Karagiozis Shadow Theater in Cyprus
The origin of Karagiozis
Shadow theater is a traditional technic that began in ancient times. The first story known that makes reference to shadow theater took place in China during the 2nd century BC. The Chinese ruler of the time, emperor Wu, had many concubines. When his favorite concubine died, the emperor’s people made a puppet of her and placed it behind a lit curtain. It seemed that the concubine came back from the death as a shadow to console the emperor. Generally, there is no research done that clearly states where and when this technic started. The evidence points out that shadow theater was performed during the 11th and 12th centuries in Egypt, Asia Minor and North Africa. Through the Ottoman empire the shadow theater spread over several cultures including Jews, Greeks, Turks or Arabs.
According to popular legend the two principal characters in shadow theater were modelled on two Turkish laborers, Karagoz and Hacivad, who lived during the 14th century. Their continual comic arguments on a mosque construction site halted work and enraged the sultan who ordered their execution. He regretted his decision so he asked a Turkish puppet master to make shadow figures of both laborers. On his performances he imitated the voices and mannerisms of the workmen which delighted the sultan. This was the beginning of the Karagoz puppet tradition.
From the 17th century through to the first decade of the 20th century, Karagoz - Karagiozis in Greece - became the leading player in the shadow theatres of the regions. Audiences varied - from royalty to middle class families to uneducated workers. Puppeteers usually worked from scenarios rather than finished scripts so that they could adapt storylines according to the audience. The Greek shadow puppet theatre became a vital way for Greeks to see, hear and maintain their cultural and artistic traditions. It is still a form of shadow theater that takes place today. The moral tales enacted by the puppeteers feature satirical observations about the social and political issues of the time - a form of social commentary understood by people of all classes.
The central character is Karagiozis. The Greek Karagiozis is wiser and less of a clown than Karagoz, his Turkish brother. He is poor and uneducated, relying on his cunning and ready wit to extricate himself from precarious situations. He is a Greek folk hero for children and adults. Karagiozis often mocks the various characters and includes them in his desperate adventures. Although totally uneducated, Karagiozis manages to bluff his way into different jobs, allowing the puppeteer to satirize prominent figures, professions and contemporary issues.
The puppet show is usually accompanied by a small group of musicians and a singer, and much shouting and noise and witty dialogue keep the audience laughing. While the plots are familiar, the puppeteer addresses topical issues with impromptu wise cracks, observations and even bawdy repartee. Representations of Turkish and Jewish people can be unflattering, even prejudiced. The puppets are traditionally made from translucent donkey or camel skin but in more recent decades, puppeteers have used clear brushed acrylic to make their puppets. They are cut and dyed so the shadow on the screen creates a stained-glass window effect. The puppeteer manipulates the puppets using detachable rods. The multiple joints also allow the puppets to jiggle, dance and make gestures.
On a technical level, the Karagiozis shadow theatre is basically bringing to life plastic puppets made in two dimensions, moving them in contact with a sheet of white fabric, with a light behind. The light passes across the plastic and makes a colored shadow on the fabric: the shadow of the characters. With arms, legs and neck jointed, the puppeteers or karagiozopaiktes can move the puppets and create a plot, making all their voices and movements. The karagiozopaiktes are not only good speakers, but they have also learned how to move the puppets, sing and create sound effects, with the technology to support them, in the right moment. It’s also common sometimes for a group of musicians to accompany the show.
Shadow theater was introduced in Cyprus from the Greek performers in the beginnings of the 20th century. The art of Karagiozis, the most popular form of shadow theatre in Cyprus, made its first appearance on the island in the early 20th century, through Greek shadow puppeteers who would come to the island to perform shows, and from Cypriots who learned their craft from puppeteers in Greece. Today, the few remaining karagiozopaiktes are to be found in the Paphos, Limassol, Nicosia and Larnaca districts.
Interview with Mr Charalambous
In Cyprus Karagiozis is kept alive through some performers. We had the opportunity to talk with one of them residing in Nicosia. Mr Charalambous began getting involved with shadow theater since he was 5 years old. Karagiozis was his hero, and he couldn’t stop watching shadow theater shows. He began to perform shadow theater for his friends and students. Then, became professional in 2004 with his first performance at Christmas. Mr Charalambous story, is a story of passion for what he does. As he told us, he studied books, watched YouTube videos and followed other performers like Thanasis Spiropoulos[1] and Evgenios Spatharis, who is considered one of the best puppeteers in Greece[2]. Nowadays, Mr Charalambous is not only a known professional of shadow theater, performing all around the world, but also creating his own puppets and stories.
Mr Charalambous’ words are very interesting. He points out that the Karagoz of the Ottoman empire was different from the one of Greece. In one hand, the Ottoman empire was shared by many different cultures. Karagoz and Hacibat were mainly stories with inappropriate words and content. In the other hand, the Greek Karagiozis was introduced by a chanter of the church, called Demetris Sardounis (his nickname was Mimaros, Great mimic). He took off the bad language and he wrote stories with a beginning, a middle and an end. The most popular stories were the heroic stories that recounted the Greek revolution.
He also analyzed the history of Karagiozis by comparing the Greek stories of Karagiozis, which represented the Greek people. Some characters were kept as they were, like Pasha and Velingekas. In the past, Karagiozis represented poor people, and the Viziers Palace symbolized power. He says that in modern stories Karagiozis symbolizes the people and Pasha the government, the rich, the power. In this metaphoric world, Karagiozis represents the typical Greek that even if he/she has problems or troubles against Pasha he/she can always overcome them.
Nowadays, Karagiozis faces many challenges because of the film and television industry. Now it is a show for kids, before it was for adults. What Mr Charalambous does is that he updates the stories of Karagiozis introducing stories and characters from the present. As he says, “I have traditional characters, but I add more characters depending on the show’s needs and the audience’s needs”. One of his main techniques is to draw or copy the designs on tracing paper. Then, he colors them and laminates them. After that, his creation is ready to become alive onstage. Sometimes those characters visit Cyprus, like for example in the story named “The treasure of Cyprus”.
