Shadow theatre is an Asian contribution to the performing arts. In China, the first written records go back 2000 years to tell about a Taoist magician using shadow images to comfort the great Han Emperor, who was grieving the death of his beloved wife. In succeeding centuries, the Chinese shadow theatre tradition evolved into a sophisticated art form, closely related to Chinese opera. Delicately carved and colored animal-skin figures are manipulated behind cloth screens to portray characters from literature, folktales, and religious parables (for more on shadow theatre, click here).

Our workshops adapt this tradition by using overhead projectors to create live shadow theatre performances in the classroom, with scenes and puppet figures made out of paper and acetate, wire, fabric scraps and gel, found objects, kitchen utensils and toys. Two members of CTW’s Arts In Education staff, Stephen Kaplin (a master puppeteer whose work has appeared in Broadway shows including The Lion King) and Spica Cheng (who also teaches at the New Victory Theater), have designed the program to guide participants through the entire process of creating brief puppet productions. After storyboarding, scriptwriting, designing and constructing puppets, they rehearse and perform their shows for each other, or a larger audience of fellow students and families.

The emphasis in CTW’s workshops is on the practical process of collaborative creation involved in all forms of theater. They are designed to encourage teamwork and foster the development of the skills involved in working with others towards an artistic goal. This participatory approach draws connections from Chinese shadow theatre to the regular classroom curriculum, from language arts to social studies to the arts. Through our workshops, participants engage their own creativity, and also learn about the aesthetics and history of this cultural treasure, and about the place and people it comes from.

Shadow puppetry workshops can be arranged at any length from a single session to a semester-long residency, for any age from elementary school to graduate school. We are always eager to work with teachers and administrators to integrate workshops into their curriculum, based on the needs of the class.

CTW’s shadow puppetry workshops are designed to fulfill a number of New York State Learning Standards in the Arts, Social Sciences and Health &Physical Education:

• Arts Standard 1: Creating, performing and participating in the arts
  
• Arts Standard 2: Knowing and using arts materials and resources
  
• Arts Standard 4: Understanding the cultural dimensions and contributions of the arts
  
• Language Arts Standard 2: Language for literary response and expression
  
• Language Arts Standard 4: Language for social interaction
  
• Social Studies Standard 2: World history
  
• Social Studies Standard 3: Geography