“Scene of Souls in Hell” (19th century), donkey skin; Shaanxi, China (all images courtesy Museu do Oriente) LISBON — Asian shadow theater is catnip for those with energetic imaginations. Its ...

Joe Barlow dropped in on Ballet Austin to get a sneak peak at the Magic Flute. Originally an opera by Mozart, it is a classic love tale with lot’s of jokes along the way. The Magic Flute is about a ...

Centuries before haunted house attractions or horror films, audiences thrilled to magic lantern shows. Also known as phantasmagorias, these performances featured hand-painted glass slides illuminated ...

A 6-inch puppet placed the right distance from a screen can create a 6-foot or 16-foot shadow with some powerful flashlights. One delightful thing is how something small can create a large ...

My brush was tiny, more like something you’d use for nail polish. That was apt because I was struggling to paint the toenails of my dragon shadow puppet. Dipping the silken brush into a pot of ...