Stutterer

Wayang Topeng mask for stutterer character.
There are many forms of masked dance theater in Bali. Wayang topeng shows the biggest variety of masks and movements. It is performed during rituals and in the odalan (temple festivals). The plays begin with the presentation of ministers and the elder Tua. Then, the white-masked king enters the scene with his short, elegant steps. Afterwards appear the jesters or servants, the panasar, who are the only speaking characters. Some of their masks do not have inferior jaws in order to make these characters narrate the events during the play. Finally, the brahman Sidhakarya, who once restored prosperity in Bali, throws rice into four directions and holy water to the public as a symbol of wealth and fertility. The javanese wayang topeng plays the Hindu epics Ramayana and Mahabharata like in Bali but especially Panji’s story. Panji is a courageous and seductive hero who conquers the princess Jandra Kirana and vanquishes his main rival, the king Klana. The eyes shape and decorative patterns of the masks of the javanese wayang topeng differ from the balinese ones.