Assigned Teachers: TBD

Shadow Puppet Play: Crafting Stories in the Shadows"

Intro (summary)

This art class is designed for a creative and collaborative environment. It encourages imagination, problem-solving, and teamwork while introducing the magic of shadow puppetry. By the end of the class, participants will have not only created their own shadow puppet plays but also developed a sense of camaraderie through their shared storytelling experience.

You will need:

• Cardboard or heavy paper for puppets

• Wooden sticks or straws for puppet handles

• Scissors, glue, tape, and colored markers

• A light source (e.g., a lamp or flashlight)

• A white bedsheet or large piece of paper for the shadow screen

• Creative and enthusiastic instructors or facilitators

• A suitable space for shadow puppetry with dimmable lighting

Step 1: Introduction (10 minutes):

• Introduce the theme of "Shadow Puppet Play."

• Give an introduction of shadow puppet plays (history below) and play at least 2 video (indonesian puppetry and kids’ shadow puppet play)

• Kids will be working together to create a shadow puppet play for their own created story

• Noteworthy is the collaborative nature of the class and teamwork.

Step 2: Visualization and Observation (20 minutes):

• Go to the library at the Children’s center and select a story you want to convert to a play. Begin to create a simple story which can then be told with shadow puppets

• Decide in a group for a short story, identify the characters required and their role in the story/play>>> THE WHOLE GROUP IS SUPPOSED TO CREATE THE STORY

• Then the group will be divided into smaller groups to visualize the characters with sketches and scenes in the story.

• Discuss how they can transform these visuals into shadow puppet characters and backgrounds.>>> Smaller groups create different characters, as part of the whole story

• Despite being divided into smaller groups, discuss the characters also with the other groups, to ensure the characters/shadow puppets are also in line with the rest of the story (other characters from different groups)

Step 3: Making and Problem-Solving (40 minutes):

• Divide the participants into small groups.

• Provide materials such as cardboard, sticks, paper, scissors, and colored markers.

• Guide the groups in crafting their shadow puppet characters and backgrounds based on their chosen part of the story and the selected characters

• Encourage problem-solving as they encounter challenges in puppet design and construction.

Step 4: Community Building (15 minutes):

• Gather all the groups to create a collaborative shadow puppet theater setup.

• Play the story with all your created characters and film the storytelling, though it can be shared later

• Discuss the importance of working together to put on the play.

• Each group takes a turn performing their part of the shadow puppet play while others watch and applaud.

Conclusion and Reflection (10 minutes):

• Summarize the key points of the class, highlighting the creativity and teamwork involved.

• Ask each group to share what they enjoyed most about the process and their play.

• Reflect on how shadow puppetry can bring stories to life in a unique way.

• Encourage students to express, what they learned from both, the creative as well as the collaborative aspects of the class.

Extra information for Volunteers

A leather figure reference proves that shadow theatre was known in Sri Lanka as early as the 12th century, though it has not continued into the present.

The traditional marionettes form a small group around the village of Ambalongoda in the south of the island. There are only three or four troupes that are still active and play on demand. The group Sri Anura is among the most notable. The troupe’s director, Gamvari, continues the tradition of his father, who was one of the last master puppeteers. The family provides the performers. The troupe has puppets, scenic elements, lights, and plays, which are meant for the village audience that gathers in a Buddhist temple or at a school. 

Puppetry has practically disappeared from the highlands where it was previously popular. At Jaffna in the north of the island, where Sri Lankan Tamils mostly live, it is called bhommalatam “dancing doll”, a name that indicates a South Indian influence. The Tamil tradition of nadagama is related to the Ariccandra which consists of a series of plays drawn from the tale of King Hariscandra (Harishchandra), a character in the Indian epic, the Mahabharata.

The traditional puppets – string and rod puppets – are sculpted of local materials and are between 90-120 centimeters in height, but kingly or noble characters are larger and heavier. A troupe can have up to 200 figures. The set is a temporary structure set up by the group, who has brought the curtains, screens, and decorative drops, to the place of the performance.

The repertory is based on the Jatakas, tales of the previous lives (“births”) of the Buddha, or historical stories. In each play, the konangi or bahubhutaya, clown dancers, appear first. Next is a comic scene with a policeman and a drunkard. To conclude, the head of the troupe demonstrates his skill with a “dancer”, a female puppet beautifully dressed and artfully manipulated.

The first puppetry school in Sri Lanka is at Thidora Theatre, which is intended to help teachers and the disabled, as well as train contemporary puppeteers. A puppetry museum in Dehiwala has many examples of masks and puppets.

SUGGESTION: Maybe a trip to the puppet museum in Dehiwala could be a nice outing for the kids, even though not much content on their website, they do tours upon request  

https://puppet.lk