of shadow theater. Using animated backgrounds made in Adobe After Effects, intricate laser-cut puppets, two projectors, and a screen, along with the talents of well-rehearsed puppeteers and actors, Feathers of Fire is a show that has the simplicity and complexity of a shadow. Francis Ford Coppola described it as “Spectacular cinematic wizardry.” Rahmanian adapted a chapter from The Shahnameh that combines elements similar to Rapunzel, The Jungle Book, and Romeo and Juliet, yet it was written centuries before these stories existed. The story’s hero is Zaul, whose father abandons him in the wild due to his white hair and mother’s death in childbirth. The phoenix-like Simurgh raises Zaul with her own chicks until he is old enough to return to the human world. Once there, Zaul reunites with his repentant father and falls in love with the beautiful Rudabeh. Unfortunately, Rudabeh is the granddaughter of the evil Serpent King, but the star-crossed lovers know they are destined to be together and will do anything for their love to triumph. Such an immense story would be daunting to bring to a stage—or a puppet theater—but puppeteers have told more complex stories for centuries. Rahmanian and his team turned to the dramatic shadow puppetry arts in Indonesia. To share an epic from Iran, Rahmanian was directly inspired by wayang traditions.
Before Rahmanian and his team breathed life into Zaul, Rudabeh, Simurgh, and the rest of the cast, they needed still more shadowy inspiration. They turned to the modern German shadow puppeteer and silhouette animator Lotte Reiniger, a master of both media. Reiniger is famous for her 1926 silhouette animated film The Adventures of Prince Achmed (coincidentally also a Middle Eastern story). Reiniger pioneered animation and puppetry techniques that transformed static paper puppets into emotional, physical beings with limited technology. Unlike Reiniger, Rahmanian had computers and a bigger team to assist him on his work, but he employed similar puppetry techniques and an animation process reminiscent of hers. He used front-lit staging, layered backgrounds, and similar construction materials: colored Lucite gels and black cardboard and card stock. Feathers of Fire’s innovations aren’t just reusing old techniques and traditions. Rahmanian incorporated the combination of animated backgrounds with live silhouettes and the inclusion of ShadowLight’s three-dimensional masks. The entire show uses 160 puppets, 130 backgrounds, over 700 audio cues, and a total of 1,069 stage cues. Precision is key as with any live theater, but the animation and puppetry make it more demanding. While Feathers of Fire is a high-tech shadow puppet show, it can also be called a “live animation” show. The actors wear costumes that transform them into shadow puppets, and they, along with the puppeteers, interact with animated backgrounds and prerecorded dialogue. Although choreographed, each performance takes place in real time with spontaneous action, striving for an “illusion of life.” Rahmanian’s work earned Feathers of Fire the 2019 UNIMA-USA Citation for Excellence. Live performances of the show ran from 2016 to 2018, with showings around the United States and abroad. Rahmanian rejoiced after each showing, because he accomplished his mission of showing the positive side of Iranian culture. War causes destruction, but peace causes the creation of art that leads to stories that result in empathy from entertained audiences. Feathers of Fire no longer tours, but it can currently be viewed on
Vimeo. The show is the first installment of a Persian trilogy. Rahmanian has also created pop-up books and published an updated version of The Shahnameh along with an audiobook, music, artwork, and more to encourage love of the ancient tale. He is currently working on the second chapter, entitled Song of the North, about Princess Manijeh, who rescues her lover from perils she causes. The show is scheduled to premiere in late 2021, unless the COVID-19 pandemic pushes back production. All proceeds will help fund Song of the North.
https://vimeo.com/ondemand/feathersoffire Visit Hamid Rahmanian’s website:
https://www.kingorama.com.
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Rahmanian doesn’t shy away from combating hatred, particularly related to his native Iran. Combining his love for misaligned media and Iranian culture, Rahmanian created the critically praised and award-winning stage show Feathers of Fire in collaboration with Larry Reed and ShadowLight Productions.
Three scenes from Feathers of Fire
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