Description
Book SynopsisWayang kulit, or shadow puppetry, connects a mythic past to the present through public ritual performance and is one of most important performance traditions in Bali. The
dalang, or puppeteer, is revered in Balinese society as a teacher and spiritual leader.
Trade Review“Goodlander presents an intimate, detailed account of her studies to become a dalang, contextualizing her experiences with those of the few Balinese women dalangs. She contends that this incursion must ultimately be perceived within the gendered power systems of Balinese culture. Summing up: Recommended.” * CHOICE *
“[
Women in the Shadows] is an exceptional and very personal work filled with rich insights on ritual process, wayang narratives, puppet characters, and Balinese culture in general. Goodlander has produced a short, though substantial, work that is unique in approach, interpretation, and content, enhanced by her own immersion experience.” * Journal of Global South Studies *
“The question of what impact women performing the
wayang kulit has on gender dynamics in Balinese society is satisfyingly answered by the thoughtfully considered and richly informed analysis that permeates this book…[addressing] performance innovations that seemingly disrupt centuries of tradition yet equally gratify the desire for novelty— and, in doing so, much is revealed about the nature of transformation, balance, gender, and culture in Bali.” * Theatre Survey *
“This groundbreaking study explores the unusual position of a handful of women
dalang (puppeteers) in Bali, including Goodlander herself…Professor Goodlander’s knowledge, experience, and caring for her subject matter comes through on every page.” * Puppetry International *
“Jennifer Goodlander’s book is an important contribution to our understanding of the Balinese wayang kulit. It provides readers with valuable insights into the remarkable experience of one foreign woman who trained and was consecrated to perform the wayang kulit and expecially of the controversy which continues to surround the practice of Balinese women as dalang.” * Archipel *
“Jennifer Goodlander offers a detail-rich, evocative, and insightful account of her practical studies of Balinese wayang kulit, situating her own training in relation to the small group of Balinese women who have performed as puppeteers over the last four decades.”
