With over 20 years sharing shadow theater in classrooms around the country, Firelight’s Creative Director Daniel Barash is now offering both virtual and in-person workshops, residencies and special events that are perfect for families, classrooms, libraries, rec centers, scouts, and even special events like birthday parties or family reunions. 

 

Make shadow puppets, learn performance techniques, rehearse behind the shadow screen, dim the lights, and share your performances! 

 

A workshop is one session, while a residency unfolds over a multi-session schedule. 

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Multi-session residencies allow students to delve deeper into the worlds of both shadow puppetry and curricular content. Modeled on an Arts Integration approach to teaching and learning, participants first practice shadow theater techniques, which they then use to create performances that demonstrate their understanding of specific curricular content. 

 

Part 1: Daniel will introduce the history and art of shadow puppetry to the class, including foundational shadow theater techniques.

 

Part 2: Daniel will help students create shadow puppets that can be used to explore a pre-determined curricular area that students are learning about in class.

 

Part 3: Daniel will introduce the rehearsal process to students so that they can bring this curricular area “to life” behind the shadow screen. 

 

Part 4: Daniel will facilitate small-group rehearsals, helping students to practice their shadow puppetry presentations.

 

Part 5: Daniel will facilitate in-class sharing of student performances, and then brainstorm with students other areas of the curriculum that could be explored using shadow puppetry.

 

As shadow puppetry is a highly accessible art-form that appeals to both teachers and students, it is very likely that this “taste of shadow puppetry” will lead to many more explorations long after the formal mini-residencies have concluded.

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