Staging the Show

The basic elements of the shadow show are the screen, light and the leather puppet figures. Most puppet theatre is performed by travelling performers. In every form of Indian puppetry, two charbhoys (wooden country cots) form the usual foundation of the stage. Two dhotis or two white saris are pinned together lengthwise, forming a screen. The puppeteers perform either sitting or standing behind the screen. If the lighting is placed too close to the screen hot spots of light and large stretches of unilluminated cloth occur. If placed too far away, shadows of the puppeteers are thrown on the screen with the puppets.

The stories are taken most commonly from the beloved Ramayana and Mahabharata epics. The plays offer moral and religious instruction, teaching elements of history and illustrating the magical effectiveness of the gods. Ancestor worship is another aspect of puppet performances. The plays celebrate heroes - legendary and historic - of the Indian people.

Central to the annual cycle of performances is the complete rendering of the Ramayana, adapted and divided into twenty-one parts for the shadow puppet theatre and presented over twenty-one consecutive nights. Over 130 puppets are needed for the presentation.