The Shadow Theater of Anaphoria

THE SHADOW THEATRE OF ANAPHORIA

[ Relocated in Wollongong, Australia]

The Shadow Theatre of Anaphoria in association with Geoffrey Sykes presents the first Australian performances

THE QUIET EROW [REDUX]
Fri and Sat. 8pm Oct 9 &10,16 &17
at the Bushland Chapel 94 Parkes Street Helensburgh
The Story of an Anaphorian Prenatal "Robin Hood"
starring Kraig Grady [director], Seth Harris, Mark Kennedy, Friederike Krishnabhakdi-Vasilakis, Hamish Lane, Terumi Narushima
more information 61 2 4271 4397

pics from the 2005 production

To be added to our e-mail announcement list
or info on the availability of openings
as a part of our group
please drop a message Here

ATTN:We have been fortunate to receive funding to conduct a
Shadow Theatre Workshop which is open to all and will be free of charge.
So please drop a line if you feel you might be interested
when this happens sometime in the next few months. Here

This project is funded by a Cultural Grant
from Community Cultural & Library Services,
Wollongong City Council

Some Untouched Images from
THE PILGRIMAGE OF MIRRORS

Shadow puppet BURNT OLD MAN

THE FOLLIES OF DR. PLACEBO:
A Shadow Play w/o Dialog Inquiring into Future Healing Gone Awry<

Starring Jason Bagley, Erin Barnes, Cory Beers,
Kraig Grady , Sophia Grady, Roger Mexico,Laura McMurray, Ben Rojas
Amy Pigg, Spencer Savage, Neil Starrett, Tara Tavi, and Amy Wolkins

THE FOLLY BOWL. ALTADENA (LOS ANGELES)
SAT MAY 26 & SUN MAY 27. 2007 8:30pm
1601 East Loma Alta Dr. Altadena, CA 91001

Until we get images up of our present production,
the images below of our past productions are representative
of this work plus a few surprises

THE PILGRIMAGE OF MIRRORS:
A Non-Linear Realization of The Reincarnation of Dreams
Starring Jason Bagley, Erin Barnes,
Kraig Grady (Main Director), Sophia Grady,
Roger Mexico (Theatrical Director) , Neil Starrett,

THE FOUND THEATER ( LONG BEACH) June 17-18, 24-25 8:00
599 Long Beach Blvd. at 6th St. Long Beach .
reservations 562-433-3363

this work premiered at
THE FOLLY BOWL. ALTADENA (LOS ANGELES)
SAT MAY 27 & SUN MAY 28. 2006 8:30pm
1601 East Loma Alta Dr. Altadena, CA 91001

general info: 323 258 3260

Some Untouched Images were shown at top

THE QUIET EROW
The Story of an Anaphorian Prenatal "Robin Hood"

Starring Erika Anderson, Erin Barnes,
Kraig Grady (Main Director), Rebekah Greely,
Roger Mexico (Theatrical Director), Jonathan Silberman, and Tara Tavi

NEW LANGTON ARTS. SAN FRANCISCO MAY 13-14. 2005 8pm

THE FOLLY BOWL. ALTADENA (LOS ANGELES) MAY 21-22. 2005 8:30pm

FRENZY AT THE ROYAL THRESHOLD
The legend behind Anaphoria's most famous marriage starring and assembled by Erin Barnes, Owen Chase, Kraig Grady (Main Director), Rebekah Greely, Roger Mexico (Theatrical Director), and Tara Tavi (as the Princess) plus others
46 North Los Robles. Pasadena. CA
Saturday and Sunday . May 15 & 16 8:00 pm

Pictures from FRENZY AT THE ROYAL THRESHOLD at the Norton Simon Museum of Art, Pasadena CA. Oct 24, 2003

-starring and assembled by Whitney Arnold, Erin Barnes, Geoffrey Brandin, Kraig Grady, Lyndsay Griffin, Roger Mexico and Rick Potts

Pictures from The Stolen Stars

-starring and assembled by Whitney Arnold, Erin Barnes, Geoffrey Brandin, Kraig Grady, Tim Ottman, Rick Potts, and Rainbow Underhil
presented at Black Cat Gallery, Culver City May 23, 24, 25, 31 & June 1, 2003

Pictures from THEIR VENTURE BEYOND THEIR HORIZONS

An Anaphorian Shadow Play written by Isafa Saturday May 18 2002
Pacific Asia Museum, Pasadena

Pictures from HER STIRRING STONE-
A Mythical Journey in Search of a Lost Object

Shadow puppet guard

Shadow puppet hunter 2

THE ANAPHORIAN SHADOW THEATER IN NORTH AMERICA

Tradition states that the movement of evil forces is said to be the cause of earthquakes. Tradition also states that there are special cases, as when they coincide with religious artifacts in transit. Here it is believed that the evil forces are fleeing the powers imbedded in these sacred objects. To remove them would only allow these evil forces to return. The custom has been to permanently house these artifacts at an appropriate location in the region to prevent these evil forces. That the first arrival of the sacred artifacts of the Shadow Theatre coincided with the Northridge Earthquake, it was realized that these artifacts of the Shadow Theater would have to stay. See Statement of Purpose.

Shadow puppet with cells

PRACTICE

The mixture and superposition of cultural influences have nurtured a shadow theater that transcends being a mere conglomerate. Historically, due to its patronage, this theater has been able to afford the luxury of larger ensembles. These ensembles tend to engage in a form of group "channeling" not unlike single practitioners that should not be mistaken for group improvisation. There is a trend toward the dispensing of the walls between the playing of music and the operation of puppets with those behind the screen producing shadows one moment and playing music the next. There is no fast and set rule though with some participating in one function. The polytheistic beliefs of the shadow troupes make the symbology of "multiple sources of light and shadow" meaningful. The result being the adoption of controllable electric light to separate parts of the screen and characters. This practice allows much of the screen at times to remain dark offending members of the older schools fearing a dominance of the dark forces. These opponents on the other hand recognize a marked difference between a darkness of evil and a darkness as "a basis of possible vibrations" and well as a symbol of "the vast unknown".

MUSIC

The music of the shadow play has a unique history. in the late nineteenth century, there occurred on our island what is known as the Great Missionary Expulsion. As a result, many western instruments were abandoned by their owners. For years they remained neglected. At one point, an instrument builder from Lipari realized that the reed organs could be retuned to a slendro-like scale and proceeded to do so. Very pleased with the sound, he spread the word. At first, the tuning was comprised of two sets of pentatonics, one slightly higher than the other. After some time they found that if they took the traditional Slendro scale and utilized a version derived from a 4,000 year old diagram known in India as Meru Prastara, the two remaining tones could be tuned as one of the scales implied by the diagram, thereby using all 12 retuned tones on the western instruments. Some attempts were made with pelog-like scales,but forming cycles of 5,7,9 or 14 tones did not fill out instruments with a 12 pitch cycle. Soon a whole array of retuned instruments emerged, deceptively looking like their western counterparts but bearing no resemblance in sound.

Shadow puppet princess2

HISTORY

The Anaphorian shadow play owes a great part of its development to the immigrants and exiles coming from such diverse regions as Indonesia, India, Turkey, and Greece. These rich traditions served as a further inspiration to an already growing art form. Anaphorian shadow plays have developed beyond a mere synthesis of influences into a creation of their own unique theater. Legend states that Prince Mita on the death of his bride enshrined her image in shadow. It was under his great patronage that the shadow play blossomed establishing such classics as "The Three Frivolous Battles" Throughout history these traditional epics have been augmented with explosions of new myths and stories. In recent years, stories of film origin have found their way into the shadow theater. This is surprising since film has never gotten a hold beyond a limited audience despite the international recognition of more than a few of its filmmakers. The great popularity of shadow theater can be illustrated by the fact that time and time again the great Anaphorian filmmakers have returned to the shadow theater bringing with it a new inspiration as well as a renewed respect. The Shadow Play, Ten Black Eye represents this new tradition that remains informed by combinations of past, present and its own future.

Nine original Anaphorian shadow plays have been presented to date, TEN BLACK EYE, TEN BLACK EYE II, BLACK EYE MERU, HER STIRRING STONE, THEIR VENTURE BEYOND THEIR HORIZONS, THE STOLEN STARS, FRENZY AT THE ROYAL THRESHOLD, and THE QUIET EROW.

The title TEN BLACK EYE comes from the Anaphorian word, ten, the word for shadow, and Black Eye the translation of the word Fum, a character found in these stories. Mt. Meru is the holiest of mountains as well as a divine mathematical sequence.

TEN BLACK EYE is an exposition into some of the fundamental beliefs behind the medium of the shadow play. The shadow world is understood as an intermediary world between the living and the dead. The characters Prince and Fum examine the paths to truth and some of their flaws.

TEN BLACK EYE was presented at Stella Adler Theater Oct. 27,1996 and was Assembled by Kraig Grady, Roger Mexico, Brad Smith, and Yelena Tokman.

TEN BLACK EYE II was presented at the Pacific Asia Museum Nov. 8 1997, and was assembled by Kraig Grady, Laura McMurray, Roger Mexico, Laura Pedretti, Genee Pytlewski, and Joe Seely.

Some notes concerning BLACK EYE MERU, HER STIRRING STONE and THEIR VENTURE BEYOND THEIR HORIZONS

In recent years , The shadow play has experienced an explosion of new works. One dominant force has been the playwright known as Isafa. There is a mystery that clouds the identity of this individual . Only through selected puppet masters, sworn to secrecy, have these plays been made public. Rumors have varied from Isafa being a woman of notoriety to Isafa being a collective endeavor. All these rumors have to be looked at as just that-rumors. The unique style though points toward a remarkable individual of unique vision. As opposed to a strong narrative, Isafa presents us with a labyrinth of signposts. Although linear, Isafa's devices have a way of potentiating our own personal interpretations.

BLACK EYE MERU -
A work in progress version of BLACK EYE MERU was presented at Glaxa Studios Oct. 25 1998 and was assembled by Erin Barnes, Geoff Brandin, Kraig Grady, Ryan Hildebrand, Roger Mexico and Angela Sanderson.

BLACK EYE MERU was premiered at Villa Aurora Sept. 24, 1999 and was assembled by Erin Barnes, Geoff Brandin, Kraig Grady, Rebekah Greely, and Roger Mexico

HER STIRRING STONE-

HER STIRRING STONE was presented at HollyMatter Art Gallery May 4 & 5 2001 and was assembled by Erin Barnes, Kraig Grady, Johnathan Marmor, Roger Mexico, Quentin Tolimieri, Rainbow Underhill

THEIR VENTURE BEYOND THEIR HORIZONS-

THEIR VENTURE BEYOND THEIR HORIZONS was presented at Pacific Asia Museum on Saturday May 18 2002 was assembled by Erin Barnes, Geoff Brandin, Kraig Grady, Rainbow Underhill, and Roger Mexico

FRENZY AT THE ROYAL THRESHOLD-

FRENZY AT THE ROYAL THRESHOLD was presented at Norton Simon Museum of Art, Pasadena CA. Oct 24, 2003 starring and assembled by Whitney Arnold, Erin Barnes, Geoffrey Brandin, Kraig Grady, Lyndsay Griffin, Roger Mexico and Rick Potts and again in a revised version at The Pacific Asia Museum May 15 & 16 2004 starring and assembled by Erin Barnes, Owen Chase, Kraig Grady (Main Director), Rebekah Greely, Roger Mexico (Theatrical Director), and Tara Tavi (as the Princess)

Press clippings