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Shadows
LOOKING AT SHADOWS
Objective: To explore the history, construction and principles of shadow
puppets and therefore encourage the development of imagination, communication,
self expression and creative skills of the participants.
Requirements:
* A room that can be darkened ( classroom is fine)
* Access to power
* Students supply cardboard ( cereal packets are good thickness)
* Scissors
Curriculum areas covered by “Looking at Shadows”:
* Creative and Visual Arts. Through the actual creation and manipulation of the
shadow puppet
* Literacy. Through the learning of new words associated with puppetry in
general and shadow puppetry in particular.
Play building and story
structure using a visual medium.
* Communication. Through the enactment of a scenario.
*Science. Through the use of light (Science & Technology K6 Syllabus and
support document. Unit is called “Light up my Life” page 130-131.
*Suggested Preparation:
1. Preparation of geometric cardboard shapes. If this is able to be done prior
to the workshop it will leave much more time for working with the finished
puppets.
Preparation of cardboard shapes is as follows. Each student will cut out four
to five geometric shapes about the size of their hand from the cardboard that
they collected. Squares, circles, hexagons, triangles, rectangles etc. The
shape can be repeated if the students want to. They then draw a geometric shape
inside at least three of those shapes leaving at least a 1cm border. It does
not have to be the same as the outside shape. This inside shape is then cut
out. This is where colour will be introduced in the workshop. A single hole
punch is useful to get the cutting started. The students can then experiment
with laying their shapes out, overlapping them by about a centimetre to make an
abstract form, and then mark where joints are to go with a pencil. See
Below.
Geometric shapes are used rather than a recognisable figure as they
are relatively easy to draw and cut and can suggest many different shapes, either
real or abstract, once put together. (Students can prepare these shapes before
hand leaving more time for working the puppets).
2. Wordbanks to do with puppetry can be built up.
Areas to consider may be:
Puppetry: String puppets, rod puppets, theatre, mask , mime...........
Shadow Puppet: Silhouette, shadow, outline, screen, light.......
Construction: Joints, string, cardboard...........
Movement: Manipulate, action, characters, entry, exit, stillness..............
3. Research on Internet or “Encarta” In Encarta search under “shadow puppet”
or on the internet a helpful site is at http:/www.sagecraft.com/puppetry/definitions/index.html
This site will give information about all sorts of puppetry with links to
shadow puppetry.
Workshop outline. A creative hands on puppetry workshop lasting approximately
80-90 minutes that explores the world of the shadow puppet.
1. A brief introduction to shadow puppets: what they are, the mechanics of how
they work, the use of the shadow screen; a short history and display of shadow
puppets and pictures of shadow puppets from around the world.
2. Workshop facilitator will demonstrate use of both Indonesian shadow puppets
and an example of the type of puppet that the students will make.
3. Students make their own puppet from prepared geometric shapes. The steps
that need to be taken to make the shadow puppet will be clearly demonstrated at
this point. This will assist the students to work at their own pace and enable
the workshop leader and teacher to pay individual attention to students.
4. Students prepare and rehearse a play in groups of three written and supplied
by workshop facilitator.
5. Groups present their play to the rest of the group.
Teacher’s role:
1. Organise the preparation of shapes before workshop starts.
2. Students put into groups of six made up of two groups of three. The students
will sit either at desks or on the floor of the space where the workshop is to be
held. This enables the students to share equipment easily. A group of three will
act out each play.
3. To actively participate in the workshop and assist with class management.
Materials Used:
Cardboard (recycled from cereal packets works well)
String (supplied) Masking tape (supplied)
Coloured cellophane (supplied)
Wooden barbecue skewers (supplied)
Clear sticky tape (supplied)
Tools Used:
Scissors (will supply some)
Pencils
Erasers
Awl (for making holes) (supplied)
Cutting boards (supplied)
Outcomes:
At the completion of this workshop participants will be able to:
Identify a shadow puppet and shadow puppet stage.
Build a shadow from cardboard and coloured cellophane with moving joints.
Manipulate a shadow puppet.
Explore further the use of translucent colours in shadow puppetry.
Know a brief history and overview of shadow puppetry.
Work in small groups to perform a short shadow puppet play.
Learning Experiences:
Students will engage in learning experiences during the course of the unit that
may include:
Symmetry Drawing and cutting out of objects
Use of colour
Team work
Use of imagination
Co-ordination
Suggested follow ups:
1. Make more puppets and practise technical skills using the following steps.
Steps:
Explain principles of building shadow puppet
Solid shapes - show from behind screen
Cutting out of geometric shapes
Introduce colour - show how to cut and glue and to add shapes with textas etc
Jointing shapes to allow movement.
Method of jointing.
How and where to make holes with awl and how to joint with string
Methods of attaching rods to puppets using coat hangers and tape or skewers and
tape.
How to manipulate
2. Write a procedure for the making and operating of a shadow puppet
3. Describe the character that the student made. Its name, traits etc.
4. Devise a narrative or write a script.
Things students need to have reinforced:
1. How to manipulate their puppet
2. To think of how their shapes might move.
3. How to enter and exit the screen.
4. How their figures interact with others.
5. To see their own puppets from both front and back of the screen
Shadow Screen
A shadow screen can be made fairly simply from easy to find materials.
White sheeting stretched across a large picture frame clamped to a table with a
light source behind it. If there is a fixture in the classroom from which a
screen can be suspended put large safety pins in the corners of the fabric to
be used as a screen and tie cords to these , attach a masking curtain at the
bottom to hide the operators. A large cardboard box can be cut down to form a
shadow puppet Theatre. Cut the top and one side out of the box and then cut out
the hole for the screen out of the centre section. Fasten the screen across the
hole nice and tightly so that there are no wrinkles. From the side that was
removed cut a decorative top piece and attach this top of the centre section to
hide the operators. Extra holes can be cut in the two sides to make extra
screens as the need arises. Screen material is most commonly cotton or
cotton/polyester but can be tracing paper or greaseproof paper although this
might be a little flimsy. All screens should be taut with no wrinkles as they
spoil the effect.
Further Reading
The Puppetry Handbook by Anita Sinclair. An invaluable resource for all sorts
of puppet building. (Richard Lee Publishing, PO Box 828, Castlemaine, Vic,
3450. ISBN No 0-909431-04-03)
The complete Book of the Puppet by Bill Baird. A history of puppetry by a
master puppeteer. (Ridge Press Inc)
The Australian Puppeteer. A quarterly publication of UNIMA Australia,
Australia’s leading puppetry organisation. For more information contact:
Australian Puppeteer, PO Box 208, Elsternwick, Vic, 3184
Further Ideas:
 To
make articulated shadow puppets the parts of the character that are to be made
should be drawn onto thin cardboard. The pieces that are to move must be
designed to overlap for joining. There are no restrictions on where to make the
joints, it depends on what is to be achieved. However remember your own limitations
in using controls. Parts that move naturally without an extra control are fine,
but think about those parts that do need their own control.
Shadow puppets can be decorated by punching small holes or cutting slits area
out. These then can be left clear or coloured gel or cellophane can be glued
over them to give some colour to the figure. 
To join the separate parts either use cord threaded through holes in the
card and knotted on one side and taped securely down on the other ensuring that
full movement is still possible, or use a rivet type paper fastener. The pieces
must be joined one on top of the other in layers so as not to restrict
movement.
Various materials can be used as a form of control. Coat hangers straightened
and cut to the required length, bent into an L shape at one end and bent over
at the other to form a handle and attached with sticky tape or a cardboard tab.
Umbrella spokes have an eye at one end which can be stitched to the shadow
figure with cord or for quick workshops, barbecue skewers taped on can be used.
Colour can be introduced in a couple of ways. By cutting out holes in the
cardboard and covering with coloured cellophane or gel and gluing, it down,
glue sticks are good for this or clear tape; the second way is to draw the figure
onto thin white cardboard and colour in with water base textas and then lay
down onto kitchen paper and rub coloured surface with cooking oil or clear
liquid paraffin with more kitchen paper, then turn over and rub back with more
oil until colours show through. Wipe excess oil off card and finally cut out
figure. Articulate any joints by using fishing line and sealing the knot with
clear nail varnish.
LOOKING AT SHADOWS BACKGROUND NOTES
Shadow puppets are normally flat cut out figures that are held by a rod or
wire against a translucent screen whilst some form of light is shone onto them.
As the puppets are made to move the audience on the other side of the screen
watches the shadow of the figures. Shadow puppets were originally made of
parchment or hide but they are now usually made from strong cardboard. Shadow puppets are controlled from below
or behind usually by means of wire or rods. It is most common to support and
move the figure with one main rod. Extra rods are added if required to control
movement of limbs.
Shadow puppets are to be found in many countries around the world telling
many tales and are an ancient form of puppetry.
From Turkey comes Karaghioz, the best loved clown and principle theatrical
figure of the Ottoman Empire. He is a rogue, boisterous, vain, impetuous and
likes to get his own way. Seen in profile he has a large bald head with a
bearded chin and one large dark eye. His name means :Dark eye:. Like all the
members of his troupe he has been reduced to a simple symbolic form that is
instantly recognisable when he appears on the screen. His origins are obscure
but thought to originate from the nomadic tribes of central Asia where the
tradition of shadow Theatre is ancient. It is known that the Scythians of the
third and fourth centuries BC made handsome silhouettes of leather.
Wayang Kulit, Indonesia’s shadow puppet tradition uses flat leather figures
and is an important element in the celebration of important events such as
anniversaries. The Dalang or puppet operator has become a combination of
storyteller, spiritual teacher and dramatist. Before he may perform he must be
ordained by a priest. The play is an all night affair, the Dalang sits behind his
large screen crossed legged with an oil lamp hanging above his head to cast the
shadows. In Java men sit behind the screen with the Dalang while the women sit
in front watching the shadows.
Southern India has its own shadow puppets tholubomalatta, articulated
leather shadow puppets, probably ancestors of Indonesia’s Wayang. Less
delicately designed than the Indonesian but are intricately pierced,
brilliantly coloured and extremely large, 1.5 metres is not an unusual height.
Most often the plays derive from the Mahabharata and the Ramayana and are often
performed in the temple grounds. The show lasts all night and the puppeteer has
to be highly athletic. Action is emphasised by dancing and stamping on sounding
boards below the shadow screen, often shaking the bells on his ankles. The play
may last literally for several months and is as much a part of an Indian’s life
as his work. The audience comes and goes as the play proceeds.
In China there are two principal kinds of shadow puppet, the Cantonese, or southern
shadow, and the Pekingese, or northern shadow puppet. The Pekingese are
smaller, more delicate and made from leather taken from the belly of a donkey
and painted in bright translucent colour by a stiff wire. Often one body may be
used with several different heads, therefore the neck has a flat collar of
leather enabling heads to be interchanged. The shadow play came into being
between the 7th and 9th centuries AD and reached their peak of development in
the 11th century.
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