Hello!
To all of you who know me, thanks for reading. For those of you who don’t, here is a little bit about me:
I love puppets. I love theatre. I love shadows. I love China. Put all of those together and you get Chinese shadow puppetry. It’s the culmination of my many passions – and, of course – so much more. The craft itself warrants study, but the people behind the craft is what makes this journey worth taking.
My fieldwork in China began with a summer apprenticeship in 2008 and in 2011 I completed a Fulbright Fellowship, traveling through seven provinces working with the last of the shadow masters. I’m currently finishing up my dissertation in the Interdisciplinary PhD in the Humanities program (Concordia University in Montreal), which examines the current theories and methods of safeguarding shadow puppetry in China. When I’m not hunting puppets and their troupes in China or busy writing papers, I am a theatre/puppet maker and designer based in Toronto, Canada. I lecture, teach and disseminate what I find whenever possible, as the research becomes more valuable the more it’s shared.
A few years ago, I put up the first-ever comprehensive Chinese Shadow Puppet website in English. It’s a great resource for artists, students, teachers, and enthusiasts. Check it out at www.chineseshadowpuppetry.com.
Please do pass on this blog to anyone and everyone who might find it fun and educational. I welcome any questions or comments and am always looking for ways to improve what gets reported on these pages.
Thanks for reading~
Annie
For more on my puppet projects, lecturing/teaching and design endeavors, visit my online portfolio at www.anniekatsurarollins.com.
In the Dark Again 
I am delighted with shadow puppets and am eager to lrarn all I can from you.
Thanks for sharing, your blog is an enjoyable read 🙂
Annie, thanks for all your posts. I’ve just started teaching a shadow theatre course in Spain, and it’s really helpful to be able to refer students to your blog.
Andrew, so great to know you are using the blog and it’s helpful. Let me know if you need any additional information! Best.
Hi Annie, It is always nice to see all the additional information you are putting together on this amazing skill and art. How is your Phd progressing. I would love to read it at some point. i am sure it is full of fascinating information of the state of Shadow puppetry in China. Fortunately there seems to be a revival, or at least a modernization of shadow puppetry amongst artists in Beijing. I will be holding an exhibition here in Israel in this context. Please keep in touch Richard.