Wayang Kulit, the shadow puppets from Indonesia.

Wayang kulit is a traditional Indonesian art, which primarily develops in Java. Shadow puppet played by a puppeteer(Dalang) who is also the narrator's dialogue puppet characters, with the accompaniment of gamelan music played by a group of nayaga and songs(Tembang) sung by the singer(Sinden).

Dalang plays the shadow puppet behind the "kelir", ie screen made of white cloth, while the electric lights flashed behind him or oil lamp (blencong), so that the spectators who were on the other side of the screen can see the shadow puppet that falls into the screen. To understand the story of wayang (lakon), the audience must have knowledge of the characters are shadow puppets on the screen.

Generally, puppets take the story from the Mahabharata and Ramayana manuscript, but not limited to the grip (standard), the dalang can also play puppeteer plays carangan (composition). Some stories were taken from the Panji stories.

Wayang kulit more popular in central and eastern Java, while the puppet show is more often played in West Java.



In accordance with its name, shadow puppets made from leather of animals (buffalo, cow or goat).
Shadow puppet play is used to demonstrate the Chronicle story from Mahabharata and Ramayana Purwa is therefore also called puppet Purwa.

Until now the shadow puppet show in addition to an entertainment medium is also one part of traditional ceremonies such as the village clean, take care or guard and others.
To perform a complete shadow puppet takes approximately 18 people as much as supporters.

One man as the dalang, two men as waranggana or sinden, and 15 persons as gamelan wiraswara concurrently.
Average performances in one night is 7 to 8 hours, from 21:00 hours until 05:00 hours of the morning.
When done in the daytime show usually starts from 09:00 hours until 16:00 hours.
Place puppet show performances arranged by using an abstract concept.
Arena stage consists of a screen of white fabric and as a technical tool is placed beneath banana stem to stick puppets.
In the leather puppet show, the number of scenes in a play can not be determined. The number of these scenes will vary based on the play that demonstrated, or depending on the mastermind.
As a pre-spectacle is tetabuhan that has no relation with the main story, so just be as heated atmosphere or introductory course for entry into the actual show.
As a guideline in the skin usually presents a puppet show puppeteer will use the grip in the form of books puppetry puppetry.
But there is also a puppeteer who uses records from the old puppeteers whose knowledge acquired through descent.
Nevertheless, a mastermind given a chance to improvise well, because the grip puppetry is actually only contains basic core story only.
To further liven up and make the performance more interesting, these puppet masters of improvisation and creativity plays a very important role.
Makeup color on the leather puppet has a symbolic meaning, but there is no general rule here.
Makeup colors such as red for the face, most indicate the nature of anger, however Setyaki figure that has a red color is not the character makeup anger.
So the puppet character is not determined by the color of makeup, but also determined by other elements such as shape (patron) puppet itself.
Arjuna figures, both for having a black face and yellow colors, is still Arjuna with properties that we already know. Advances like this color difference is only to distinguish the appearance of space and time.

Arjuna with the color yellow face for a scene staged in the palace, while Arjuna with the color black face indicates that he was on his way.
Similarly, figures Gatotkaca, Krishna, etc. Werkudara.
This puppet face color differences would not be known by the audience who saw the show from behind the scenes.
Lighting tools used in the leather puppet show from the first until now has undergone many changes in line with technological developments.
In its original form of lighting equipment used in the leather puppet show is blencong, then evolved into a kerosene lamp (keceran), pumped, now many use electric lights.