TheShadowShow皮影戏皮影，又称灯影，以在灯光照射下用兽皮刻制的人物隔亮布演戏而得名，是我国民间广为流传的http://www.zidir.com/html/yylwl/wyfy/傀儡戏之一。TheshadowshoworleathersilhouetteplayisatypeofdramawhichhasitsrootsinChina.LegendhasitthatEmperorWudi(156—87B.C.)oftheWesternHanwasdepressedwiththedeathofhisfavouriteconcubineLadyLi.Tohelphimgetoverthesadness,anoccultistsculpturedawoodenfigureinthelikenessoftheladyandprojecteditsshadowonacurtainfortheemperortosee,bringinghimconsolationwiththebeliefthattheshadowwasherspirit.Thishasbeenthoughttobethebeginningoftheshadowshow.Today’sshadowpuppetsaremadeofleatherinsteadofwoodforthesimplereasonthatleatherismuchlighter,easiertomanipulateandcarryround.Theprocessformakingthepuppetsisasfollows:Sheepordonkeyskinwithhairremovediscleanedandtreatedchemicallytobecomethinenoughtobetranslucent.Coatedwithtungoilanddried,itiscarvedintovariouspartsofdramaticfigured.Thetrunk,headandlimbsofapuppetareseparatelysothateachpartmaybemanipulatedbyoperatortosimulatehumanmovements.Theleatherpuppetsarepaintedwithvariouscolorstoshowtheirdifferentqualities—kindorwicked,beautifulorurly.Duringtheperformance,the“actors”areheldclosetoawhitecurtainwiththeircoloredshadowscastonitbyastronglightfrombehind.Movedbyguidingsticks,theyplaytherolesorsingingdonebytheoperators.Theplayscanbequitedramaticand,whenitcomestofairytalesorkungfustories,the“actors”maybemadetorideoncloudsorperformunusualfeats,tothegreatenjoymentoftheaudience,especiallychildren.TheshadowshowbecamequitepopularasearlyastheSongDynasty(960—1279)whenholidaysweremarkedbythepresentationofmanyshadowplays.DuringtheMingDynasty(1368—1644),therewere40to50shadowtroupesinthecityofBeijingalone.Inthe13thcenturytheshadowshowbecamearegularrecreationinthebarracksoftheMongoliantroops.ItwasspreadbytheconqueringMongolstodistantcountrieslikePersia,ArabiaandTurkey.Later,itwasintroducedtoSoutheasternAsiancountries,too.TheshowbegantospreadtoEuropeinthemid-18thcentury,whenFrenchmissionariestoChinatookitbacktoFrancein1767andputonperformancesinParisand