-Presently we are designing a large new set of puppets and some installation related pieces. We are also looking for individuals interested in joining us. If you are in the area and interested, please send us a message
Stills from Former Productions
The Shadow Theatre of Anaphoria in association with Geoffrey Sykes presents the first Australian performances
THE QUIET EROW [REDUX]
starring
Kraig Grady [director], Seth Harris, Mark Kennedy, Friederike Krishnabhakdi-Vasilakis, Hamish Lane, Terumi
Narushima
Fri and Sat. 8pm Oct 9 &10, 16 &17, 2009
at the Bushland Chapel 94 Parkes Street Helensburgh
The Story of an Anaphorian Prenatal "Robin Hood"
pics from the 2005 production
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Some Untouched Images from
THE PILGRIMAGE OF MIRRORS
THE FOLLIES OF DR. PLACEBO:
A Shadow Play w/o Dialog Inquiring into Future Healing Gone Awry
Starring Jason Bagley, Erin
Barnes, Cory Beers,
Kraig Grady, Sophia Grady, Roger Mexico, Laura
McMurray, Ben Rojas
Amy Pigg, Spencer Savage, Neil Starrett, Tara
Tavi, and Amy Wolkins
THE FOLLY BOWL. ALTADENA (LOS ANGELES)
SAT MAY 26 & SUN MAY
27. 2007 8:30pm
1601 East Loma Alta
Dr. Altadena, CA 91001
THE PILGRIMAGE OF MIRRORS:
A Non-Linear Realization of The Reincarnation of Dreams
Starring
Jason Bagley, Erin
Barnes,
Kraig Grady (Main Director), Sophia Grady,
Roger Mexico (Theatrical
Director, Neil Starrett,
THE FOUND THEATER ( LONG BEACH) June 17-18, 24-25 8:00
599 Long Beach Blvd. at 6th St. Long Beach .
reservations 562-433-3363
Premiered at
THE FOLLY BOWL. ALTADENA
(LOS ANGELES)
SAT MAY 27 & SUN MAY
28. 2006 8:30pm
1601 East Loma Alta
Dr. Altadena, CA 91001
general info: 323 258 3260
Some Untouched Images were shown at top
THE QUIET EROW
The Story of an Anaphorian Prenatal "Robin Hood"
Starring
Erika Anderson,
Erin
Barnes,
Kraig Grady (Main Director), Rebekah Greely,
Roger Mexico (Theatrical
Director), Jonathan Silberman, and Tara Tavi
NEW LANGTON ARTS. SAN
FRANCISCO MAY 13-14. 2005 8pm
THE FOLLY BOWL. ALTADENA (LOS ANGELES) MAY 21-22. 2005
8:30pm
FRENZY AT THE ROYAL THRESHOLD
The Legend Behind Anaphoria's Most Famous
Marriage
starring and assembled by
Erin Barnes, Owen Chase,
Kraig Grady (Main Director), Rebekah Greely, Roger Mexico (Theatrical
Director), and Tara Tavi (as the Princess)
46 North Los Robles. Pasadena. CA
Saturday and Sunday .
May 15 & 16 8:00 pm
Pictures from FRENZY AT THE ROYAL THRESHOLD at the Norton Simon Museum of Art, Pasadena CA. Oct 24, 2003 starring and assembled by Whitney Arnold, Erin Barnes, Geoffrey Brandin, Kraig Grady, Lyndsay Griffin, Roger Mexico and Rick Potts
Pictures from
THE STOLEN STARS
Starring Whitney Arnold,
Erin
Barnes, Geoffrey Brandin,
Kraig Grady, Tim Ottman, Rick Potts, and Rainbow Underhil
Black Cat Gallery, Culver City May
23, 24, 25, 31 & June 1, 2003
Pictures from
THEIR
VENTURE
BEYOND THEIR HORIZONS
An Anaphorian Shadow Play written
by
Isafa
Starring Erin Barnes, Geoff Brandin, Kraig
Grady, Rainbow Underhill,
and Roger Mexico
Saturday
May 18 2002
Pacific Asia Museum, Pasadena
Pictures from
HER STIRRING STONE
A Mythical Journey in
Search
of a Lost Object
Starring Erin Barnes, Kraig Grady,
Johnathan
Marmor, Roger Mexico, Quentin Tolimieri, Rainbow Underhill
HollyMatter
Art
Gallery
May 4 & 5 2001
EARLIER PRODUCTIONS
TEN BLACK EYE was presented at Stella Adler Theater Oct. 27, 1996 and was Assembled by Kraig Grady, Roger Mexico, Brad Smith, and
Yelena Tokman.
The title TEN
BLACK EYE comes
from the Anaphorian word, ten, the word for shadow, and Black Eye the
translation
of the word Fum, a character found in these stories. Mt. Meru is the
holiest
of mountains as well as a divine mathematical sequence.
TEN BLACK EYE is an
exposition
into some
of
the
fundamental
beliefs behind the medium of the shadow play. The shadow world is
understood
as an intermediary world between the living and the dead. The
characters
Prince and Fum examine their paths to truth.
TEN BLACK EYE II was presented at the Pacific Asia Museum Nov. 8 1997, and was assembled by Kraig Grady, Laura McMurray, Roger Mexico, Laura Pedretti, Genee Pytlewski, and Joe Seely.
Some
notes concerning BLACK EYE
MERU, HER
STIRRING
STONE and
THEIR
VENTURE
BEYOND THEIR HORIZONS
In
recent years , The shadow
play
has
experienced
an explosion of new works. One dominant force has been the playwright
known
as Isafa. There is a mystery that clouds the identity of this
individual. Only through selected puppet masters, sworn to secrecy, have these
plays
been made public. Rumors have varied from Isafa being a woman of
notoriety to Isafa being a collective endeavor. All these rumors have
to
be looked at as just that-rumors. The unique style though points toward
a remarkable individual of unique vision. As opposed to a strong
narrative,
Isafa presents us with a labyrinth of signposts. Although
linear,
Isafa's devices have a way of potentiating our own personal
interpretations.
BLACK EYE MERU -
A work in progress version of
BLACK EYE MERU was
presented
at Glaxa Studios Oct. 25 1998 and was assembled by Erin Barnes, Geoff
Brandin,
Kraig Grady, Ryan Hildebrand, Roger Mexico and Angela Sanderson.
BLACK EYE MERU was
premiered at
Villa
Aurora
Sept.
24,
1999 and was assembled by Erin Barnes, Geoff Brandin, Kraig Grady,
Rebekah
Greely, and Roger Mexico
THE ANAPHORIAN SHADOW THEATER IN NORTH AMERICA
The traditional belief in states that the
movement of
evil
forces
is said to be the cause of earthquakes. This tradition also states that
there
are special cases, as when they coincide with religious artifacts in
transit.
Here it is believed that the evil forces are fleeing the powers
imbedded
in these sacred objects. To remove them would only allow these evil
forces
to return. The custom has been to permanently house these artifacts at
an appropriate location in the region to prevent these evil forces.
That
the first arrival of the sacred artifacts of the Shadow Theatre
coincided
with the Northridge Earthquake, it was realized that these artifacts of
the Shadow Theater would have to stay. See Statement
of Purpose.
HISTORY
The Anaphorian shadow play owes a great part of its development to the immigrants and exiles coming from such diverse regions as Indonesia, India, Turkey, and Greece. These rich traditions served as a further inspiration to an already growing art form. Anaphorian shadow plays have developed beyond a mere synthesis of influences into a creation of their own unique theater. Legend states that Prince Mita on the death of his bride enshrined her image in shadow. It was under his great patronage that the shadow play blossomed establishing such classics as "The Three Frivolous Battles" Throughout history these traditional epics have been augmented with explosions of new myths and stories. In recent years, stories of film origin have found their way into the shadow theater. This is surprising since film has never gotten a hold beyond a limited audience despite the international recognition of more than a few of its filmmakers. The great popularity of shadow theater can be illustrated by the fact that time and time again the great Anaphorian filmmakers have returned to the shadow theater bringing with it a new inspiration as well as a renewed respect. The Shadow Play, Ten Black Eye represents this new tradition that remains informed by combinations of past, present and its own future.
PRACTICE
The mixture and superposition of cultural influences have nurtured a shadow theater that transcends being a mere conglomerate. Historically, due to its patronage, this theater has been able to afford the luxury of larger ensembles. There is a trend toward the dispensing of the walls between the playing of music and the operation of puppets with those behind the screen producing shadows one moment and playing music the next. There is no fast and set rule though with some participating in one function. The polytheistic beliefs of the shadow troupes make the symbology of "multiple sources of light and shadow" meaningful. The result being the adoption of controllable electric light to separate parts of the screen and characters. This practice allows much of the screen at times to remain dark offending members of the older schools fearing a dominance of the dark forces. These opponents on the other hand recognize a marked difference between a darkness of evil and a darkness as "a basis of possible vibrations" and well as a symbol of "the vast unknown".
MUSIC
The music of the shadow play has a unique history. in the late nineteenth century, there occurred on our island what is known as the Great Missionary Expulsion. As a result, many western instruments were abandoned by their owners. For years they remained neglected. At one point, an instrument builder from Lipari realized that the reed organs could be retuned to a slendro-like scale and proceeded to do so. Very pleased with the sound, he spread the word. At first, the tuning was comprised of two sets of pentatonics, one slightly higher than the other. After some time they found that if they took the traditional Slendro scale and utilized a version derived from a 4,000 year old diagram known in India as Meru Prastara, the two remaining tones could be tuned as one of the scales implied by the diagram, thereby using all 12 retuned tones on the western instruments. Some attempts were made with pelog-like scales,but forming cycles of 5,7,9 or 14 tones did not fill out instruments with a 12 pitch cycle. Soon a whole array of retuned instruments emerged, deceptively looking like their western counterparts but bearing no resemblance in sound.
