainment using a shadow puppet theater—puppeteers control elaborate puppets behind a screen, while a source of light casts the puppets’ shadows on the screen. By moving the shadows around the screen while accompanied by a musical ensemble, the dalang (the master puppeteer and conductor) narrates the story and presents an intriguing performance.

The puppets of Wayang Kulit are usually made from leather, and the detailed props typically require weeks of careful work to produce. After drawing the rough outline on leather, the puppets are then carefully inspected, cut and prepared by a skilful craftsman. The puppets are then painted and lastly fitted with moving parts and sticks so that they can be manipulated during a performance.

Puppet shows in South East Asia is believed to have started in Indonesia around first century AD, introduced by traders from India as a form of cultural entertainment performed in festivals. For a time, the puppet shows featured Hindu classics such as the Ramayana and the Mahabharata and was instrumental in spreading Hinduism across the Malay Archipelago. The puppet shows are believed to have eventually spread into Malaysia.

Wayang Kulit in Malaysia typically shows either local tales or ancient stories such as the Ramayana and Mahabharata. 4 kinds of wayang kulit can be found in Malaysia, amongst them are Wayang Kulit Kelantan (oldest and most well-known kind of Wayang Kulit in Malaysia), Wayang Kulit Melayu (developed in the 19th and 20th centuries under the patronage of Malay aristocracy and royalty), Wayang Kulit Gedek (a Thai-inspired version and usually performed with a mix of Malay and Thai language) and the Wayang Kulit Purwa (meaning Ancient Puppet Play, it retains many of the features of the Indonesian Wayang Kulit).

Today, Wayang Kulit is commonly included in various large events and cultural festivals, such as handicraft exhibitions, city hall parades, Penang George Town Festival and others. The practice is also often featured at cultural centres and temples, where interest in this cultural heritage is still going strong.

SHADOW PLAY ENSEMBLES OR ORCHESTRAS AND THEIR INSTRUMENTS

The musical ensembles of the shadow play are percussion-dominated with either a solitary aerophone (wind) or a chordophone (string) instrument. The wayang Kelantan ensemble has the following instruments:

Idiophonic (Brass)

Orotund material is to made to Idiophones instruments .tetawak , kesi and canang occurs as a pairs in idiophone

The pairs tetawak are knobbed gongs which hung between wooden rack, padded beater is to hit the knob. The larger tetawak played lower pitch which called“tawak ibu” (mother tawak), the tawak anak (child tawak) played slightly higher pitch. Major third or perfect fifth is the tuning in between one set to another. The standardization of the tuning of tetawak so as canang are not the main important issue in music.

The canang is made of iron or metal, and it consists of two knobbed gongs, which hung horizontally on the wooden rack. The two gongs are hit by a pair of peddar beater, both gongs (anak canang and ibu canang ) played in different pitches( high and low pitch). Both gongs tuning interval may range from majorsecond to sixth.

The kesi cymbals have a cup-like protruding with a small hole to enable to two cymbals to be connected. It is made of booze or iron. Resonant, ringing sound occurs when striking by player on the pair of cymbals. Unison are played in two pieces of timbres with canang, canang anak (high pitch) played ringing timbre whilst canang ibu (low pitch) played damped timbre. Kesi is similar to the western cymbal.

Tetawak

Canang

Kesi

Aerophonic (Wind)

The serunai, which falls into the shawm category, is a double reed instrument, varying in length from 12 to 18 inches and constructed from a variety of woods such as batang lada, lebam and nangka. It is divided into 3 sections, namely kepala (head), batang (stem) and pipit (mouth-piece) (Figure 1). Daun lunta, a type of fern leaf, is used for the reed. Altogether there are 8 sound holes on the serunai, seven on top and 1 below. It is adorned with intricate carvings and painted with various shades of colour. Its scale is shown in Example 1.

The serunai is played using circular breathing, a method by which the player completely mouths the double reed and blows continuously, without any pause to take breath. This is based on the bagpipe principle of retaining the air for continuous blowing. The belly and lungs are inflated by air, which is then pushed up to the mouth, resulting in the cheeks remaining constantly puffed out. Thus as the player blows, he also inhales using his belly. This technique is employed by all traditional wind-instrument players, as exemplified by the pi player in the traditional Thai musical ensemble.

Introduction to Wayang Kulit

Wayang Kulit is the name given to a variety of Indonesian traditional drama utilizing shadow puppets .  Wayang kulit shows are popular across Java and Bali and have been performed for at least the past 800 years.  The puppets for wayang kulit are traditionally made out of buffalo hide, hence the name "wayang kulit" (kulit means "skin"; wayang is a derivation of the word for "shadow").  Shadows from the puppets are cast onto a backlit linen screen; the light is traditionally provided by a special oil lamp which creates a sepia-type of effect but electric lights are now commonly used as well.  Different figures are represented by different puppets; a normal "village set" has about 100 different puppets, and some "palace sets" have upwards of 500 puppets.  Wayang kulit performances are staged for some religious events, but they also are parts of some celebrations and fairs.  Some wayang kulit shows can last all night long, but you can usually find a performance that lasts around two hours.  It's a good opportunity to catch up on some sleep or play with the lesser-used functions and modes of the digital SLR camera you paid too much money for .


An array of puppets at a performance
Most shadow puppet shows are based on either the Maharabata or the Ramayana, two ancient Hindu epics originating in India, but sometimes Javanese shows are performed as well.  Puppets come in many different sizes, ranging from small animals to giant deities and monsters (raksasa: literally "giant").  The stylized puppets are carefully designed to provide symbolic information about the characters, and most people in Indonesia can recognize the most popular characters by sight.   Different shaped eyes and noses convey character traits; for instance, narrow eyes indicate nobility or refinement, whereas a downturned head indicates humbleness.  More aggressive characters are generally bigger and are painted with shades of red, with larger noses and eyes.  In the picture to the right of this paragraph you can see an array of puppets at a performance; all puppets are carefully painted even though you just see the shadow.  The display of the puppets is part of the show.   


Dalang as the center of attention
The guy that moves the puppets around is called the Dalang .  The position of dalang is highly respected amongst wayang kulit officienados.  Dalangs are masters of a variety of skills; they don't just move the puppets but they also tell the story using different voices and tones for the different characters.  The dalang has to be able to do several things at once; all the sites and sounds, including the rapping percussive cadences that symbolize movement or serve as dramatic punctuation come from him.   In addition to this they sing and conduct the gamelan orchestra that accompanies the performance.  Apart from the performance itself the dalang often creates new shows, makes his/her own puppets, serves as an informal teacher in the community.  In many cases the dalang will invent new stories or characters to satirize current events or create a modern-day fable that viewers can relate to. 

Rama and Siti puppets in the famous "smell my finger, Rama" scene
As I mentioned above, the puppets are made from leather and are quite intricate and creative.  In Jogja there is a whole cottage industry involved in producing and selling these puppets, and they've long been a favorite souvenir for tourists.  If you'd like to visit a shop to see how they are made and browse the wares there are lots of them in the Taman Sari area near the Kraton. The puppets are chiseled with very fine tools.  In some cases individual craftsmen make the puppets, but in some workshops teams of skilled workers work on several puppets at the same time.  Depending on the quality of the puppet, the process can take from a few hours to several weeks.

As I mentioned previously, many performances are based on the Ramayana and Maharabata, but there are local adaptations as well.  Javanese shows often feature moral lessons or comic relief provided by a family of "clown" puppets:  Semar (the father), Gareng (the oldest son), Petruk (middle son), and Bagong (the youngest son).  In the two movies below you can see a couple of short scenes from a shadow puppet performance.  In the first one the puppets are arguing about something; in the second they proceed to mix it up.  While I was filming my camera kept going in and out of focus, but I think that adds a bit to the artistic effect.  Aside from this the dalang often takes the puppets in and out of focus to give the impression of movement.