Larry Reed (puppeteer)

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Larry Reed (born: June 21, 1944) is an American shadow puppeteer. He was one of the first Western artists to train in traditional Balinese shadow theatre and was recognized as a Dalang (shadow master) by his teachers. [1]

Contents

Larry Reed
Born (1944-06-21) June 21, 1944 (age 81)
CitizenshipAmerican
Alma mater
OrganizationShadowLight Productions

Early life

Reed was born on June 21, 1944 in Los Angeles, California. In 1965, he studied French theatre at Yale University. The following year, he worked as a theatre director for Costa Rica University and National Theatres before getting his Master of Fine Arts at the San Francisco Art Institute. [2]

In the 1970s, Reed traveled to Bali to study traditional shadow puppetry, where he was instructed to first learn the accompanying music. [3] He later returned to San Francisco and joined the American Association for Eastern Arts, now known as the Center for World Music. The American Association for Eastern Arts was founded in 1963 in San Francisco by Samuel and Luise Scripps, with Balasaraswati and Ali Akbar Khan as its first two artist-teachers. [4]

Career

ShadowLight Productions

In 1972, Reed founded ShadowLight Productions to introduce shadow theatre to a wider audience. [5] Reed began expanding his works by integrating traditional shadow theatre techniques with a modern theatre style. In the 1990s, Reed developed a method of casting shadows that integrated techniques from cinema, modern theatre, and dance. Reed's shows featured unique masks that looked different from various angles, allowing for a single, unchanging mask to appear dynamic. [6] ShadowLight Productions had a crew of actors and featured live music played by musicians. [7] [8]

Major works

Shadow Master (1979)

Shadow Master is a documentary directed by Reed that has been shown on both PBS and the Discovery Channel. It is about a family of performers in Bali. It shows an inside view of Balinese life, which includes cultural context on theatre, music, and dance on the island. The film takes place over two years, with Reed living and studying with a dalang, I Wayan Wija, and his extended family. [9]

In Xanadu (1993–1997)

In Xanadu is a Mongolian fantasy written by Zara Houshmand and Reed. The fantasy follows Kubilai Khan and his wife, Chabui, who are inseparable partners. The film includes techniques from Tibetan, Chinese, and Indonesian theatre techniques. In Xanadu was featured at the 1997 Henson International Festival of Puppetry in New York City and the Spoleto/USA Festival in Charleston, SC. The film was awarded the UNIMA-USA Citation for Excellence, puppetry's highest award. [10] [11] [12]

The Wild Party (1995–1996)

The Wild Party is a shadow theatre work by Reed, based on the poem by Joseph Moncure March written in 1926. It includes jazz music from Bruce Forman. The poem centers on two vaudeville performers, Queenie and Burt, who lead a daring and decadent lifestyle. They host a party for their friend, which leads to an evening filled with alcohol, drugs, and sex. The film integrates modern shadow techniques with traditional Asian shadow theatre. [13]

Mayadanawa (1996)

This production marked the first large-scale shadow theatre work by ShadowLight productions. created by Reed in collaboration with Jaime Kibben, and Nyoman Catra. Developed in Bali, the performance featured musicians, dancers, and shadow casters from the village of Pengosekan, Ubud, and was presented at the 1996 Walter Spies Festival. The film tells the tale of a powerful demon, Mayadanawa, who demands Balinese people to only worship him. Because he creates havoc among the people, they appeal to Indra, king of all gods, to chase him away. [9]

Ambrosia of Immortality (1998)

Ambrosia of Immortality, or Tirtha Amertha, is from the Mahabharata, the great Hindu myth cycle interpreted by Reed and renowned Balinese puppeteer, Wayan Wija. The story is about Hindu culture, focusing on a story of the gods' coming of age, gaining immortality, and rising above the world of demons. The gods possess immense power and engage in war against demons who seek to reclaim it. Together they churn the Milky Ocean to create the elixir of immortality but struggle over who will possess the powerful ambrosia of immortality. [14]

Coyote's Journey (2000–2001)

Coyote's Journey is a traditional Native California Karuk tale told through shadow theatre. The performance uses both Karuk and English story telling. It features a Karuk elder, "Red Hawk" Thom, a hereditary ceremonial leader, spiritual teacher, and storyteller. The show shows Coyote's adventure and his initiation into the ways of the world. [15]

7 Visions (2002)

7 Visions is written by Octavio Solis, an award-winning playwright and directed by Reed. It explores the roots of Latino heritage and celebrates the Mexican holiday Dia de los Muertos, the Day of the Dead. It has music from Richard Marriott, performed by Cascada de Flores, and is designed by Victor Cartagena. On a mission called Dolores, a man named Encarnacion is confronted by his future self, an irreverent skeleton, or calaca which leads Encarnacion on a vision quest of self-discovery. [16]

Monkey King at Spider Cave (2006–2007)

Monkey King at Spider Cave, directed by Reed and Chia-yin Cheng, is performed by both American and Taiwanese artists. It is inspired by Journey of the West, a 16th-century novel from the Ming Dynasty. The story follows a Buddhist High Priest and his animal disciples on a quest to retrieve Buddhist Scriptures for China while facing mythical demons and monsters including the demonic spider women and an evil alchemist. Journey to the West remains popular in operas and cartoons across Asia. [17] [18]

Filmography

TitleYearRole
Shadow Master [9] 1982Producer, director
Conquest of Mexico1986Original Shadow Theatre Works
Orfeo [19] 1990Shadow Design
Body Cak1990Projection Design
Dream Shadows [20] 1991Original Shadow Theatre Works
Pan1992Shadow Effects Design
MahabharAnta1992Shadow Effects Design
Bima's Journey [21] 1994Director
The Wild Party [13] 1995Original Shadow Theatre Works
Sidha Karya [22] 1995Original Shadow Theatre Works
Mayadanawa [9] 1996Original Shadow Theatre Works
The Tempest [23] 1996Shadow Effects Design
In Xanadu [24] 1997Original Shadow Theatre Works
Blood Wine, Blood Wedding [25] 1997Shadow Effects Design
Wayang Listrik [26] 1998Original Shadow Theatre Works
Whale1999Shadow Effects Design
Power of Saturn1999Shadow Effects Design
Coyote's Journey [15] 2000Original Shadow Theatre Works
Ain’t Necessarily So [2] 2001Shadow Effects Design
Kawit Legong [27] 2001Original Shadow Theatre Works
7 Visions [16] 2002Original Shadow Theatre Works
A (Balinese) Tempest [28] 2005Original Shadow Theatre Works
Explorations of the Shadow World [29] 2006Producer, director
Silk Road [30] 2007Director Shadow Sequences
We are All In this Together2007Consultant
Ethnic Dance Festival [31] 2007Director Shadow Sequences
Ramayana 2007Consultant
Mayadanawa [9] 2007Producer, director
Ghosts of the River [32] 2009Original Shadow Theatre Works
Monkey King at Spider Cave [33] 2009Producer, director, Original Shadow Theatre Works
The Good-for-Nothing Lover [34] 2010Original Shadow Theatre Works
Magic Flute [35] 2011Director Shadow Sequences
On Wayang [29] 2011Producer, director
Poro Oyna: Legend of Ainu Rakkur [36] 2012Original Shadow Theatre Works
Jana and Baladoor [37] 2012Director Shadow Sequences
Kawit Legong [27] 2012Producer
Bandung Project2013Director
Ghosts of the River [32] 2013Producer, director
Poro Oyna: The Myth of the Aynu [36] 2014Original Shadow Theatre Works
Butterfly Lovers2014Director
Feathers of Fire [38] 2015Collaborator
Finding KUKAN [34] 2015Director Shadow Sequences
The Science Fiction Project 1&2 [39] 2016Director Shadow Sequences
In Visible Light [40] [41] 2017Director
In Visible Light Cinna: The Clemency of Augustus2017Original Shadow Theatre Works
Dewi Sri [42] 2019Director
The Dark Light [43] 2019Director
Shadows for Carlos Villa [44] 2020Original Shadow Theatre Works
Drupadi [45] 2020Original Shadow Theatre Works
Shadows for Carlos Villa [44] 2020Co-director
A (Balinese) Tempest [28] 2020Producer, director

References

  1. ↑ "Larry Reed". World Encyclopedia of Puppetry Arts. 2016-07-12. Retrieved 2025-05-28.
  2. 1 2 "Larry Reed". 12 July 2016.
  3. ↑ Tleimat, Lana (2023-08-12). "People We Meet: Larry Reed, shadow artist". Mission Local. Retrieved 2025-04-02.
  4. ↑ "Reunion Celebrates World Music Anniversaries By GRAEME VANDERSTOEL Special to the Planet. Category: Features from The Berkeley Daily Planet". www.berkeleydailyplanet.com.
  5. ↑ "Larry Reed". ShadowLight Productions. Retrieved 2025-02-12.
  6. ↑ February 27, Lily Janiak; March 1 (February 27, 2023). "Bay Area theater supergroup unites playwright, composer and shadow puppeteer". Datebook | San Francisco Arts & Entertainment Guide. Retrieved 2025-05-01.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  7. ↑ "About". ShadowLight Productions.
  8. ↑ "Behind the Scenes at a Shadow Theater". Christian Science Monitor. October 27, 1998.
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 "Movies' reviews" (PDF). News and Reviews (33, Fall 2009).
  10. ↑ "45 Years of Citations". UNIMA-USA.
  11. ↑ "In Xanadu". ShadowLight Productions.
  12. ↑ Harvey, Dennis (November 14, 1994). "In Xanadu".
  13. 1 2 Harvey, Dennis (August 7, 1995). "The Wild Party".
  14. ↑ The ambrosia of immortality. June 2, 2006. OCLC   123365291.
  15. 1 2 Harvey, Dennis (January 2, 2001). "Tales from Native California: Coyote's Journey".
  16. 1 2 Hurwitt, Robert (October 29, 2002). "Latino history dances, frolics in '7 Visions' / Dia de los Muertos shadow play at Brava". SFGATE.
  17. ↑ Ayres-Frederick, Linda (2 November 2006). "Monkey King at Spider Cave" (PDF). San Francisco Bay Times. Retrieved 18 February 2025.
  18. ↑ "Monkey King At Spider Cave". ShadowLight Productions.
  19. ↑ "OPERA REVIEW : Music Center Borrows a Jumbled 'Orfeo'". Los Angeles Times . 5 October 1990.
  20. ↑ "Evolution of a Shadow Master". UNIMA-USA.
  21. ↑ "National Gallery - Search the Collection". searchthecollection.nga.gov.au.
  22. ↑ Berata, I. Dewa Putu; Catra, I. Nyoman; Susilo, Emiko Saraswati; Reed, C. L; Cowell Theater (San Francisco, Calif.); Sekar Jaya (Musical group); ShadowLight Productions (Firm) (1994), Sidha Karya, San Francisco, Ca.: ShadowLight Productions, OCLC   42940092
  23. ↑ "The Tempest at American Conservatory Theater Geary Theater 1996". www.abouttheartists.com.
  24. ↑ "In Xanadu". 14 November 1994.
  25. ↑ "Blood Wedding".
  26. ↑ "In the Shadows". San Francisco Bay Guardian (September 9, 1998).
  27. 1 2 "Spreading moral messages in modern-day 'wayang'". The Jakarta Post.
  28. 1 2 "A (Balinese) Tempest" (Playbill). University of Hawaii. 2008. hdl:10125/57901.
  29. 1 2 "On wayang: My life with shadows". 2011.
  30. ↑ "Take a stroll down the Silk Road in Taipei - Taipei Times". 16 March 2007.
  31. ↑ "Original Works".
  32. 1 2 "Ghosts of the River: Out of the Shadows". 11 July 2014.
  33. ↑ "Monkey King at Spider Cave = Xi you ji". 2009.
  34. 1 2 "Shadowlight Productions Begins Collaboration with FIINDING KUKAN | Finding KUKAN". 2012-05-06. Retrieved 2021-07-26.
  35. ↑ "THE MAGIC FLUTE". STEPHEN MILLS. 2018-10-01. Retrieved 2021-07-26.
  36. 1 2 "In light and shadow".
  37. ↑ "AROUND AND ABOUT THEATER: Iranian Playwright & Director Bahram Bazai, St. Marks Playreading, A Folkie Bard On Disk .... Category: Arts & Events from The Berkeley Daily Planet". www.berkeleydailyplanet.com.
  38. ↑ "Feathers of Fire | A Persian Epic Shadow Play For All Ages". Kingorama.
  39. ↑ "Science Fiction Project: Installment 1 + 2".
  40. ↑ "In Visible Light".
  41. ↑ "San Francisco International Arts Festival".
  42. ↑ Agung (19 November 2019). "Kisah Larry Reed, Sutradara dan Seniman Asal Amerika yang Jatuh Cinta Pada Wayang". KRJogja.
  43. ↑ "The Dark Light". 飛人集社劇團 Flying Group Theatre. Retrieved 2021-07-26.
  44. 1 2 "Carlos Villa (1936-2013)" (PDF). Asian Art Museum. Retrieved 18 February 2025.
  45. ↑ "Drupadi". ShadowLight Productions. 14 March 2020.
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