![]() Instruments varied greatly but most always included percussion (wood block, small cymbals and drums) and an erhu (simple stringed instrument). Most regions use a combination of both and, of course, put their own twist on things. nicknamed the business of the five, a shadow puppet troupe is made up of five people. one mouth tells stories of thousands of years a pair of hands operates millions of soldiers. Shadow puppet music ranges from traditional music to local opera styles and everything in between. shadow puppetry wins the heart of an audience by its lingering music, exquisite sculpture, brisk color and lively performance. As shadow puppetry developed into an art form in its own right, certain regions began to enlarge their puppets to accommodate for growing audiences and an increasingly visual culture. ![]() It didn’t matter, most of the audience was there to listen. Just a few rows back from the front and the exquisite detail in those puppets all but disappears. Shadow puppetry was originally just an accompaniment to the music, hence the phrase ‘are you going to hear a show?’ which explains why the older puppet styles remained so small. The shadow theatre of Asia in both its pragmatic and mythic dimension has a link with death. Music and singing continues to be the backbone of any performance. Only the most popular troupes made their entire living with a combination of these two types of events while most continued to work as farmers during the day and perform for their villages at night. Traditionally, Chinese shadow puppet shows were mostly performed for the larger community as a center point for festival celebrations or for a more select community at private functions such as birthdays, weddings, funerals and house-raisings. Just like Chinese shadow puppet history and aesthetics, performance is something that varied greatly with geography. As most peasants were illiterate up until the mid-1900s, shadow puppetry was one of the most effective ways to quickly spread a message or story. Like all folk arts, these activities were common experiences shared by communities to teach, bond and entertain. Each hour ushers in a changing audience: everyone at first, then the older kids and the elders as the parents put the youngest to bed, then the adults and elders as all the children head to sleep and finally, just the elders remain. They laugh, cry and learn with stories of morality, love, propaganda and bravery. For hours into the dark night, the villagers watch characters and stories come to life before their very eyes. The Chinese shadow puppetry and its continued life in the United States is valuable, because it is a living heritage. From an outsiders perspective, it looks like nothing but a badly made tent – until the lamp is lit. ![]() Movement is imparted to a large extent by tilting or rocking the control, but individual strings are plucked when a decided movement is required. Normally they are moved by strings or more often threads, leading from the limbs to a control or crutch held by the manipulator. The shadow troupe of just a few men moves quickly to put up their elevated stage with roughly hewn sticks and some worn fabric. These are full-length figures controlled from above. The sun is setting and villagers are gathering amidst a din of chatter and eating.
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