ExplorationsintoShadowTheater: AnInstructionManualfromShadowLightProductions byRamonAbad Shadowsareeverywhere.Wherethereislight,thereareshadows.Absolutelyanything solid,placedinlight,willcastashadow.Shadowsareasnaturalasclouds,streamsand lightning.Howhavepeopleinterpretedshadows?Nowthat’swhereitgetsreallyinter- esting! InWesternsociety,weassociateshadowswithmenacingqualities.Inourliterature, moviesandTV,villainsandmonstershideinthedark,crouchintheshadows,runfromthe lightoftruth.Eventheprotagonistofthe1920sradioplayTheShadowisanelusive, phantomcharacterwhoavengescrimebymysteriouslyappearingfromtheshadows. Bycontrast,numerousculturesaroundtheglobehavelongusedshadowstoexpress heroism,redemptionandhumorintheirartandentertainment.Theoldestandmost popularmediumtoemployshadowsinthiswayisshadowpuppetry. Shadowpuppetryisanancientartformthatstillthrivesinmanypartsoftheworld.There are,todate,onlytwowaystoperformshadowtheater: •thetraditionaltraditionalway-puppetsareheldupagainsttheperformancescreen, •themodernprojectedmodernprojectedway-shadowsarecastutilizingthespacebetweenthelight sourceandthescreen. Themaindifferencebetweenthesemethodsisthetypeoflightsourceusedandthesizeof shadowsproduced.Eachapproachhasitsownpossibilitiesandlimitations. Thereissomeliteratureavailableonshadowpuppetry,butnearlyallofitcentersonthe traditionalmethod.Whattheaudienceseesinmostshadowtheaterperformancesarethe silouettesofpuppetspressedupagainstascreenwithalightnotmorethat1’away.Pro- jectedshadowtheater,ontheotherhand,involvesusingasource3’to20’awayfromthe screen,andpuppetsoractorsactuallycastingshadowsontothescreenfromsomepointin thatwidedistancebetweenthescreenandthelight. Whatfollowsaretechniquesinmodernprojectedmodernprojectedshadowtheaterthathavebeendevel- opedbyShadowlightProductionsoverthecourseofmanyyears,throughexperimenta- tion,rehearsalandperformance.Wehopethatinusingthesetechniquesyouwillfind yourownapproachtotheancient,yetever-evolvingartofshadowtheaterandhelpus keepthisdynamicartformfreshandmeaningful. GETTINGSTARTED A.LightSource Asinglepointlightsourceisthekeytoprojectedshadowtheater.Anytypeofclearbulb canwork.Thesmallerthefilament,thesharpertheshadows.Reflec- tiveshieldsandfrostedlightbulbscastfuzzyshadows. Thecheapestandeasiestlightstousearenightlightswiththeprotec- tiveandreflectiveshieldsremoved.Simpleandsmallprojectionscan easilybeoperatedbychildrenstartingasyoungasfirstgradewith thesetypeoflights. Thebarelightcastfromslideoroverheadprojectorsalsoworkswell atacertaindistanceforprojectedshadows.Slideandoverheadprojec- torshaveastrongerlightthennightlightsandthuscreatingalarger playingspace.Thegreatadvantageofthesestypesoflightstocreateshadowsisthatthey enableyoutoexperimentwithslidesandtransparencies.Also,mostschoolshaveslideand overheadprojectorsreadilyavailable. B.Puppets MosttraditionalshadowpuppetsfromAsia,GreeceorTurkeyusewaterbuffalo,cowor donkeyhideformaterials,butthatisoftenhardtofindinabigcity.Ifyoucanfindanyof thematerialslistedbelowatrecyclingcenters,discountshopsoratnocost,goforit! You’llneed: 1.cardboardcardboardforcharacters,sets,masks,etc.Recommendedtypes: •“posterboard”orrailroadboard(6-8gradeisbest,anythingmoreistohard tocut,anythinglessistoflimsy.Soldatofficesupplystores.) •manilaboard(oldfilefoldersarethecheapest.) 2.heavymonofilamentheavymonofilament(fishingline)formovingjoints.Brassfastenersarealsooften usedforjoints,buttheytendtostickwhenmovedandthetwo-endprongsarevisibleon smallconnectionslikearmsandhands.Thethickestandhighestgradeoffishingline worksbestintermsofdurability. 3.dowels,sticksorwiredowels,sticksorwiretosupportpuppetsandforhand/armmanipulation. 4.coloredgelsoracetatecoloredgelsoracetateforpuppetdetail.Coloredreportcoversarethecheapestand mostaccessibleresourceforaddingcolortoyourpuppets.Clearcoverscanbepainted withcoloredink(ratherthenpaint,whichdoesnotshowupwellinshadow),formore elaboratetexture. 5.scissors,excto-blades,matknivesscissors,excto-blades,matknivesforcuttingshapesand details. C.PerformanceScreen Arollof3’or4’widebutcherorvellumpaperisthemostfriendly materialtouseforscreens.Clothsheetstendtoshowthelight instrumentthroughtheholesintheweave,whereasapaperor plasticscreenprovidesamoreevenlydistributedglow. Youwillalsoneedseveralrollsofclearpackingtape(3Mworks best;avoidanycheapbrands)andarollofrope,clothesline,ortie line. D.PaintedScenery Youwillneed: 1.Sheetsofthickcardboardthickcardboardapproxiamately3’X4’. 2.Rollsofclearpolyesterclearpolyester,atleast3’tall. 3.Spraypaint,sprayglue,coloredinkpaintpensSpraypaint,sprayglue,coloredinkpaintpens. 4.10’-15’ofPVCpipePVCpipeatleast11/2”,twoPVCelbowT’sPVCelbowT’sandtwothreadedmaleadapters andPVCpipecementPVCpipecement. 5.Two3’X3’squaresofplywoodplywoodandone1”X2”stickstickatleast5’long. 6.Twogalvinizedsteelpipebasesgalvinizedsteelpipebasesat11/2”. BUILDINGYOURSHOW I.PuppetConstruction A.Design Thedesignandlookofpuppetsisuptotheinfiniteimaginationoftheartistmakingthem. Forinspiration,studytheshadowpuppetsofculturesthathaveusedthemforcenturies, andthenstudythoseusedbymodernpuppeteers.What’scommoninallshadowpuppetry istheuseofnegativespacenegativespaceindesigningandcuttingoutpuppets.Balinesepuppetsare madewitheyeswhicharenotjustholescutout,butintricatecutoutswhichusetheshape ofthepupilandthespacearoundittodefinetheeye. Afterdecidingonacharacter,drawanoutlineofitonyoursheetofcardboard.Sidepro- filesofcharactersaretheeasiesttomakewhenworkingwithchildrenratherthenhaving tofigureoutthelogisticsofaquarterturnor“straightahead”look. Coloredacetateandgelsorink-paintedtransparenciescanaddcolortothedetailsofyour puppets.Forexample,theintricatedesignsofasultan’srobecanbecutoutfirstandthen smallpiecesofyellowororangeacetatecanbegluedortapedontogivethedesignsa certainwarmthbeyondblackandwhite. B.Movingparts Tocreateacharacterwithamovingarm,youmustdrawthearmandbodyseperately. Kidstendtodrawtheentirefigurewiththearmsincluded.Whentheytrytocutthe figureoutandseparatethearms,theyendupwiththearmsshorterthentheyintended. Youhavetocompensatefortheoverlappingofthearmonyourfigure’sbodybydrawing andcuttingoutanextralengthonit.Thisextrabitservesasajointbetweenthebodyand arm.Thissameideaappliestoeveryothermovingappendage. Tomakejointsforyourmovingparts: 1.Drillorpierceatinyholeontheappendageandonthemainbody. 2.Takeyourmonofilament,meltoneendofitwithaflamefromalighteroracandle,and immediatelysquashitagainstthebodyusingametalobjectlikescissors. 3.Aligntheholesontheappendageandthebody,threadthemonofilamentthroughthe holeswiththefreeend,andcutenoughoftheline’sendtomeltandsquashitinplaceas well. Whatyouendupwithisacapital“I”withthetwothincardboardpiecesheldtogetherin themiddle.Thesmashedendsserveasstops,andtheshortpieceofmonofilamentisthe jointthatconnectsyourmovingpieces. Analternativetothismethod,easierforyoungerchildren,istousetwineorthickstring tiedattheendsinsteadofmonofilament. Attachingmanipulatingrods Tocontrolyourshadowpuppets,youmustattachsticksorwirestomanipulatethebody andmovingappendages. Forprojectedtheaterpuppets,youcanattachthemanipulatingrodforthebodyontopof thebodyitselfwithenoughlengthleftoverbelowforyourhandtogrip. Formovingarms,amanipulatingrodwithasmallholedrilledthroughatoneendiscon- nectedtothearmorhandbymonofilamnetortwineasdescribedabove. Movingmouths Indonesianpuppetshaveastringthatmovesthemouth,controlledbyonefingerofthe handthatholdsthepuppets.Usuallyathin,smallpieceofahornfromawaterbuffalo actsasaspringforthismechanism,butthat,too,isararecommodityinacity! Asinanymovingappendage,youfirstmustdrawandcutoutthepuppet’slowerjawand chinseparately,withanextraspaceattheendofthejawforthejoint.Thefacehasthe upperjawaspartofitsdesignbutwiththelowerjawandchincutout. Tomakeasimpleversionofthis: 1.Startbyattachingthepuppet’slowerjawtoajointonitsface. 2.Drillaholeinthecornerofthelowerjawthatisclosetothecentermanipulatingrod. 3.Threadtwineorstringthroughthisholeandleavetheendlongandlooseenoughto reachthehandleoftherod. 4.Takeasmallpieceofelastic(arubberbandorthestretchycordusedinwrappingpre- sentsworkwell)andglueortapeoneendofittoacornerabovetheupperjawofthe puppet. 5.Glue,tape,orthreadthefreeendofthiselasticthroughthetopcornerofthelowerjaw onthesidewherethestringisattached. 6.Afterexperimentingtofindthebestplaceforyourfinger(usuallyit’sthepointerfin- ger)tocontrolthestring,tapethelooseendofthestringtothehandleandgiveitatest run!Smallloopsofwireattachedtothemanipulatingrodcanserveasachannelforthe stringandhelpconcealthestringaswell. Thismouthmechanismcanworkonanypuppet.Bytestingandadjustingtheplacement oftheelasticandthestring,thesebasicinstructionscanmakeyourshadowspeakaselo- quentlyasyoudesire. II.MakingShadowMasks Adynamicelement,uniquetoprojectedshadowtheater,istheuseofshadowmasks.Two oppositefacingfacesareattachedtotheactor’sheadatforty-fivedegreeangles,sothat theactorcanlookatthescreenandseehismaskinprofileinfrontofhimonthescreen. Thesemasksdon’tworkwiththetraditionalmethodsinceitisdifficultforactorstopress theirfacesagainstascreen! Followthesestepstocreateashadowmask: 1.Makeaheadbandforyouractorbycuttinga3”stripofthincardboardslightlylonger thanthewidthofyouractor’shead.(Measurefromhisforeheadaroundthebackofthe head.) 2.TapeonesidewithclearpackingtapeandattachatabofVelcroontheother.Make sureyouhavethecorrespondingVelcrotabonthetapedsidesincethetapedsideisthe outsideoftheheadbandandtheVelcroadjuststotheheadfromtheinside. 3.Afterdecidingonacharacter,drawaprofilewitheye,mouth,nose,anddetailsof wrinkles,warts,scratches,etc.onasheetofcardboard.Thisprofilemustbeslightlylonger thantheprofileofyouractorinorderfortheactor’sfeaturestobeconcealed.So,draw theforehead,top,andbackofthecharacter’sheadlargerthenactor’salso.