Dalang ; A man behind the screen
Dalang is a puppet master in wayang play. Not everyone can be a dalang. Dalang is a most extraordinary man. First of all, he is a public entertainer. To amuse a great number of people is not an easy matter. He must be physically strong and healthy, otherwise he would
not be able to stand the strain. Just imagine, he is seated cross-legged for nine successive hours. He cannot even have a wink of sleep. He cannot get up from his set until six o'clock the nextmorning. He also has to strike the kechrek (rattle) with his right foot almost incessantly. He
handles the puppets with both hands, imitates their different voices, tell jokes at the right times, and even sings every now and then.
In addition, he controls the musicians without anyone among the audience ever noticing it.
The dalang manipulates the puppets, sings and taps out signals to the orchestra. He also speaks the parts for all the characters; he must be able to render the shy sweetness in the voice of a princess, the spiteful whine of a lackey and the righteous but controlled anger of a noble hero.
