Wayang - Javanese Shadow Puppetry

On February 14^th, Victoria-area resident Sutrisno, along with his family, demonstrated and performed, as an adjunct to our study of puppetry in class, Wayang, an ancient form of shadow puppetry indigenous to his play of origin, the Indonesian island of Java.

“Wayang is an Indonesian word for theatre (literally "shadow").”

“Wayang kulit, shadow puppets prevalent in Java and Bali in Indonesia, are without a doubt the best known of the Indonesian wayang.”

Sutrisno was clearly highly skilled at operating his puppets—though simple in their operational design, they require a certain deftness in personifying and characterizing them using, at most, a couple of pole-operated limbs.

The puppets themselves were incredibly intricate, and Sutrisno mentioned that a single puppet’s construction can take over a month. They are painted, and the vibrancy of their design is captured better, in many respects, from behind the screen behind which the puppeteer works. Sutrisno mentioned that an audience at a Wayang puppetry performance assembles both in front of, and behind the screen.

Traditional performances are an all-night affair, and audiences are social throughout the hours-long show. Additionally, while Sutrisno used an electric lightbulb to illuminate his screen, tradition indicated that a large open flame should be used.

Theatre students had the opportunity to play with the puppets before Sutrisno performed.

The performances of a traditional master puppeteer, or dalang, are in large part improvisational—his stories are all being retold, and his characters are archetypes. Therefore, it is his job to interpret his stories, whether comedically, dramatically, or in some combination of both. He may even incorporate elements of local folklore or gossip, in order to personalize his performance for his audience.

I appreciated the authenticity of Sutrisno’s performance, however, I wish that he’d performed in his mother tongue. In English, his story seemed too impromptu, informal, and didn’t feel as if it had dramatic purpose. However, I am conditioned by the sensibilities of Western theatrical performance, and thus cannot fully appreciate those of Estern theatre.