Wayang Kulit Dhalangs

Solo Dhalangs

Manteb Sudarsono [Excellent Movement]

Ki Enthus Susmono [Walt Disney of Wayang]
Half circle screen
Animals have active movement
Monkey sex
Two puppets together attached to each other rotate in battle
Rotate with sticks around
Puppets with strings to mouth
Upside down puppets
Trees
Colorful light
Two huge real time video screens on both sides

Anom Surato [Keraton dhalang]

Warseno [Young talented]

Edan Kentus [Good at fighting]

Ki Purbo Asmoro [Kitsie’s favorite dhalang]

Ki Dalang Bambang


Yogya Dhalangs

Ki Sukasman [Innovation in Wayang Kulit]
3 dhalangs on both sides of the screen
Made his own puppets

Wayang Suket

Wayang Suket (Grass Puppets) is puppets toys for children. They are made of grass of the wayang kulit, and an artificial form of various figures of mainstream Wayang Kulit puppets which is made of colorful leather. This type of puppets we made by Bocah Angon., boys who tend livestock. When their cows of buffalos graze on meadow, they are killing time by playing games or took a kind of grass, fold and braided to form a Wayang Kulit figures. Kinds of grass they used are suket teki, a certain grass with an edible tuberous root, “elephant” grass, Alang-alang, jungle grass or a tall coarse sharp leafed grass, and also Mendong, a certain grass for weaving. It is necessary to note that Wayang Suket have no standard form like those of Wayang kulit, that is why it is difficult to identify one character to another.


Slamet Gundono has developed a form of puppetry that involves clay, vegetables, sleep talking, water and condoms. By using humour and satire in a non-confrontational way, he lends a voice to the socially marginalised and is popular with a widely based audience. Through his work he investigates social issues such as gender, exploitation, religious orthodoxy and damage to the environment. Gundono uses local idioms and simple means, and demonstrates that traditional cultural forms can be powerful vehicles for contemporary expression.