Date: Fri 16-May-1997

Publication: Bee

Author: DOTTIE

Quick Words:

schools-puppet-shadow

Full Text:

Wayang Kulit, Shadow Puppets, Entertain Head O' Meadow Children

Caitlin Malloy holds the Princess Sinta puppet.

-Photos courtesy Kim Weber

Tamara is an Indonesian puppeteer from Java who entertained the Head O' Meadow

children Tuesday, May 6.

This is the evil demon, Dasa Muka, who threatened to destroy the kingdom and

its people.

B Y D OROTHY E VANS

Indonesian shadow theatre dates back to the 10th century and is rooted in the

ancient belief that the spirits of ancestors return to earth at night,

inhabiting the puppets' shadows.

The Wayang storyteller, or dalang , may also retell Hindu stories or Javanese

legends dealing with the eternal struggle between the forces of good and evil,

and the average Wayang play lasts from sunset to dawn without intermission.

By the time the sun rises, however, good has usually triumphed.

Tamara is a Wayang storyteller. She was born and raised in Java, and first saw

the Wayang shadow theatre when she was only 9 years old, living on her

stepfather's rubber plantation.

It made such a strong impression on her that she has dedicated her life to the

art, immigrating to the United States and bringing her shadow theatre puppets

to western audiences in schools, universities and museums.

She is the first woman dalang to perform the Wayang Kulit out of Indonesia.

On Tuesday, May 6, Tamara entertained the children of Head O' Meadow School

with the story of Prince Rama, who defeats the evil demon Dasa Muka and

marries the lovely princess Sinta.

She also explained the art of making the shadow puppets, often a family

tradition. They are moved very smoothly by the dalang and each is given a

voice. The audience usually sees only the puppet's shadow, but honored guests

may be invited to come backstage to watch the dalang work.

After the Head O' Meadow performance, Tamara held a special workshop with the

fourth graders, who, incidentally, were about 9 years old -the same age she

was when she first discovered their magic.