Few of us have not lain in bed by candle-light and with more or less success cast shadows upon the wall. Some may have seen public entertainments in which shadow pictures formed an important part of the programme, and have wondered in a dim kind of way how they were done. From what follows it will be seen how very simple are the arrangements, and how admirably adapted for a drawing-room entertainment a shadow theater can prove.

Shadow shows may be divided into three kinds. They are:—

1. Hand Shadows—in which the performer stands in view of his audience.

2. Figure Shadows—in which he stands behind a screen.

3. Puppet Shadow Shows—in which the shadows of lay figures are exhibited.

Of these three branches of the art, Hand Shadows are distinctly the easiest to do, but they do not give scope for great variety, and although very good in their way, like most good things, are apt to pall upon an audience, who, it must ever be remembered, have an insatiable taste for novelty and change.

A screen of white cloth about three feet square should be fastened to the wall and drawn taut, so as to have no fold or crease. A large sheet of perfectly smooth white paper will make an equally satisfactory background.

The best light for casting shadows is given by a candle, which should not be lighted until a minute or so after the lights have been turned out. This will have the effect of making its light appear all the more brilliant.

Before attempting to give an exhibition of the various shadows, exercise the fingers to make them pliable. Clench the fist and try to raise one finger without moving the others. Raise each finger in turn and they will soon become supple; then you may commence learning to make the pictures.

The candle should be on a level with the hand, and you must stand rather to one side of the screen, in order that your body may not interfere with the view of the audience.

How to Make the Pictures

In Fig. 1 you see the well-known rabbit, usually the first shadow made by the amateur performer. Stretch the right thumb down and the forefinger up as far as it will go, whilst the second and third fingers should be thrust out, slightly bent, as shown in the figure. With the left hand crook the forefinger against the upright forefinger of the right hand, bring the thumb to touch the last-mentioned finger, making a little loop as depicted. Stick the second and third fingers of the left hand upright, although slightly bent. Your two hands should now appear as in Fig. 1, and the shadow they cast will be that of a rabbit.

The butterfly in Fig. 2 is very easily made, and needs little explanation. Extend the thumbs of both hands, keeping the four fingers of each bunched together.

Then cross your hands with the thumbs crooked in one another, and the butterfly will be ready to flit on to the screen.

To make the swan shown in Fig. 3, both arms must be partly bared and the right one bent upwards from the elbow. Extend the third and fourth fingers horizontally, bend the first and second loosely upon themselves and bring the thumb to rest naturally upon their tips. Hold the left hand easily at the crook of the elbow, as shown in the figure, and the swan is complete.

Fig. 4 depicts a greyhound ready to sprint. Extend the right hand thumb and close the fingers together. With the left hand bend the thumb outwards, double the forefinger, and bring the middle finger down to touch the first finger of the right hand.

By stretching down the last three fingers of the right hand, as shown in Fig. 5, the greyhound will be seen panting as he races along, watched by the old countryman depicted in Fig. 6. The familiar household pet is shown in Fig. 7 as she sits warming herself by the fire. Figs. 7A and 7B respectively suggest two other easily produced hand shadows, in the former, additional effect being lent by the pipe.

When you have accustomed yourself to forming these figures quickly and accurately, numberless other objects will present themselves to your mind, and as the fingers grow supple the characters in your repertoire will become more and more numerous and amusing.

A few racy remarks about each shadow lend an interest to the performance and serve to keep the spectators amused. Always be quite sure of what you are going to do and how you are going to do it; arrange your fingers quickly and correctly; do not keep the same figure upon the screen too long, and you are sure to succeed.

A mistake is fatal, as nothing is more dreary for the visitors than to watch you bungling with your fingers—uncertain how they should be placed.

Figure Shadows

These are, perhaps, more entertaining than hand shadows, but require much greater space, it being necessary to arrange them somewhat after the manner of tableaux.

A white sheet must be drawn completely over one end of the room, as S in Fig. 8, whilst near the opposite wall three boxes of varying height should be arranged as A B C in that figure, a candle being placed upon the middle one.

There should be no other light in the room, upon either side of the screen.

When the performer enters by the door D his shadow is thrown upon the screen in a natural size, but as he retires from the screen and approaches the candle, his shadow increases to enormous dimensions, and very funny effects will be produced.

A couple of performers may have a fight, the one near the candle apparently being of gigantic stature, whilst the other close to the screen is of ordinary build.

With a little practice it can be so managed that the two figures, although in reality at some distance from one another, appear to come to blows, and the incongruity of their respective statures makes the giant and dwarf fight of breathless excitement.

To add to the ridiculous situation, the giant can be given a knockout blow by the dwarf. A very small man can be made to make love to a huge woman, vainly endeavoring to reach her face in order to imprint a kiss upon her colossal lips.

Another amusing picture is to show a figure with a very swollen cheek. This illusion is best produced by tying a ball of worsted to the face. The dentist then approaches with a pair of large tongs in one hand and a carving knife in the other, opening and closing the tongs with fierce relish. Grasping the patient firmly by the throat, he extracts a large molar, made of cardboard stuck between the worsted and the cheek. Then, brandishing aloft the cause of his client’s trouble, he slices off the swollen part of the sufferer’s features, detaching the worsted, and proudly exhibits patient and tooth to the audience.

The Disappearing Man

A surprising effect to be obtained in these figure shadows is the total disappearance through the ceiling of one of the actors. This is very simply done by stepping upon the lowest box (C), striding over (B) which bears the candle, and on to (A) which makes the shadow appear to leap into the ceiling. Let a figure dressed as a policeman rush upon the scene, hotly pursued by a sailor brandishing a stout stick. The two chase each other about the stage for a time, and presently the sailor shouts very fiercely, “Get off the earth with you—get off!” and makes a savage rush at the policeman, who, casting one terrified glance over his shoulder, steps over the candle, and literally “gets off the earth.” The sailor then bursts into a roar of laughter, dances a hornpipe, and retires.

During all these tableaux a running patter should be kept up, which, combined with the fantastic doings upon the screen, cannot fail to keep the spectators in fits of laughter. Figure shadows are certainly the most amusing of any Shadow Shows, and are so easily done that fear of failure need deter no one from undertaking them.

Almost any play can be adapted to Shadow Shows; nursery rhymes, burlesques of well-known tragedies, purely farcical buffoonery—none will come amiss so long as there is plenty of action, whilst success is assured if all the actors concerned keep the ball rolling.

At the close of the entertainment, when the last piece has been finished, let one of the figures appear upon the screen and repeat—

This will please the grown-up members of your audience who have read Omar KhayyÁm, and will also serve as a suitable finale to the evening’s entertainment. Having said his little verse, the poet can then disappear into the ceiling.

Puppet Shadow Shows

To work a Puppet Shadow Show is more difficult than either of the preceding entertainments, and requires considerable skill and ingenuity to present satisfactorily. As the name implies, the shadows in this case are cast upon the screen by lay figures, and the performers, of whom two are requisite, do not appear at all.

The simplest way to make a “stage” upon which to exhibit your puppets is to stretch a strong piece of cord across the corner of a room, and hang therefrom a sheet which shall reach from one wall to the other. Some people prefer to stretch it across an open doorway, but this is largely a matter of convenience, and is not always possible.

Before fastening up the sheet mark upon it a rectangle, as shown in Fig. 9, the rectangle being five feet from the bottom, two feet high, and four feet wide.

Now take pieces of thick brown paper and tack them over the remaining portions of the sheet, so that when completed it shall be entirely opaque, except for the rectangle or stage upon which your figures are to perform. The brown paper will, of course, be on the side hidden from the audience. The next thing to be considered is the lamp, which should have a tin reflector and a one-inch burner. Arrange it in such a manner that it shall hang in the center of the stage and some eighteen inches or two feet from the screen—indeed at just sufficient distance to allow you to manipulate your figures without coming into collision with the light.

If possible shut out all light except that which is thrown by the lamp upon the stage, as the darker the room the more effective will be the appearance of the shadows. Take great care the sheet is so firmly fixed that it neither flaps nor creases.

Having accomplished this, turn to the making of the puppets.

The best material from which to manufacture them is thin zinc or tin, waste scraps of which any tinsmith will gladly sell for a mere trifle. With a pair of shears the metal can be readily cut to any shape, whilst it will also be strong enough to bear the rivets for working the figures.

The puppets should be about six inches in height. This is the best way to make them. Draw the figure selected upon a piece of fairly thin white paper, taking care to accentuate all prominent points and features. Paste the figure—e.g. a crossing-sweeper—upon a piece of tin, and carefully cut the outline with the shears as in Fig. 10.

Of course the puppets must be as comical as you can imagine, and should be neatly and accurately outlined. Notice that the figure has no arm, as this must be movable, and should be made separately, thus: draw the limb, holding a broom as in Fig. 11, cutting it out in the same way as you have done the body.

Now take a punch and make a hole in the body at the shoulder, whilst two holes must also be made in the arm, as at A and B in Fig. 11. Get five cents’ worth of quarter-inch iron rivets, and place one in the hole B of the arm. Make a loop in a piece of No. 9 size wire and place it over this rivet in the arm. Next bend the rivet with a pair of pliers, and fasten the wire as shown in Fig. 12. Put a rivet through A in the corresponding holes in body and arm, and bend the rivet head over as before. Your crossing-sweeper is now complete.

By pulling the wire, which should run down one leg, and thus be invisible to the spectators, the arm can be raised or lowered from below, and the figure will appear to be sweeping vigorously.

Upon this plan every other puppet may be constructed, making as many joints in a similar fashion as are required.

Fig. 13 shows how to make a bear, which can rear upon his hind legs and also open his mouth. He will serve as an example for making all animals such as the elephant (Fig. 14), or the crocodile (Fig. 15).

Set pieces such as a church or a house can be easily constructed from cardboard, as in Fig. 16, whilst a very good effect can be obtained from a windmill with movable sails (Fig. 17).

It is scarcely necessary to add that the puppets needed depend entirely upon the piece you desire to represent.

Supposing it is your intention to exhibit three separate plays in the course of the entertainment, three different sets of figures will be required. The younger members of an audience are quick to observe any repetition.

The figures are made so easily and cheaply that it will be quite as well to have a complete set for each play.

Manipulating the Puppets

The following hints should be borne in mind when manipulating the puppets. Keep all the figures ready for immediate use; lay them upon a table in the order in which they will be required, and remember where they are so that you can put your hand upon them the moment they are wanted. Keep your own head and fingers well out of sight—the whole effect will be spoiled if the spectators see a great black finger pulling some wire or adjusting a refractory limb. Keep as calm and collected as possible.

If some part of a figure sticks and refuses to move, tell the audience, in an amusing piece of patter, that Jim, or whatever his name may be, has had a sudden stroke of paralysis, and must be carried away to the hospital.

When there is a hitch—and this will occur even with a professional—pass it off with a rattle of bantering fun, making the audience imagine it to be part of the show.

As the puppets are made from thin metal be careful never to turn them round upon the stage. March the figures off the scene with some quaint excuse, and introduce them again facing in the direction you desire.

It is impossible to lay too much stress upon the absolute necessity for the showman’s being ready with all kinds of patter. Funny as the scenes may be made with the figures alone, they are quite unentertaining unless all their doings can be explained with an unceasing tongue.

From the moment your first figure appears upon the scene, until the last one has made its exit, a continuous flow of amusing dialogue and comment should keep the audience on tenter-hooks of surprise and excitement—shrieking with laughter over absurd remarks or in an agony of wonder as to what will happen next. Dull and stupid as patter may appear upon paper, it should certainly be written down and well studied before beginning the show, for impromptu fun cannot be relied upon.

A lot of extempore humor can be introduced when you yourself have entered into the spirit of the show—but it is imperative that regular patter should be learned by heart. Nothing can be more tiresome than a halting conversation of which one party has forgotten the cues, whilst the other cannot remember the lines.

If you can sing, intersperse a song or two here and there when there seems a suitable occasion, but be rather sparing than otherwise with your music.

It may also be borne in mind that it is not necessary to have dialogue the whole time. A clever and amusing description of what is being done often proves better than a lengthy conversation in which the characters explain themselves. A few crisp remarks are worth a bookful of such speeches. However, when you are once fairly embarked on the play, let your puppets joke and abuse one another as much as they like.

To conclude with a few words as to what is suitable for the Puppet Shadow Theater.

The great object of every entertainment is to be funny without introducing vulgarity. The nature of the show necessitates fairly short pieces, and experience has proved that several short and amusing plays are more appreciated than one long piece, during the performance of which interest is sure to flag.

Choose commonplace incidents of everyday life. An inventive mind will soon adapt the ridiculous side of things to a screamingly funny show. Do not attempt too much. With a smart patter, full of current expressions and allusions to topics of the time, preferably local, which all your audience can appreciate, the most casual events become laughable.

Take, for instance, the well-known family trouble—

The Plumber

Figures.

With these five characters and a suitable amount of talking an amusing sketch can be given. The following is a mild suggestion of what can be done, but you will find that it can be made very much funnier when actually performed.

Scene, a House (Fig. 16).

This may seem very poor fun, but when staged and supplemented with good strong patter it should be most amusing. Opportunities always arise for introducing smart remarks and witty rejoinders, which cannot fail to “bring the house down.”

Complete sets of figures, with the various plays for which they are intended, can be purchased from all good shops making a specialty of entertainment requisites, but it is more interesting to make everything for oneself; and the prospective shadow showman may feel assured that, with care and patience, he will be able to give a performance that, costing but a dollar or two, will prove quite as entertaining as one purchased at many times the sum.