The first information about the existence of shadow theater in China dates back to the beginning of the 2nd millennium. Chinese shadow theater drew its plots from a common source with drama and puppet theater - popular historical tales and legends. It is no wonder that it was the people of the East, prone to deep observations of nature, contemplation, meditation and penetration into the holy of holies of the essence of things and phenomena, who were among the first to comprehend the characteristics of

rubbed the shadows. Connoisseurs and creators of refined forms of art, working with graceful images in poetry and painting, the Chinese appreciated the ability of matter to cast a shadow - they saw the graceful in the rough.

The Chinese shadow theater drew its plots from popular legends and ancient historical tales. Figures of characters for performances were made of leather (donkey, mutton, or, as in Fujian, monkey) or colored paper. They were often decorated with colored silks, so that the Chinese theater with its colorful performances could be called color and shade. The dolls were controlled by three knitting needles attached to the figure's neck and wrists, and were movable.

According to one version, the art of Chinese shadow theater goes back to the Han Dynasty (206 BC-206 AD). The reigning emperor at that time, Han Wudi, was saddened by the unexpected death of his beloved wife and therefore abandoned all state affairs.

6 SHADOW THEATER

personal affairs. The dignitary Li Shao-wen was walking through the streets and, thinking about how to get the emperor out of his painful state, drew attention to the children who were amusing themselves by playing with their shadows on the ground. This gave the dignitary an original idea on how to disperse his master’s melancholy. He returned home and depicted the emperor’s late wife (in profile) on a piece of thick material. Then I colored and cut out the image, and attached thin twine to the arms and legs. When it got dark, he pulled a silk screen and placed the candles so that the shadow of the figure he had made appeared on the screen. The figure began to move when the strings were pulled.

He invited the emperor, disappeared behind the screen and showed the doll in motion, trying to imitate not only the elegant manners, but even the intonations of the voice of the deceased. Seeing the shadow of his late beloved wife, Emperor Han Wudi was greatly consoled, pulled himself together and returned to abandoned state affairs. Since then, shadow play has become one of the new entertainments in the emperor's palace. Soon this palace amusement grew into a mass popular hobby. This is how shadow theater was born. But there is another, less romantic, version of the emergence of shadow theater. According to this version, noble ladies in China were not allowed to watch “live” scenes, so for them

gave shadow performances, which were extremely popular and popular at that time. During the Yuan Dynasty (1279-1368), shadow theater was entertainment for warriors who were away from populated areas. And during the invasion of Genghis Khan, the shadow theater moved with warriors from one place to another, which contributed to its rapid and widespread spread. Soon their own shadow theaters arose in Persia, Arab and south-eastern countries appeared their own shadow theaters. And in China, during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), many theater troupes appeared, the plots of whose performances were inspired by ancient legends about the war between the principalities of Chu and Han.

Over time, shadow theater, like any dramatic art, began to be modified and divided into several directions. Let's get acquainted with the most famous of them.

Eastern school shadow theater - the most famous and authoritative - arose in the Tanshan area.

Western school shadow theater, which is otherwise called the Beijing Shadow Theater.

Paiban piin- the most musical and plastically perfect shadow theater, in the productions of which everything is subject to the rhythm of blows of bamboo sticks.

TheaterLuncy- the most elegant and picturesque, since the figures, their outfits and decorative ornaments are very beautiful and made

8 SHADOW THEATER

are painted in the traditional Chinese style of painting.

Shaanxi Theater- folklore, all actions in the plots are based on fairy tales and legends about good wizards and travels to the west.

Lu Piying- paper shadow theater, and Yang Piying - shadow theater made of goatskin.

Manufacturing technique and workmanship Manufacturing technique is a complex, time-tested process of selecting material, searching for a bright image and creating it in the form of a shadow figure (silhouette), graphing and coloring.

During the Song Dynasty (960-1279), goatskin was used. Talented artists They drew various images on paper and copied them on the surface of unfolded leather, then cut out silhouettes and painted them. Subsequently, buffalo and donkey skins were used. In some places this type of theater is called Lü Pi-ying, which means “shades made of donkey skin.”

Master craftsmen even created sayings in which all the key technological connections were clearly indicated. For example, they say that donkey skin is the most suitable for a shadow figure, since it is very soft, large in area and at the same time quite thin (if well-made, it is even translucent), so it is suitable for depicting a character’s head. Skin on

The donkey's back is suitable for carving household items (tables and chairs, screens, etc.). Neck leather is suitable for carving animals (such as horses, tigers) or carts, boats, etc. To this day, shadow theaters that arose in the Tang-shan area of ​​Hebei province, on the banks of the Luanhe River, are famous. Many shadow theater silhouettes and decorations are valuable exhibits in museums. Typical images of various characters usually only had a profile, i.e. eyebrows, eye sockets, mouth and nose were cut out, and everything else was hollow. The heads of the figurines were traditionally painted red, green, yellow, white and black. Colors were used to indicate the characters of the characters in the performance. For example, according to the plot of the ancient novel “The Three Kingdoms,” the image of the popular hero Guan Yu always looks like this: red face, thick black eyebrows, keen eyes. With his entire appearance, he expresses the characteristic features of an honest, straightforward person and always ready for exploits. Green color is a hallmark of courage and bravery. For example, in the ideas of the Sui (581-618) and Tang (618-907) dynasties, the image of the people's favorite Cheng Yaojin was always Green colour. Black denoted rigor, selflessness, and justice as the most important traits in the character of the characters. Yellow usually highlighted images of people having magical power,

shave the fur and dry the skin until transparent. After this, a sketch of the future figurine is applied to the prepared skin, which is cut out using knives and scissors of different sizes and shapes, and then carefully painted. The color of the figurine should not be monotonous; the doll can be monochromatic or very colorful. The key and most difficult element of manufacturing is ironing, which is done after cutting and painting the figure. At the end of the work, the individual parts are connected together, and the doll is completely ready.

Fortunately, while modern cinema and television compete with each other for the mass audience, a group of folk artists continues to exist in China, who annually “plant” more and more new flowers of creativity on the screen of the shadow theater in order to develop and preserve for posterity this wonderful ancient Chinese art that never ceases to be modern and surprisingly new. and white ones were marked with images of cunning, treacherous, treacherous people. Usually the theater troupe consisted of five to seven people. The orchestra consisted of stringed musical instruments (Chinese violin “erhu”, “hu-qin”, “yuetsin” - a type of lute); percussion musical instruments (small drums “Biangu”, “Yungu”, copper cymbals of various sizes); spiritual musical instruments (trumpet, sonna) and many others. But it should be noted that musicians usually played several instruments and, in addition, acted as understudy actors. An important place in the troupe was occupied by actors who deftly controlled the figures with the help of bamboo sticks and forced them to perform various movements. Moreover, the movements were performed exactly according to the plot: the actor synchronized the action, text and music accompaniment.

Note: A thin string was attached to the end of the bamboo stick to connect the moving parts.

figurines.

SHADOW THEATER

The shadow theater of eastern Gansu became widespread during the Ming and Qing dynasties in the 14th-19th centuries. The shadow theater figurines in this area are especially beautiful and made with great taste. The material for making shadow theater puppets here was the black skin of young buffalos. This leather is quite thin, but durable and flexible. In the process of preparing material for the future doll, it was necessary

The art of shadow theater became popular in India in the 16th century, especially during the reign of Buda Reddy. Indian puppets are the largest in the theatrical world, and shadow theater performances often take place near the temple of Shiva, the patron god of puppets. According to folklore, in a time when toys were traditionally carved in one piece from a single block of wood, there lived a master who made unusual dolls from individual parts. One day, the god Shiva and his wife, the goddess Parvati, came into the shop of this master. Parvati, looking at the dolls, was so fascinated that she asked her husband to allow their spirits to enter the dolls so that they could dance.

After the gods had enjoyed the spectacle and were tired, they took their souls and left. The master, who watched what was happening with interest, wanted to make the dolls dance again. He tied up their parts and was able to control the dolls using threads.

Shadow theater performances usually took place at night from sunset to dawn. The wide clearing was well compacted and a huge screen was placed on bamboo poles. Behind the screen a fire was lit from coconut shells. On the other side, somewhere under a mango tree, there were numerous spectators. The narrator sat in front of the screen, and the villagers listened with bated breath to his story about the life of the gods and the exploits of the heroes of the folk epics “Ramayana” and “Mahabharata”. During the story, a drum suddenly began to beat, then other musical instruments began to play, and dolls appeared on the screen - the heroes of the story. It seemed that they came to people from another world. A shadow theater performance could last for many nights in a row. Children were not allowed to see such spectacles. Moreover, men and women watched the performances separately.

Chinese shadow theater - one of the types of dramatic art that has its roots in China. Legend has it that Emperor Wudi (156-87 BC) of the Western Han Dynasty was depressed by the death of his beloved concubine Li, who died of illness. The Emperor missed her so much that he lost his desire to reign. One day, the minister saw children playing with dolls that cast bright shadows on the floor.

Inspired by this, the minister made a paper doll - the emperor's deceased concubine to help him overcome his sadness. When night fell, he invited the emperor to see it. The doll cast a shadow on the curtain. The Emperor was delighted. This story is recorded in the official history book; it is believed that the history of Chinese shadow theater began from this moment.

Shadow theater became very popular at the beginning of the Song Dynasty (960-1279), when holidays were celebrated with the performance of many plays. During the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), there were 40 to 50 shadow shows in the city of Beijing.

In the 13th century, shadow theater became a regular activity in the barracks of Mongol troops. It was widespread in distant countries conquered by the Mongols - in Persia, Arabia and Turkey. It was later introduced in Southeast Asia, too. Shadow theater began to spread in Europe in the mid-18th century, when French missionaries in China brought his ideas to France, and in 1767 they created performances in Paris and Marseille.

Over time, Ombres chinoises, with local differences and embellishments, became Ombres Francaises and took root in the country. Currently, there are shadow theater troupes in more than 20 countries. Some people suggest that the Chinese Shadows ushered in the film industry, which certainly contributed to its development and enriched the entertainment business in the world.

8 chosen

Everyone has it, but you are used to not noticing it. Hurry about your business, thinking about the eternal, and she obediently follows next to you. Haven't guessed it yet? It's about about your shadow - about the most controllable of uncontrollable phenomena. Since ancient times, people have tried to “tame” it and were quite successful in this endeavor. So today I invite you to plunge into amazing world theater where shadows rule the roost!

Did you know that the first shadow theaters appeared in the second millennium BC in China and India? Genghis Khan's warriors then spread this unusual art form to other Asian countries. In the 16th century, shadow theater gained widespread recognition in Turkey. These fascinating shows entered Europe only in the second half of the 18th century. It is known that Goethe himself organized performances in the shadow theater in the 1770s.

The shadows reproduce fantasy, folklore or mythological plots, but the style and cultural characteristics of such unusual plays depend on the countries where the performances take place. Chinese shadows prefer historical scenes, Indian shadows prefer religious or epic scenes, and Turkish ones turn to the comedy genre.

Candles flicker, the day quietly goes out,
The Shadow Theater is preparing a performance:
Away the curtain, the Shadow Lady is on stage
It charms us with its sudden appearance.
But this world is an illusion, a mirage,
Like a butterfly flying towards a flame:
A flap of wings, then a sharp turn,
And the shadow disappeared somewhere between us...
(c) Unknown author.

Shadow theater in China

It is believed that it was in the Celestial Empire that the first shadow theater appeared. Amazing fact, but thanks to the personal tragedy of the emperor, saddened by the death of his wife, such an extraordinary form of art arose. The thing is that the dignitary, watching children on the street playing with his own shadow, decided to console the emperor in a similar way. The ruler was so shocked to see the “revived” shadow of his beloved that he immediately forgot about grief.

Quite quickly, shadow theater spread throughout all provinces of China. The first puppets were drawn on rice paper and sealed with donkey skin. Bamboo, wooden or metal sticks were used for control. In those days, the unusual theater was called "Lu Pi-ying", which literally translated meant: "figures made of donkey skin."

Mesmerizing performances accompanied by traditional music quickly gained well-deserved popularity. Puppeteers and musicians worked side by side, bringing to life folk tales and parables. China is currently discussing the possibility of including national theater shadows to List World Heritage UNESCO. The authorities emphasize that such theater is a special form of art that has great historical and cultural value.

Shadow theater in Turkey

The Turkish art of shadow puppet theater was based on the “film adaptation” of the numerous adventures of one character - Karagoz (from Turkish Karagöz, literally “black eye”). He was depicted as an ugly little man with a big nose and huge black eyes.

Since the 16th century, Karagoz - an undoubted merry fellow and a good-natured loser - has become a frequent guest at festive performances. Satirical plays were performed in private homes, coffee shops, streets and squares. But the most interesting thing for me was that the performances of such a shadow theater were complete improvisation!

Later, one of the types of Turkish shadow theater began to be called “karagoz”. Performances took place even at the court of the Sultan. Over time, the ruler's favor and popular recognition allowed the puppeteers to organize their own guild. The witty plots of the simple plays of Karagoz were the living embodiment of urban satire. Currently, traditional shadow theater has fallen into decline and has been replaced by cinema and television. Nowadays, Karagoz performances in Turkey can only be seen during the holiday of Ramadan.

Shadow theater in Indonesia

Indonesia sacredly honors and treats its cultural traditions very carefully. One of them is the amazing Javanese shadow theater - wayang kulit (wayang - means any spectacle, literally translated as “doll”, kulit - “buffalo skin”). There are several varieties of Indonesian theater: wayang kulit - with flat puppets made of buffalo skin, and wayang golek - with three-dimensional ones. In Jakarta, the capital of Indonesia, they usually simply say “wayang”, meaning the shadow theater we are familiar with.

Wayang is believed to have originated in the 11th century with the rise of Indonesian literature. Since then, the traditions and features of “shadow performances” have remained virtually unchanged: the audience sits on both sides of the screen, the action is controlled by one person (dalang), and the narration is accompanied by the playing of an orchestra (gamelan).

Ki Manteb Sudarsono is one of the most famous dalangs in modern Indonesia. Just imagine that its record for the longest continuous broadcast is 24 hours and 28 minutes! Ki Manteb speaks about his work as follows: “In general, I think that wayang is not for fools. It is for smart people, for intellectuals. Wayang makes you think. Looking at TV, you don’t need to think: they show the finger, and it’s already funny. In wayang, this is impossible , there you have to think, feel..."

Shadow theater in modern Russia

What do we have? Alas, shadow theater in Russia is a rare genre. The puppet theater is considered traditional, where the main characters– puppets, not their shadows. In the 1920s, shadow theater characters were created by famous puppet artists Ivan Semenovich and Nina Yakovlevna. A little later, in 1937, the unique “Moscow Shadow Theater” was founded. Almost all the techniques for his productions were borrowed from traditional Chinese theater.

Our "shadow" shows are aimed at young viewers. Performances Russian theaters shadows are based on folklore, fairy tales, fables, etc. One thing is certain: such unusual entertainment is always interesting for both children and adults. Well-known fairy tales - "The Little Humpbacked Horse", "The Golden Fleece", "The Little Prince" - look even more magical in a new reading.

Chinese shadow theater (皮影戏) is a type of theatrical puppetry.

It first appeared during the Tang Dynasty (618 - 907), and during the Song Dynasty (960 - 1279) it flourished and spread throughout China.

Character figurines were mainly made from donkey skin, so this type of art is also popularly called “donkey skin puppet theater.”

From behind a screen, the puppeteer controls the puppets using thin metal or bamboo sticks. The “stage” for the shadow theater is a frame with a white cloth stretched over it. Light is directed onto the frame, and viewers see the expressive shadows of the character figures. Actors behind the screen voice their puppet characters and sing songs to the accompaniment of traditional music, immersing viewers in the wonderful world of ancient legends and traditions.

Two thousand years before the advent of cinema, shadow theater was already known in China - the very first performance on the screen.

Illustrating the plot, accompanied by music and a story, intricate figures moved against a brightly lit white background.

The art of shadow theater in China is considered folk, but, according to legend, its origins are due to the imperial grief.

In time immemorial, when Emperor Han Wudi's wife died, he was so sad that he even left government for a while.

It was then, after watching children play with shadows on the street, that his dignitary invented a shadow theater. The very first performance depicted the emperor's wife. Seeing the shadow of his beloved wife seem to come to life, the emperor was a little consoled.

These differences are related to the technique of making figurines, the set of plots for performances, and musical accompaniment.

Flat figures for shadow theater were usually drawn first on paper, then compacted with leather.

The theater was sometimes called that "Lu Pi-ying" - "donkey skin figures".

These puppets, controlled by thin sticks of bamboo, wood or metal, were the central part of the performance, and were usually a work of art.

They were not colorless, but on the contrary, they were painted so that the color of each detail was distinguished through the screen. Color often played a symbolic role, warning the viewer about the character and role of the character.

It is interesting that a treacherous, dangerous person was usually depicted as white and colorless.

The main thing was still the outline, and in order to make the figure expressive, the outline was made intricate, rich in details.

Leather figurines of Chinese ancient performances have now become exhibits in some foreign museums. The figures could be cut entirely, or they could be held together from different parts, and in this case they were mobile.

Most often, the character holds a weapon or other attributes in one motionless hand, while the other is free for movement.

The viewer looked at the figures in detail, but the performance was not only visual, it was accompanied by the playing of a small orchestra and a story.

The orchestra included traditional string instruments, and in one region the performance was accompanied by the rhythmic beating of bamboo sticks.

The repertoire of stories for shadow performances was very wide: these are traditional plots like "Returns of the Monkey King", parables, travel stories and colorful tales.

To perform the performance, the troupe had to include at least five people. These were puppeteers and musicians, and the latter played several instruments and could also control the figure.

In China, shadow theater was popular already in the 2nd millennium BC, gradually it spread throughout the East, and was especially loved in Turkey.

Europe learned about this ancient oriental art only in 1767, when the missionary Jules Alod told the French about it.

European art of those years vividly appreciated the symbolic possibilities Shadow theater.

“What if not an illusion, a play of shadows - this whole world” - the Chinese theater seemed to say to the European.

The figurines began to be made simply in black, emphasizing their allegorical meaning.

He was interested in Goethe's shadow theater.

He staged a performance of such a theater on his birthday in 1774.

And already since 1776 Theatershadows entertained high-profile audiences at Versailles in France.

Now that there are very few arena performances left, Theater shadows becomes chamber art.

In China, theater shows and competitions are held throughout the country, and there are troupes that speak on contemporary topics in the language of traditional theater.

However, from time to time there is talk that ancient art is in danger of extinction, that the Shadow Theater needs development and support.

Shadow theater originated in Ancient China. The performers in it are not actors or dolls, but their shadows. It is very important that on a white screen illuminated by a powerful spotlight, the silhouette looks clear and expressive. This type of art is gaining more and more fans. In Moscow, the Shadow Theater on Izmailovsky delights children and their parents with its unusual productions.

History of the theater

It was founded back in 1944 by artist Ekaterina Sonnenstrahl and director Sofia Svobodina. Until the end of the 50s, only projection puppets were used in the theater, which give a clear black silhouette on the screen. Works from both Russian and foreign classics were selected for the repertoire.

Over the first two decades of its existence, the theater's creative team staged almost 50 performances. Being mobile, the theater performed a lot in schools, pioneer houses, pioneer camps, as well as in various organizations, delighting both children and adults with their performances.

In 1957, the theater became a winner of the first All-Union Festival puppet theaters, where he presented the play “Ashik-Kerib” based on Lermontov, and in 1958 he was awarded a Silver medal at the World Exhibition in Brussels.

At the end of the 50s, the theater began to use in its works the techniques of the traditional Chinese shadow tetra - the theater of “light puppets”. Since that time, the technologies of both Chinese theater and projection have become the basis of the stage practice of the Moscow Shadow Theater. And the first production using techniques inherent in Chinese theater was the play “Come, Fairy Tale.”

An important event in the history of the theater was the acquisition of its own premises on Izmailovsky Boulevard in 1988. In 1989, the Shadow Theater on Izmailovsky left the Mosconcert. From that time on, it became an independent creative unit.

Moscow children's shadow theater on Izmailovsky. Repertoire

The theater's repertoire includes many wonderful performances. These are mainly productions for children. A few of the most striking ones can be noted:

• “Alice for Children” - director Yu. Friedman. Based on Carroll's book "Alice in Wonderland".
• “Cinderella” - director S. Zhelezkin. Based on the tale of the same name by Charles Perrault.
• “Black Chicken” - director N. Borovskov. Based on a fairy tale by Pogorelsky.

It delights young viewers with such fairy tales as “Thumbelina”, “The Nutcracker”, “Dwarf Nose”, and many others.

The theater does not forget about adult spectators. For them, the performances “The Last Day of Casanova” based on the play “Phoenix” by Marina Tsvetaeva, as well as “Viy” based on the story of the same name by Nikolai Vasilyevich Gogol were staged for the 200th anniversary of the writer.

Children's studio

The Shadow Theater on Izmailovsky not only performs, but also introduces them to its professional secrets. For them, there is a children's theater studio "Tenevichok" in the theater. Here children are not only taught how to make shadow puppets, but also given the opportunity to try their hand at acting. A special program of lessons has been developed for young fans of shadow theater, which includes:

• acting skills;
• scenic speech;
• the art of managing various types puppets (puppeteering);
• doll making technology;
• acquaintance with various behind-the-scenes life of the theater;
• conducting excursions to other theaters in the city.

The children's theater studio is divided into two groups:

• the eldest - children 10-14 years old (15 people) - classes are taught by Viktor Scriabin;
• younger - children 7-9 years old (15 people) - classes are taught by Irina Nokhrina.

The leaders are artists of the Moscow Shadow Theater. Both are professional teachers.

Performances about Sherlock Holmes

The Shadow Theater on Izmailovsky Boulevard staged several performances based on the stories of Arthur Conan Doyle about the famous detective Sherlock Holmes and his friend Dr. Watson. Shadow Theater turned to this author for the first time, although it is here that there are unique opportunities for conveying the mysterious atmosphere of the English detective story.

• “The Hound of the Baskervilles” - production by Svetlana Dorozhko. The main character is a dog. Here she is not at all evil, and even very friendly. She doesn't like living in the swamps at all. The images of the detective and his friend are more parodic; they are shown in two techniques - in the form of glove puppets and in a live shot.
• The little-known short story “The Vampire from Sussex” is directed by Kirill Levshin. Here mystical superstitions are exposed, Sherlock Holmes explains to Watson that behind all mysteries there is a simple calculation. The performance combines the techniques of shadow theater - Russian and Spanish shadows are used, puppet theater - glove and tablet puppets, and dramatic theater - live acting.

Shadow Theater on Izmailovsky: reviews

Unique is receiving a lot of great feedback from his fans. It is considered positive that the theater has many performances for preschoolers. The stage is small, very nicely decorated, the hall is cozy, the stage is clearly visible.

Parents are pleased that the organizers took care of the comfort of the young spectator: the chairs are comfortable, the chair can be transformed for children, as a result of which it becomes taller, and there is a footrest. The theater employees will always tell you how to understand its design.

For many, a positive aspect is the presence of a buffet in the theater, where children can buy a sandwich or bun at an affordable price.

True, there are also comments. For example, in the play “Thumbelina” there is more live acting and there are few shadows. And children like it when there are more shadows.

Adults did not like one of the innovations: previously, parents would wait for their children to return from the performance in the theater lobby, but now they are forced to go outside.

Fans advise buying tickets to the Shadow Theater on Izmailovsky in advance, otherwise you may not get to your favorite performance. Although this once again speaks of the popularity of the theater.