"The evening of the Wayang performance has at last arrived.

In the darkness the insects have already begun to fly around unsteady flame of the oil lamp, which casts its dazzling light on the large white screen of the stage. at the lower part of the cloth-screen, the beautiful leather puppets (wayang kulit) are neatly arranged, their body-sticks firmly planted in banana-stems, placed beneath the screen itself.

On the right hand side are the good characters, on the left hand side the bad. The open space between them, about two meters wide, represents the stage.

Here the puppets will come to life and, like human beings, will each in his own way pursue the endless path to human happiness."
From Ramayana, Sunardjo Haditjaroko

The time is now nine o'clock. The evening wind brings coolness and everyone is in place for the show. The Dalang lifts the chempala (rod) with his left hand and simultaneously we hear the soulful and haunting sound of the rebab (two string violin).

Now every one is listening. The Dalang quickly glances up at the lamp above his head, and after removing the 'gunungan', the mountain, from the center of the stage, he then begins.....

 

In Java, shadow plays are performed in villages and towns on public holidays, religious festivals, weddings, birth celebrations and the traditional muslim event of the transition from childhood to teenage. In Bali, they are also staged at cremations.

More on shadow puppets