Indonesia's puppet art out of the shadows

By Tommy Ardiansyah YOGYAKARTA, (Reuters Life!) - Indonesia's shadow puppetry performances are steeped in tradition but one artist from the country's cultural heartland is giving this ancient art a modern makeover by translating it in English. Shadow puppetry, or wayang, has been drawing crowds for over half a millennium with its distinctly Indonesian music, intricately carved protagonists, riot of color and plots based on ancient fables with their moral messages or stories from religious texts such as the Ramayana. Now, puppet master Ki Sigit Sabdo Prijono is hoping to promote this age-old tradition, which has been recognized by the U.N.'s cultural agency UNESCO as a masterpiece of humanity, across borders by making it more understandable to foreigners. He is also hoping to reach a younger, more Westernized generation of... [read full story]