CHAPTER IV
Producing Human Shadow Plays
Did you ever feel about your shadow as Robert Louis Stevenson did, when he wrote:
“I have a little shadow,
That goes in and out with me,
And what can be the use of him,
Is more than I can see.”
If you ever took part in a shadow game, you discovered many surprising uses for your shadow. You may remember how you stretched a sheet in a doorway and played the game of guessing silhouettes. This was highly entertaining, and somewhat difficult when familiar faces were disguised by unusual noses and chins. Then there were the shadow charades and the game of guessing book titles.
If you wish to give a shadow play with scenery and several actors performing at one time, then a large shadow screen becomes necessary. This can be made from 2-inch strips of wood, strengthened in the corners as shown in the illustration. The size of this screen will be determined by the width of the sheeting which is to cover it. The screen used at the Cleveland Museum of Art for the shadow plays The Indian and the Oki and The Shepherdess was 7¼ feet high by 12 feet long, and was covered with sheeting 90 inches in width. Great care was used in the stretching of the sheet. The tacks were placed about two inches apart.
The reason for choosing The Indian and the Oki for a shadow play was that it had action and characters that were very individual, such as would be easily recognized when they fell on the shadow screen. Another reason for choosing this story was that its scenery could be suggested by silhouettes. The group of boys and girls who gave this play selected important incidents of the story and re-arranged them and added incidents wherever they found it necessary. The following twelve incidents made up the first act: