It was his enthusiasm for shadow puppetry and the ambition to let the old art continue to shine in modern life that made him decide to stay on. "A friend once asked me that, young people didn't even have the patience to watch films and TV series, so why would they watch this puppetry show?"Įmpty seats and discouraging comments didn't deter him. They couldn’t understand why he would choose to work on an "old and unattractive" art that had few audiences. Not only did his major have nothing to do with shadow puppetry, but some of his college friends also cast their doubts about the future of the family business. "People may ask why would I bother watching this while there are (so many) movies and TV shows to consume," said Liu.īefore deciding to carry the torch of Liujiazhai shadow puppetry that his family had operated for more than two centuries, Liu Chaokan was practicing shooting as a student-athlete in college. Some would rather watch easy-to-understand clips on their pixel screens, an instant joy that prevails in modern society, than try to comprehend or appreciate traditional arts. "Many young people still hold the impression that shadow puppetry is some kind of old-fashioned folk art…one that appears in obsolete sacrificial activities," said Liu Chaokan, who is the sixth-generation inheritor of shadow puppetry in Liujiazhai, Tengchong County, southwest China's Yunnan Province. Just like so many species on our planet earth that are in danger of extinction, traditional arts also face the risk of disappearance, and shadow puppetry isn't immune. Usually, the room on the stage is limited, so one puppeteer may control two or three puppets while simultaneously controlling the switch of the light source. It's even harder to synchronize the action of the puppets with the singing, instruments, and other sound effects, while making sure every aspect of the show, such as lighting and transition, run smoothly. Manipulating the puppets into moving and posturing within a second is fairly hard. Staging a shadow puppetry show is a team effort and a textbook example of multitasking. A minor mistake could have a ripple effect and ruin the entire show. While audiences are shouting bravo for the dazzling performance, puppeteers behind the curtain need to concentrate. Inside a studio of a shadow puppetry theater, artists are carving, painting and coloring the puppets. The number of moveable joints will determine the flexibility of the puppet. To make a puppet move, its body parts (head, limbs, and torso, etc.) need to be separated before reconnected by thread and links. A skillful carver may need up to 30 knives and chisels to finish the carving of one puppet, which can last for weeks, but carving and painting are merely half the work. With its distinctive features, shadow puppetry (also known as shadow play), an ancient form of storytelling that originated in China more than 2,000 years ago, still enjoys its popularity today.ĭuring the performance, the puppets are the absolute protagonist, but behind the scenes, it is those laborious hands, both on and off the stage, that bring the puppets to life.Ī shadow puppet is usually carved out of cattle or donkey hide, materials that are durable and rot-proof. The real talent of a puppet is that it can move and change so swiftly that the audiences can capture its silhouette flashing on the screen, a unique feature that can't be seen in either comic books or animated films.Ī puppeteer is manipulating a puppet with rods. (People's Daily Online/Meng Bin) Sitting, running and dancing, these are just a snap, with bowing, fighting, or even laughing gaining a big round of applause. Rigid as they may look, the puppets turn out to be very lively and pliable. When the light source and music are ready, the puppets, controlled by rods, will step onto the "stage," a translucent cloth screen illuminated from behind, and the show is on. A nocturnal creature, the puppet usually comes out after sunset only in the hands of a puppeteer will it wake up and begin its daily stretches. Without a good look, one probably couldn't tell it from the paper-cuttings commonly seen in art galleries. Sleeping in the showcase, a shadow puppet may look like nothing special. A shadow puppet portraying Hua Mulan, a fictional folk heroine in ancient China, at a shadow puppetry theater in Tengchong, Yunnan Province.
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