Shadow Plays

Though I was looking for a website on ancient shadow plays, I stumbled across this one instead.

http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/200403/13/eng20040313_137374.shtml 

The website not only has interesting historical facts on ancient shadow plays, it also explains how and when it died out, as well as how it’s “on a path towards revival.”

Shadow Play are, what the name says, plays which were told through puppets. The Puppets were made of either hard paper or leather, and were projected onto a white screen by lamp light. Performers would move the characters behind the screen while singing the story, which was accompanied by music.

These plays spread very quickly throughout Asia during the 13^th century, and by the 17^th century, found its way to Europe. It’s only been till about two decades ago, that Shadow Play has been the only entertainment in Chinese villages. There are very few troupes, who have continued to perform such plays, one of them being a troupe called Shanhua (Founded in 1933.)

Here is a very long, better very interesting video of a Shadow Play performed in our modern day.