Master Class. DIY shadow theater. Night Tale: Shadow Theater Shadow Theater templates

Any theater is a mystery, and shadow theater is the most exquisite and poetic mystery. There is an opinion that this type of art appeared on the basis of the ritual of ancestor worship - according to legend, the souls of the dead were infused into special figurines. With the help of these figurines, the exploits of their ancestors were sung and their life was described. But there is another version of the origin of shadow theater, a more romantic one.

The Legend of the Shadow Theater

In ancient times, around 200 BC, the Chinese emperor lost his beloved wife. The inconsolable ruler was sad, abandoned state affairs, and stopped talking. The affairs of the empire were in decline. The courtiers invented a variety of methods, but any attempts to force the emperor to leave his chambers were unsuccessful.

But one day the chief courtier asked the ruler to go into the rooms of his wife, who had died of a serious illness. In the chambers, the emperor saw the silhouette of his beloved sitting behind the curtain. Suddenly she stood up, her profile clearly emerged against the background of the sun behind the thin fabric. So, with the help of shadow theater, the courtier was able to cure the ruler of melancholy.

The emperor liked the performance shown to the courtier so much that he asked to repeat it every evening. He even invited spectators. The doll, which was a unique copy of the wife, walked, played musical instruments, and sat by the window. Suddenly the emperor realized: the fabric was only a temporary barrier between them, and his beloved was waiting for him in another world. A little time will pass and they will be together again. Realizing this, the sovereign became cheerful and again took up state affairs. And shadow theater began its march across the earth, it spread to Asian countries: India, Turkey. Together with the army of Genghis Khan, this art reached Europe and Russia.

First performances

Initially, the shadow theater could only be seen at night. Usually performances took place right on the street. The productions could involve up to a thousand figures and no less scenery. Oil lamps were used as a light source.

Puppets for shadow theater

The material for the first dolls was animal skins. They were made so thinly that they were almost transparent. Figures were cut out of skins and paint was applied to them. Traditionally, the height of theater puppets did not exceed 30 centimeters. All figures were movable. With the help of thin long rods, the dolls were controlled by a person hiding behind the screen.

How to make a shadow theater?

Shadow theater does not require bright costumes and complex scenery. To create it, you can use any available materials. Therefore, it is not difficult to make a shadow theater with your own hands. It is worth noting that this type of creativity is extremely useful for children - after all, it combines music, literature, crafts and painting!

Cardboard screen for shadow theater

Any theater begins with a hanger. But shadow theater begins with the screen. You can do it in different ways.

The first (and easiest) way is to make a screen out of a box. To do this you will need a cardboard box, colored and parchment paper, glue and scissors:

1. It is necessary to trim the high walls of the box and carefully cut out the bottom. This will create a base for the screen.
2. The base must be covered with colored paper.
3. Cut out a rectangle of suitable size from parchment paper. It needs to be glued to the inside of the base, thus covering the bottom.

The front side of the screen can be decorated - beads, colored stones, feathers and much more are suitable for this.

Wooden screen

A wooden screen is much more reliable than a cardboard screen. To make it you will need: chipboard, a jigsaw, a ruler or tape measure, a pencil, a drill, sandpaper, small canopies, a screwdriver, screws, white paint and a brush, thick fabric (preferably white), Velcro, four flashlights, loops for wiring, cardboard, black gouache.

How to make a shadow theater using these items? Very simple. You need to start with the screen. To do this, you need to draw a sheet of chipboard - leave small edges and mark the center, which will then be cut out. Using a drill, you need to drill holes in the corners of the future screen. You can cut out the “window” using a jigsaw. The next stage is the manufacture of the side parts of the screen. They should be the same height as the screen. It is important to sand all parts. Then you need to attach the awnings and paint all the parts.

The screen for such a screen is best made of fabric so that it can be removed and washed. Regular Velcro will help secure such a screen! It is sewn along the edges of the fabric and glued to the back of the screen.

Small lanterns that need to be attached to the sides of the screen will help make the screen mobile. Children's shadow theater is ready!

Large screen for shadow theater

The previous manufacturing options are suitable for small theaters, in which the roles are “performed” by small figures. What if the actors are people? We need to make a big screen! The most budget option is white raincoat fabric. Of course, its density varies. But choosing the right material is not so difficult - you just need to take a flashlight and check how the shadow is transmitted. Then you just need to stretch the fabric onto a frame made of metal or wood. You can start rehearsals.

Theater of hands

The simplest shadow theater is the theater of hands! With their help, you can show different characters, just by folding your fingers in a certain way. You just need to move your fingers - and the bunny will move its ears, the bird will fly, and the crocodile will close its jaw! In addition, you can teach your baby to depict animals using his hands - this will develop his motor skills and spatial thinking!

Paper "actors"

A large number of animal figures are extremely difficult to depict using hands. Shadow theater for children can be diversified with the help of “actors” made of paper. With such figures you can stage complex plays based on fairy tales, fables and short stories. The performance will work if several people read the text (by role), and several more show illustrations of the work on the screen.

To make puppets for a shadow theater, you will need thick cardboard. You can find ready-made templates, or you can use your imagination and creativity and make them yourself. The finished figures need to be painted with black gouache. A shadow theater in a kindergarten can quickly wear out, so you need to laminate all the figures. A wooden stick or drinking straw is glued to the finished characters. It is more convenient to do this with tape.

Be careful - if the doll needs to be guided from below, the stick must also be glued from below. If you want to lead the character from above, then you need to glue the stick on top. For birds and ships, it is better to use fishing line - this will give them special mobility.

Shadow People

Have you made templates of characters, have you played a large number of performances and want something new? Try being an actor yourself! Of course, taming your shadow is not so easy, but the result will exceed all expectations!

It is best to use tight-fitting clothes as a costume for shadow theater actors. For such a robe, it is enough to select one or two characteristic details to create an image. For example, a cardboard sword and crown combined with a fabric cape create the image of a king. And if you replace the crown with a fluffy hat, you will get a brave musketeer!

You have already made a shadow theater, the templates for the fairy tales are ready, the scenery is cut out. How to stage a performance that will not leave anyone indifferent?

Here are some helpful tips:

1. To create a real theatrical atmosphere - mystical and mysterious, you need to dim the lights in the room and drape the seats for the audience with soft fabric. You can even make a real curtain, draw tickets and even have an intermission!
2. In the first performances, it is better not to involve more than two or three characters. Only after having practiced properly should you proceed to more complex pieces.
3. The most advanced puppeteers can use movable figures. You need to attach arms, legs, tails, wings and other movable parts to the body using thin wire. You will also need to glue sticks or straws for drinks to each part.
4. Please note that the actor must be between the screen and the light sources, and the screen must be between the lamps and the audience. During production, lighting fixtures can become very hot, and therefore it is better not to touch them.
5. In order for the shadow on the screen to be as clear as possible, the light should fall directly on the figures or people, and the lamp should not be placed next to the screen.
6. The size of the figures can be adjusted: to make the image smaller, you need to bring the character closer to the screen. And, conversely, you can enlarge the image by placing the figure near the lamp.
7. Making the scenery motionless is also quite simple. You just need to secure them to the screen using tape or buttons.
8. Colored light bulbs or special filters will help you “colorize” the performance. For night scenes, blue is suitable, and for morning scenes, pink or red.

The most popular shadow theater

Shadow theaters are very common in Asia and the Middle East. Most often, epic and folklore scenes are shown on their stages. Shadow productions are popular in the USA, Greece and Czechoslovakia. In Russia, they have not gained much popularity; elements of shadow theater are used only as an addition to productions.

The most popular shadow theater is Javanese. Puppets for the Wayang Kuli theater are still made from buffalo skin. It is processed so that it becomes thinner than paper! Despite this, they are very durable and bright - the figures, stored in one of the German museums, are still in perfect condition, although they are over a thousand years old!

The performances of this theater have a mystical, sacred character. They are not shown for the sake of entertainment - they accompanied important events in the life of both society and the average person!

The performance is performed by a puppeteer called a dalang. His speech is accompanied by a unique orchestra - gamelan. By the way, not everyone can find harmony and beauty in Javanese music.

Do you want to offer your child a new and interesting entertainment? Looking for original ideas? It’s easy enough to make a shadow theater at home with your own hands. You don't need any special equipment or materials. All tools are available. This activity will captivate the child so much that you can turn it into a creative, developmental process.

The principle of organizing the spectacle

Shadow theater is one of the most ancient. Previously, it was available only to the rich, since puppets were created from expensive materials. Subsequently, this entertainment became an exciting children's game. It’s easy to make a shadow theater at home with your own hands. You will need the following:

1. Screen made of white translucent fabric.
2. Directional lamp (regular table lamp).
3. Objects that will act as performers.
4. Scenery.

The screen is hung or placed between the audience and the light source. Figures that cast shadows are placed between the screen and the lamp. The closer the heroes are to the light source, the larger they will become on the “stage”. It is important that your silhouettes do not appear in the rays of the flashlight, otherwise they will also be on the screen.

The objects with which the performance is performed can be figures assembled from objects made of paper and other materials, moving people. In the latter case, more space will be required to organize the theater. In the first and second options, the plane of the table is sufficient.

Your hands are the best artists (schemes)

If the child you are going to entertain is still small, it is enough to use your own palms. This is the easiest way to make a shadow theater with your own hands. Finger interlocking patterns are presented below.

First of all, you will have to practice folding your arms yourself. You can use static figures that will move along the stage. Once this stage is mastered, move on to dynamic characters. Move your fingers, and the bunny's ears will move, the wolf's mouth will open, and the bird will fly, flapping its wings.

If the child was impressed by the action and wanted to try himself as a director and stage director, motivate him, inspire him, praise him for everything he will do. This is a very useful developmental activity, as it improves finger motor skills. If initially the baby doesn’t succeed, don’t be upset. Gradually he will master this technique. Then you can move on to more complex productions with puppets and scenery.

DIY main characters

When finger theater is mastered, start making characters from scrap materials. You will need the following:

• paper or cardboard;
• pencil;
• knife or scissors;
• glue;
• stencils, fabric (optional).

There are two ways to make figurines:

• on sticks;
• on flat bases.

The first option is more convenient because those who will hold them can stay at a distance from them.

This is important so that shadows do not fall on the screen from the players themselves. In the second case, when the figures are rearranged, the hands of the player are visible. However, this option also provides an advantage, which is that the figures can be arranged and remain in a static state without human intervention (they do not need to be held). At this time, another character will move between the standing figures. This is convenient, for example, to build decorations (trees, houses).

If you have decided on the design of the figures, start creating their shapes. The easiest way is to cut them out of paper. Cocktail tubes are suitable as sticks. The shapes can be made solid or openwork, and you can also add fabric decor.

If you need to make many identical objects, it is easier to use stencils, that is, make one shape and then trace them the required number of times. If you have children's craft stencils or any other stencils, use them. They are convenient because they are themed, for example, based on fairy tales. With their help you can easily and quickly make all the characters. You don't need to draw the characters yourself or look for illustration samples. Nowadays it is easy to make figures by printing images on a printer and cutting them out along the contour.

Making decorations

In addition to figurines, you can make objects that will create the atmosphere of a particular location. In this case, doing a shadow theater with your own hands takes longer, but it looks more varied and interesting. It is worth remembering that children are captivated not only by the production itself, but also by participating in the preparation of the performance.

The original idea for creating the scenery and the characters themselves is presented in the photo above. Drawing characters and scenery on (a piece of paper) with black paint is the performance itself. To do this you need, of course, to be able to hold a brush in your hands. The contours of objects can be outlined with thin lines in advance.

Children want to be artists too

Children can create a shadow theater with their own hands, even without the participation of adults. You will be spectators of an impromptu performance. Hang the sheet on the frame, install the lamp. Let the children imitate different movements and imagine themselves

Performance ideas

With the help of such entertainment you can have an interesting time with friends and their children. Put on a show together. If you decide to make a collective shadow theater with your own hands, the fairy tale that will be used as the basis for the script must be selected in advance. In this case, everyone will receive a task about what heroes they should make. This creative process will be very exciting and everyone will enjoy it.

You saw that it is not difficult to make a shadow theater with your own hands. All materials are available, and the process of creating a performance is as interesting as watching the action. This exciting activity will help entertain your baby at home and have fun.

DIY shadow theater in kindergarten

DIY shadow theater. Master class with step-by-step photos

Master Class. Making a manual with your own hands

Lesson topic: Master Class. Shadow theater
Author: Sukhovetskaya Oksana Aleksandrovna, teacher of the speech therapy group of the Child Development Center - kindergarten No. 300 “Ryabinushka”, Novosibirsk.

Description of material: In this master class you will learn how to make a shadow theater. Shadow theater will help children get acquainted with the theater in a fun way, show their imagination, and develop speech activity. This methodological guide will be useful for children of primary and senior preschool age, as well as for school-age children, teachers and parents. The manual can be used both in individual work and in group work. A master class will help prepare this manual.

Material: to create a theater we will need:
- the screen is ready-made (or you can make it yourself, I won’t dwell on this in detail);
- fabric: white (tracing paper can be used), colored for the scenes;
- threads to match the fabric;
- Wilcro tape (linden)
- cocktail straws;
- barbecue sticks (large);
- holniten (rivets);
- fastenings for electrical wires;
- sewing hooks.

Tools for work:
- hammer;
- nails;
- stationery knife (cutter);
- hole punch for belt;
- scissors;
- press for eyelets;
- awl;
- glue gun;
- ruler;
- pencil pen;
- super glue “Moment”;
- sewing machine.
The result of the master class helps:
Stimulate children and their initiative in theatrical activities.
Develop imagination, creative abilities, develop the articulatory apparatus. To form in children a persistent interest in theatrical activities, a desire to participate in a common action, to encourage children to actively interact and communicate, teaches them to be able to communicate with peers and adults in various situations, to develop speech and the ability to actively build dialogue. Develop play behavior, aesthetic feelings, and the ability to be creative in any task.

“The theater is a magical world.
He gives lessons in beauty, morality
and morality.
And the richer they are, the more successful they are.
the spiritual world is developing
children..."
(B.M. Teplov)

"Magic land!" - this is what the great Russian poet A.S. Pushkin once called the theater. The feelings of the great poet are shared by both adults and children who have come into contact with this amazing form of art.

A special role belongs to the theater in solving problems related to the upbringing and development of a preschool child. Through theatrical and playful creativity, we can develop children’s emotional responsiveness, intellectuality, and develop children’s communication skills, artistry, and speech activity.

In the daily life of a kindergarten, teachers use various types of theaters: bibabo, finger theater, tabletop, planar (flannelgraph or magnetic board), puppet theater, book theater, mask theater, etc.

I want to tell and show how to make a complex and at the same time very interesting shadow theater.

Shadow theater is an ancient theater. Since time immemorial, shadow paintings have been shown in India, China, Java and Turkey on the street at night under the light of an oil lamp.

Props, which is required for this theater: a light source (for example, a headlamp, a table lamp, a filmoscope), a screen with a white screen, silhouette puppets on sticks.

At the first stage of work, to make silhouettes, we need the following: a stationery knife (cutter), scissors, a hole punch for a belt, a press for eyelets, rivets (rivets)

Silhouettes can be prepared on the computer or drawn yourself. I found ideas for silhouettes on the Internet, printed them on regular A4 sheets

Then we paste the printed silhouettes onto black paper. I immediately prepared silhouettes of the characters and scenery.

Now these silhouettes need to be cut out. We cut out small internal details using a stationery knife, and cut out the silhouettes themselves with scissors.

To prevent the silhouettes from bending, I laminated them. If this is not possible, you can use thick cardboard to stiffen the figures.

The next step is to cut out the already laminated double-sided silhouettes.

Since I really wanted the characters (silhouettes) to have movable elements (for example, they could walk), I made separate elements for the silhouettes: arms, paws, legs.
To set them in motion, the parts must be fastened in a certain way. Both wire and threads with knots at the ends are suitable for fastening. But I wanted some grace, or something. Therefore, I connected the parts using a belt hole punch and rivets.

Using a hole punch for the belt, I punched even holes in the fastening points, choosing a diameter such that the rivets would not fly out and would move freely. Previously, in the places of fastening, I marked out points with an awl, aligning the paws so that in the future they would not warp. Then I used a grommet press to connect the rivets (this press was the right size for the rivets).

Now you need to attach the sticks to the figures, by which the puppeteers will hold them. It is important to me that the theater is compact. Therefore, my sticks will be removable. The sticks that the silhouettes will use are barbecue sticks. Wooden, round in shape.. We match these sticks to the size of corrugated cocktail tubes. It is very important that the sticks in the tubes do not dangle, but sit very tightly. And we need a glue gun to secure it.

Using scissors, cut off the part with the corrugation (accordion) from the tube, leaving 1.5 cm uncorrugated ends

Using a glue gun I will attach the tubes to the silhouettes. There are two mounting options: horizontal (with corrugation) see on the wolf; vertical (just a piece of tube 2 cm) see on a pig.

To understand in the future which fastenings will be convenient for you, insert the sticks into the tubes.

Try to move the silhouettes, play with them. In principle, I liked both mounts. At the same time, I realized for which silhouettes I would use only vertical fastening, and for which I would use horizontal fastening.

The silhouette figures are ready. Now let's do the decorations. We had already prepared the base when we glued the silhouettes of the scenery onto black paper, cut it out, laminated it and cut it out again. Now we need to strengthen the silhouettes and at the same time make a system for attaching to the screen. We glue barbecue sticks to the silhouettes using a glue gun with the pointed end down.

In order to fully take advantage of our prepared silhouettes, let’s prepare the screen. Luckily for me, our group had such a screen.

We will make the main design changes inside the screen

We need simple tools:

On the bottom strip of the window we will mark places for plastic fasteners.

Let's fasten the plastic fasteners with nails (these fasteners are usually used by electricians to secure wires to the walls), and at the same time we'll try on how the decoration sticks will fit in. The fasteners must be firmly fixed and not loose, otherwise all our decorations will not be positioned correctly.

We attach sewing hooks to the top strip of the window using Moment super glue. We need them to place on them such decorations as clouds, sun, moon, birds. We attach Vilcro tape (linden) under the hooks. It is better to attach it to a furniture stapler so that it does not come off.

On the bottom bar above the fastenings for decorations, we also fix the Vilcro tape.

From the outside it all even looks interesting. The versatility of the manipulations is that all these fasteners can be used not only for shadow theater, but also for performing any other puppet show.

We will attach the white screen to the Vilcro tape. We will make the screen from a piece of white calico. Using a measuring tape, measure the width and height of the window. (instead of fabric, you can use tracing paper, unfortunately, it is less reliable)

Cut out a rectangular piece and carefully trim the edges. We will sew vilcro tape on the top and bottom - its second half.

Now the screen can be placed on the screen. It will be held taut by the Vilcro tape.

Outwardly, the screen now seemed boring to me. So I decided to transform it. Curtain curtains will decorate our theater.

Let's sew a lambrequin from a narrow rectangular strip of fabric. The lambrequin will cover the top crossbar of the window.

From rectangles with processed edges you will get a curtain in two parts. Both sides can be assembled. You can make a removable fibula so that the curtain can completely cover the window or be open without obstruction.
I covered the bottom of the screen with self-adhesive film to match our curtain.

For comparison: what was and what has become