Larry Reed
Born
Larry Reed

(1944-06-21)June 21, 1944
Los Angeles, California
Alma materYale University (1965) San Francisco Art Institute (MFA.,1971)
Occupations
  • Puppeteer
  • animator
  • actor
  • inventor
  • composer
  • filmmaker
  • screenwriter
Board member ofShadowLight Productions

Larry Reed is a shadow puppeteer. Reed is one of the first westerners to train in traditional Balinese shadow theatre and is considered a Dalang, or shadow master. He first began studying in San Francisco Art Institute before moving to study in Bali in the 1970s. Reed founded the company Shadow Light Productions[1] to expose the general public to shadow theater and has created many original works while collaborating with others. Reed was born in Los Angeles, California but lived most of his life in San Francisco, California.[2]

Biography

Early life

Larry Reed was born on June 21, 1944, in Los Angeles, California. He studied French Theater at Yale University in 1965. He was a Theater Director for Costa Rica University and Nation Theaters in 1966 before getting his Master of Fine Arts at San Francisco Art Institute. In the 1970s, Reed traveled to Bali to learn and was instructed to study the music first. He travelled back to San Francisco and joined the American Association for Eastern Arts, now known as the Center for World Music. The American Association for Eastern Arts was founded in 1963 in San Francisco by Samuel and Luise Scripps with Balasaraswati and Ali Akbar Khan as its first two artist-teachers.[3]

ShadowLight Productions

In 1972, Larry Reed founded ShadowLight Productions. The goal of starting this company was to expose the general public to shadow theatre. Reed began expanding his works and integrating traditional shadow theatre techniques with modern theater and style to better connect with an American audience. Live animation films were produced using shadows and performed behind 15’ x 30’ screens. Each show had puppets, actors, and cutouts illuminated by multiple light sources to create effects live on stage. In the 1990s, Reed invented an ingenious way of casting shadows. It integrated techniques from cinema, modern theatre and dance. He invented a mask that allowed the performers to see their own shadow. In the century old tradition, shows done by shadow masters were often done alone using an open flame as a light source. ShadowLight Productions had a crew of actors with live music played by musicians.[4][5]

Major works

Shadow Master(1979)

Shadow Master is a documentary directed by Larry Reed that has been shown on both PBS and the Discovery Channel. It is about a family of performers in Bali. It shows an inside view of Balinese life which includes cultural context on theater, music, and dance on the island. The film takes course over two years with Reed living and studying with a dalang, I Wayan Wija, and his extended family.[6]

In Xanadu(1993-1997)

In Xanadu is a Mongolian fantasy written by Zara Housbmand and Larry Reed. The fantasy is about Kubilai Khan and his wife, Chabui, who were inseparable partners. The film includes techniques from Tibetan, Chinese, and Indonesian theater techniques. In Xanadu was featured at the 1997 Henson International Festival of Puppetry in New York City and the Spoleto/USA Festival in Charleston, SC. The film was awarded UNIMA-USA Citation for Excellence, puppetry's highest award.[7][8][9]

The Wild Party(1995-1996)

The Wild Party is shadow theater work by Larry Reed, based on the poem by Joseph Moncure March written in 1926.It includes jazz music from Bruce Forman. The poem is about two vaudeville performers, Queenie and Burt, who lead an edgy and decadent life. They throw a party for their friend which leads to an evening with alcohol, drugs, and sex. The film uses firm terminology with modern shadow techniques from the ancient Asian art form.[10]

Mayadanawa(1996)

This is the first ShadowLight giant screen shadow production by Larry Reed, Jaime Kibben, and Nyoman Catra. Created in Bali, musicians, dancers, and shadow casters from the village of Pengosekan, Ubud, performed in the 1996 Walter Spies Festival. The film tells a tale of a powerful demon, Mayadanawa, who demands Balinese people to only worship him. Because he creates havoc among the people, they appeal to Indra, king of all gods, to chase him away.[6]

Ambrosia of Immortality(1998)

Ambrosia of Immortality or Thirtha Amertha is from the Mahabharata, the great Hindu myth cycle interpreted by Larry Reed and renowned Balinese puppeteer, Wayan Wija. the story is about Hindu culture, about a story of the gods’ coming of age and gaining immortality and rising above the world of demons. The gods have it all and are at war against the demons who want it back. Together they churn the Milky Ocean to create the elixir of immortality but struggle on who gets possession of the powerful ambrosia of immortality.[11]

Coyote's Journey(2000-2001)

Coyote's Journey is a traditional Native California Karuk tale told through shadow theatre. The performance uses both Karuk and English story telling. It features a Karuk elder, “Red Hawk” Thom, a hereditary ceremonial leader, spiritual teacher, and storyteller. The show shows Coyote's adventure and his initiation into the ways of the world.[12]

7 Visions(2002)

7 Visions is written by Octavio Solis, an award-winning playwright and directed by Larry Reed. It explores the roots of Latino heritage and celebrates the Mexican holiday Dia de los Muertos, the Day of the Dead. It has music from Richard Marriot, performed by Cascada de Flores, and is designed by Victor Cartagena. On a mission called Dolores, a man named Encarnacion is confronted by his future self, an irreverent skeleton, or calaca which leads Encarnacion on a vision quest of self-discovery.[13]

Monkey King At Spider Cave(2006-2007)

Monkey King at Spider Cave, directed by Larry Reed & Chia-yin Cheng, is performed by both American and Taiwanese artists. Monkey King at Spider Cave is inspired by, Journey of the West, published in the 16th century during the Ming Dynasty. Journey to the West is very popular in operas and cartoons throughout Asia. In this film, a Buddhist High Priest and his animal disciples go on a quest to bring Buddhist Scriptures to China. They are endangered by mythical demons and monsters such as the demonic spider women and an evil alchemist.[14][15]

Filmography

Title Year Role
Conquest of Mexico 1986 Original Shadow Theatre Works
Dream Shadows[16] 1991 Original Shadow Theatre Works
The Wild Party[10] 1995 Original Shadow Theatre Works
Sidha Karya[17] 1995 Original Shadow Theatre Works
Mayadanawa[6] 1996 Original Shadow Theatre Works
In Xanadu[18] 1997 Original Shadow Theatre Works
Wayang Listrik[19] 1998 Original Shadow Theatre Works
Coyote's Journey[12] 2000 Original Shadow Theatre Works
Kawit Legong[20] 2001 Original Shadow Theatre Works
7 Visions[13] 2002 Original Shadow Theatre Works
A (Balinese) Tempest[21] 2005 Original Shadow Theatre Works
Ghosts of the River[22] 2009 Original Shadow Theatre Works
The Good-for-Nothing Lover[23] 2010 Original Shadow Theatre Works
Poro Oyna: Legend of Ainu Rakkur[24] 2012 Original Shadow Theatre Works
Poro Oyna: The Myth of the Aynu[24] 2014 Original Shadow Theatre Works
In Visible Light Cinna: The Clemency of Augustus[25] 2017 Original Shadow Theatre Works
Shadows for Carlos Villa[26] 2020 Original Shadow Theatre Works
Drupadi[27] 2020 Original Shadow Theatre Works
Shadows for Carlos Villa[26] 2020 Co-director
Dewi Sri[28] 2019 Director
The Dark Light[29] 2019 Director
In Visible Light[30][31] 2017 Director
The Science Fiction Project 1&2[32] 2016 Director Shadow Sequences
Feathers of Fire[33] 2015 Collaborator
Finding KUKAN[23] 2015 Director Shadow Sequences
Butterfly Lovers 2014 Director
Bandung Project 2013 Director
Jana and Baladoor[34] 2012 Director Shadow Sequences
Magic Flute[35] 2011 Director Shadow Sequences
Silk Road[36] 2007 Director Shadow Sequences
We are All In this Together 2007 Consultant
Ethnic Dance Festival[37] 2007 Director Shadow Sequences
Ain’t Necessarily So[38] 2001 Shadow Effects Design
Whale 1999 Shadow Effects Design
Power of Saturn 1999 Shadow Effects Design
Blood Wine, Blood Wedding[39] 1997 Shadow Effects Design
Ramayana 2007 Consultant
The Tempest[40] 1996 Shadow Effects Design
Bima's Journey[41] 1994 Director
Pan 1992 Shadow Effects Design
MahabharAnta 1992 Shadow Effects Design
Orfeo[42] 1990 Shadow Design
Body Cak 1990 Projection Design
A (Balinese) Tempest[21] 2020 Producer, director
Ghosts of the River[22] 2013 Producer, director
Kawit Legong[20] 2012 Producer
On Wayang[43] 2011 Producer, director
Monkey King at Spider Cave[44] 2009 Producer, director, Original Shadow Theatre Works
Mayadanawa[6] 2007 Producer, director
Explorations of the Shadow World[43] 2006 Producer, director
Shadow Master[6] 1982 Producer, director

Awards and honors

Award Year
Isadora Duncan Dance Award for Visual Design Nomination (The Good-for-Nothing Lover)[45] 2011
UNIMA Citation for Excellence (Wayang Listrik)[7] 1998
Top 50 Artists of the San Francisco Bay Area 1995-1996
UNIMA Citation for Excellence (In Xanadu)[7] 1993
National Theater Translation Fund to translate Balinese Wayang 1992
Balinese Shadow Theater representative, Indonesian National Shadow Theater Festival 1989
The John D Rockefeller 3rd Fund - Shadow Master 1978

References

  1. ↑ "ShadowLight Productions". ShadowLight Productions.
  2. ↑ "Interview: Shadow puppeteer Larry Reed" – via soundcloud.com.
  3. ↑ "Reunion Celebrates World Music Anniversaries By GRAEME VANDERSTOEL Special to the Planet. Category: Features from The Berkeley Daily Planet". www.berkeleydailyplanet.com.
  4. ↑ "About". ShadowLight Productions.
  5. ↑ "Behind the Scenes at a Shadow Theater". Christian Science Monitor. October 27, 1998.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 http://www.aems.illinois.edu/downloads/Fall2009.pdf
  7. 1 2 3 "45 Years of Citations". UNIMA-USA.
  8. ↑ "In Xanadu". ShadowLight Productions.
  9. ↑ Harvey, Dennis (November 14, 1994). "In Xanadu".
  10. 1 2 Harvey, Dennis (August 7, 1995). "The Wild Party".
  11. ↑ The ambrosia of immortality. June 2, 2006. OCLC 123365291.
  12. 1 2 Harvey, Dennis (January 2, 2001). "Tales from Native California: Coyote's Journey".
  13. 1 2 Hurwitt, Robert (October 29, 2002). "Latino history dances, frolics in '7 Visions' / Dia de los Muertos shadow play at Brava". SFGATE.
  14. ↑ https://static1.squarespace.com/static/577ec80b3e00bed0c80a8abe/t/5797e2749f74561c99d0f899/1469571701106/Monkey+KingSFBayTimes+copy.pdf
  15. ↑ "Monkey King At Spider Cave". ShadowLight Productions.
  16. ↑ "Evolution of a Shadow Master". UNIMA-USA.
  17. ↑ Berata, I. Dewa Putu; Catra, I. Nyoman; Susilo, Emiko Saraswati; Reed, C. L; Cowell Theater (San Francisco, Calif.); Sekar Jaya (Musical group); ShadowLight Productions (Firm) (1994), Sidha Karya, San Francisco, Ca.: ShadowLight Productions, OCLC 42940092, retrieved 2021-07-26
  18. ↑ "In Xanadu". 14 November 1994.
  19. ↑ https://static1.squarespace.com/static/577ec80b3e00bed0c80a8abe/t/5797e85fd482e9ef487ac664/1469573215625/guardianWL.jpg
  20. 1 2 "Spreading moral messages in modern-day 'wayang'". The Jakarta Post.
  21. 1 2 "A (Balinese) Tempest" (Playbill). University of Hawaii. 2008. hdl:10125/57901.
  22. 1 2 "Ghosts of the River: Out of the Shadows". 11 July 2014.
  23. 1 2 "Shadowlight Productions Begins Collaboration with FIINDING KUKAN | Finding KUKAN". 2012-05-06. Retrieved 2021-07-26.
  24. 1 2 "In light and shadow".
  25. ↑ https://sfbapg.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/May-2017-Newsletter.pdf
  26. 1 2 https://education.asianart.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2020/05/Carlos-Villa-Teacher-Packet_reduced.pdf
  27. ↑ "Drupadi". ShadowLight Productions. 14 March 2020.
  28. ↑ "Kisah Larry Reed, Sutradara dan Seniman Asal Amerika yang Jatuh Cinta Pada Wayang". 19 November 2019.
  29. ↑ "The Dark Light". 飛人集社劇團 Flying Group Theatre. Retrieved 2021-07-26.
  30. ↑ "In Visible Light".
  31. ↑ "San Francisco International Arts Festival".
  32. ↑ "Science Fiction Project: Installment 1 + 2".
  33. ↑ "Feathers of Fire | A Persian Epic Shadow Play For All Ages". Kingorama.
  34. ↑ "AROUND AND ABOUT THEATER: Iranian Playwright & Director Bahram Bazai, St. Marks Playreading, A Folkie Bard On Disk .... Category: Arts & Events from The Berkeley Daily Planet". www.berkeleydailyplanet.com.
  35. ↑ "THE MAGIC FLUTE". STEPHEN MILLS. 2018-10-01. Retrieved 2021-07-26.
  36. ↑ "Take a stroll down the Silk Road in Taipei - Taipei Times". 16 March 2007.
  37. ↑ "Original Works".
  38. ↑ "Larry Reed". 12 July 2016.
  39. ↑ "Blood Wedding".
  40. ↑ "The Tempest at American Conservatory Theater Geary Theater 1996". www.abouttheartists.com.
  41. ↑ "National Gallery - Search the Collection". searchthecollection.nga.gov.au.
  42. ↑ "OPERA REVIEW : Music Center Borrows a Jumbled 'Orfeo'". Los Angeles Times. 5 October 1990.
  43. 1 2 "On wayang: My life with shadows". 2011.
  44. ↑ "Monkey King at Spider Cave = Xi you ji". 2009.
  45. ↑ "2011".
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