Indonesian Theater

John Michael Gian

 Contents
Introduction
Origin

Elements of Wayang Kulit

Elements of Performance

Common Character
 Introduction
Wayang refer to kinds of
puppet theaters, sometimes
the puppet itself is referred to
as wayang. Performances of
shadow puppet theaters are
accompanied by a Gamelan
orchestra in Java, and by
Gender Wayang in Bali.
 Wayang Kulit, or shadow
puppets, are without a doubt
the best known of the
Indonesian Wayang. Kulit means
skin, and refers to the leather
construction of the puppets that
are carefully shaped with very
fine tools and supported with
carefully shaped buffalo horn
handles and control rods.
It was given recognition as a Masterpiece of Oral
and Intangible Heritage of Humanity on November
7, 2003 by UNESCO and required Indonesians to
preserve their heritage.

The stories are usually drawn from the Hindu epics:

• 1. Ramayana
• 2. Mahabharata
• 3. Serat Menak - a story about the heroism of
Amir Hamza
 Origin:
The shadow theatre has existed, in the lands between Turkey and
China.
 Indonesian shadow puppet performances originated in India
 Came to Bali from Java between the 11th and 14th centuries.
An 11th century Balinese royal inscription mentions a wayang
performance.
Earliest record: Central Java, 907 AD with story: Bimmaya Kumara
 In Bali, Wayang Kulit performances are sacred and form part of
many ceremonies in village and family temples.
3 functions : instructive, entertaining and religious.
Elements of a Wayang Kulit Show
 Elements of a Wayang Kulit Show
Puppets

Puppeteer
“Dalang”
Elements of a Wayang Kulit Show

The gunungan
(gunung, mountain) or
kayanon (forest) is the
most important part of
the show. It is used to
signal the beginning
and the end of the
performance.
Elements of a Wayang Kulit Show
The gunungan is placed in the center of the
screen before the drama begins, separating
the opposed groups of characters that lie to
the right and left of the dalang.

Unjust Just
(Bad) (Good)
Wayang Kulit Performance consists of shadows
cast on a cotton screen and an oil lamp.
• In Java, most often used as a light source is a
halogen electric light
• Wayang Sandosa has employed spotlights,
colored lights and other innovation
 The Handwork in Making a Wayang Kulit Figure:

1. They start from master

models (typically on paper)
which are traced out onto
skin or parchment,
providing the figures with
an outline and with
indications of any holes
that will need to be cut
(such as for the mouth or
eyes).
 The Handwork in Making a Wayang Kulit Figure:

2. The figures are then

smoothed, usually with a
glass bottle, and primed.
The structure is
inspected and eventually
the details are worked
through. A further
smoothing follows before
individual painting,
which is undertaken by
yet another craftsman.
The Handwork in Making a Wayang Kulit Figure:

3. Finally, the movable

parts (upper arms,
lower arms with hands,
and the associated
sticks for manipulation)
are mounted on the
body, which has a
central staff by which it
is held.
 Elements of Performance
The fundamental components of a performance
include:
• the puppeteer, dhalang(Java) / dalang(Bali)
• a hammer used by the dhalang to knock on
the puppet box, cempala
• metal plates that the dhalang hits with his
foot, kepyak
• a traditional Indonesian orchestra, gamelan
• shadow puppets, wayang kulit
 Elements of Performance
• a light source, blencong
• female singers and a male chorus, pesindhen
and penggerong
• a screen frame and screen, gawang and kelir;
the main focus of the performance
• banana logs, gedebog; the pointed sticks of
the wayang base handle pierce the peeled
trunk of a banana tree and the spongy
substance holds the puppets in place
• a puppet box, kothak
Elements of Performance (Stage)
Kelir

Blencong

Puppet

Gawang

Gedebog

Cempala

Kothak

Dhalang
 Characters:

Characters with narrow eyes are refined and

elegant. Those with wide eyes are more down
to earth.
If you were a Wayang Kulit puppet, what would
your eyes look like?
 Over the head of the
dalang there is a special brass
oil lamp (blencong) often
shaped like the mythical bird
Garuda. The light shining from
the lamp on the head of the
dalang – and making possible
the projection of the shadow
of the puppets on the screen –
represents the divine light
infused through the upper
chakra in the dalang
(intermediary between gods
and humans).
• The Garuda (Sanskrit: Garuḍa गरुड, eagle;
Pāli Garuḷa) is a large mythical bird or bird-
like creature that appears in both Hindu
and Buddhist religion.
The Ramayana is a popular story to tell with
shadow puppets. Here are some of the
characters from the Ramayana:
Garuda
Rama
Sita
Hanuman
Raksasa
Ravana
In addition:
Wayang Kulit as one of “the grandfathers”
of modern cinema.
1. It is the shadow puppet of
Indonesia.
a. Kabuki c. Peking Opera
b. Nang d. Wayang Kulit
2. The Indonesian shadow puppet
theater shows are based on the
stories of _____________.
a. Biag Ni Lam-ang
b. Nagarakretagama
c. Ramayana and Mahabharata
d. The Tale of the Heike
3. The puppeteer of Java,
Indonesia is called
____________.
a. Blencong c. Gawang
b. Dalang d. Kothak
4. The performances of shadow
puppet theaters are accompanied by
the music of ____________.
a. Gamelan c. Piano
b. Guitar d. Rondalla
5. Indonesian puppet theaters are
performed with shadows that are cast on a
________________.

a. cotton screen and an oil lamp

b. Japanese paper and lampshade
c. Tarpaulin and spotlight
d. Transparent plastic and flashlight