LIVE YALE PERFORMANCE CANCELLED - REMOTE RECORDING OF THIS PERFORMANCE - AVAILABLE SOON ON YALE YOUTUBE.
Wayang (“shadow”) Kulit (“skin”) are flat leather puppets made from carved and painted rawhide. The shadow play tradition, as it is performed on the islands of Java and Bali in Indonesia, is at least 1000 years old and has historical connections to forms known in India. For this performance I Gusti Putu Sudarta will perform the tale of Sutasoma, a prince and reincarnation of the Buddha in human form. Wayang Kulit is a sacred genre, often performed for special ceremonies in the inner courtyards of Balinese temples. However, it is also mass entertainment for local communities and besides philosophical and religious instruction, performances include a healthy dose of bawdy humor and manic fight scenes.
The performance is accompanied by four Gamelan Gender Wayang Musicians. The instruments consist of two/four metallophones (gender) that are made out of ten bronze keys with suspended bamboo tube resonators connected to them. Gamelan gender wayang’s sound is described as soft, calm and meditative (in this state described as ngisep), but can increase in intensity and dynamics during wayang’s scenes of action (in this state described as ngumbang).