How does wayang kulit use leather puppets and light to create a shadow play?

In wayang kulit, a classical Javanese shadow puppet drama, the performance relies on the interplay between light, a screen, and intricately crafted figures to create a narrative experience.1

• The Puppets: The figures are made of perforated, elaborately painted leather. These puppets are carved according to fixed patterns that dictate their character type, status, and mood through specific details like the shape of the nose, eyes, stance, and costume.12
• The Mechanism: A dalang (puppeteer) manipulates these leather figures using rods. The puppets are held against a translucent screen that is lit from behind, which casts their shadows onto the surface for the audience to view.13
• The Performance: While some audience members may sit behind the dalang to watch the puppets directly, most connoisseurs prefer to view the performance as shadows cast on the screen. The dalang serves as the central artist, coordinating the movement of the puppets with narration, dialogue, and music provided by a gamelan ensemble to bring the mythological stories to life.124