Wayang is the traditional drama of Java and Bali, in Indonesia. There are seven main forms of wayang. The two forms known as wayang kulit (shadow puppet theater) are the most important. Historians believe that the shadow theater originated in Java. The Javanese regard the shadow theater as the most sacred form of the wayang dramas. Originally, wayang was a Javanese word for puppet.
Wayang kulit is a dramatic story told in the form of a play using flat, leather puppets that throw their shadows on a screen. The puppets are cut out in profile. They are colored and beautifully decorated. They are pierced with holes, so that when held against the light they look almost like lace. Their arms are moved by small sticks.
The puppeteer, called the dalang, sits cross-legged behind a large, white screen of cloth stretched on a wooden frame. Above the puppeteer hangs a flaring oil lamp. As the puppets move, the lamp casts their shadows onto the screen. The puppeteer speaks for each puppet. Shadow plays generally last from about 8 p.m. till about 5 a.m. A traditional Indonesian orchestra called a gamelan, which consists chiefly of metal percussion instruments, accompanies the puppet plays. See Gamelan.
The wayang kulit appears in one of two forms, the wayang purwa and wayang gedog. Wayang purwa is the ancient shadow puppet performance. It tells stories from the two Indian epic poems, the Mahabharata and the Ramayana. See Mahabharata and Ramayana.
Wayang gedog is a shadow performance depicting stories from the late Hindu period in Java, especially the adventures of the mythological hero Prince Panji. It is seldom performed.
There are several other forms of wayang. Wayang golek is a popular puppet show using round, wooden puppets. Wayang klitik (wayang krucil) is seldom performed. It is a puppet show using flat, painted, wooden puppets.
A more popular form is the wayang wong or wayang orang. This is a type of dance drama that developed from wayang kulit but is performed by live actors. Wayang topeng is like wayang wong except that the actors wear carved and painted wooden masks. This form of wayang is seldom performed.
Wayang beber is an ancient form of drama in which a story is told by unrolling a series of scenes painted on a long strip of cloth or paper. This form of wayang died out some time ago.
