Staged Productions
Shadowbang
ShadowBang is a collaborative performance featuring the electrifying Bang on a Can All-Stars and I Wayan Wija - the foremost living Balinese "dalang" (puppeteer). It is both a continuation of this timeless art form by one of the masters and a radical reinvention of it.
Bang on a Can's new "wayang" - ShadowBang - brings a new musical and theatrical dimension to the art form. Replacing the traditional gamelan with the Bang on a Can All-Stars, composer Evan Ziporyn bridges Balinese and Western musical idioms to forge an entirely new sound. In place of the oil lamp, an innovative stage and lighting design reflects shadow images onto large screens in front of and behind the musicians and puppeteer. By providing multiple perspectives, the performance reveals both the process and the product of Wija's unique, master artistry, retaining the intimacy inherent in the form while placing it in a broader cultural context.
The hour-long work of music, visuals and storytelling is a performance event that will forever blur the line between east and west, tradition and experimentation.
- Balinese shadow puppet master I Wayan Wija
- Music by Evan Ziporyn
- Performed by I Wayan Wija and the Bang on a Can All-Stars
- Production Design by Paul Schick
About wayang kulit
The wayang kulit (shadow puppet, literally "leather images") tradition is one of the oldest theatrical forms, dating back to 1200 AD, and yet it still remains one of the most popular forms of performance in Bali and Java. In its traditional form, it is both entertainment and religion, using classical texts and story lines in many languages and formats to convey everything from high moral lessons to low humor.
The puppeteer sits behind a screen that is illuminated by an oil lamp, manipulating ornately carved hand-puppets and casting their shadows on the screen. Musical accompaniment is provided by a virtuoso chamber gamelan, which follows the puppeteer's every move.
The music of ShadowBang is available on Cantaloupe Music.