# Larry Reed (puppeteer)

Larry Reed (born June 21, 1944) is an American shadow puppeteer. He is among the earliest Western artists to have trained in traditional Balinese shadow theater and is considered a Dalang or Shadow Master.

## Biography
### Early life

Larry Reed was born on June 21, 1944, in Los Angeles, California. In 1965, he studied French theater at Yale University. The following year, he worked as a theater director for Costa Rica University and National Theaters before getting his Master of Fine Arts at the San Francisco Art Institute.
In the 1970s, Reed traveled to Bali to study traditional shadow puppetry and was instructed to first learn the accompanying music. He traveled 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.

### ShadowLight Productions

In 1972, Reed founded ShadowLight Productions with the goal of introducing shadow theater to a wider audience. Reed began expanding his works by integrating traditional shadow theater techniques with modern theater and style to better connect with an American audience. Live animation films were produced using shadows and performed behind 15 by 30 feet (4.6 m × 9.1 m) screens. Each show used puppets, actors, and cutouts illuminated by multiple light sources for live effects. In the 1990s, Reeddeveloped an innovative method of casting shadows. It integrated techniques from cinema, modern theater, and dance. He invented a mask that allowed the performers to see their own shadows. In the century-old tradition, shadow masters typically performed solo, using an open flame as a light source for their shows. ShadowLight Productions had a crew of actors with live music played by musicians.

## Major works
### Shadow Master (1979)

Shadow Master is a documentary directed by 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 place over two years with Reed living and studying with a dalang, I Wayan Wija, and his extended family.

### In Xanadu (1993–1997)

In Xanadu is a Mongolian fantasy written by Zara Housbmand and Reed. The fantasy follows 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 the UNIMA-USA Citation for Excellence, puppetry's highest award.

### The Wild Party (1995–1996)

The Wild Party is a shadow theater work by Reed, based on the poem by Joseph Moncure March written in 1926. It includes jazz music from Bruce Forman. The poem centers on two vaudeville performers, Queenie and Burt, who lead an daring and decadent lifestyle. They host a party for their friend, which leads to an evening filled with alcohol, drugs, and sex. The film integrates modern shadow techniques with traditional Asian shadow theater.

### Mayadanawa (1996)

This is the first Shadow Light giant screen shadow production by 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 the 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.

### Ambrosia of Immortality (1998)

Ambrosia of Immortality, or Thirtha Amertha, is from the Mahabharata, the great Hindu myth cycle interpreted by Reed and renowned Balinese puppeteer, Wayan Wija. The story is about Hindu culture, focusing on a story of the gods' coming of age, gaining immortality, and rising above the world of demons. The gods possess immense power and engage in war against demons who seek to reclaim it. Together they churn the Milky Ocean to create the elixir of immortality but struggle over who will possess the powerful ambrosia of immortality.

### Coyote's Journey (2000–2001)

Coyote's Journey is a traditional Native California Karuk tale told through shadow theater. 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.

### 7 Visions (2002)

7 Visions is written by Octavio Solis, an award-winning playwright and directed by 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.

### Monkey King at Spider Cave (2006–2007)

Monkey King at Spider Cave, directed by Reed and Chia-yin Cheng, is performed by both American and Taiwanese artists. It is inspired by Journey of the West, a 16th-century novel from the Ming Dynasty. The story follows a Buddhist High Priest and his animal disciples on a quest to retrieve Buddhist Scriptures for China, while facing mythical demons and monsters including the demonic spider women and an evil alchemist. Journey to the West remains popular in operas and cartoons across Asia.

## Filmography

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