Balinese Wayang Listrik at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa

I Ketut Wirtawan, Master Dalang and Dance Instructor (2016, 2020, 2026)

I Ketut Wirtawan has trained extensively in wayang kulit and gambuh, one of Bali’s most difficult and complicated dance-drama forms. Ketut Wirtawan is not only a powerful dancer, but is also an accomplished musician, vocalist, shadow puppeteer, painter, and director. He has taken over the spiritual and artistic responsibilities of his late father, the revered I Ketut Kantor and his legendary grandfather I Nyoman Kakul, carrying on the tradition of one of Bali’s most important artistic lines.

Wirtawan is a sought-after dalang (puppeteer) for both traditional and modern wayang kulit performances, and one of Bali’s most dedicated and respected artists. He has toured to Austria, Germany, France, Switzerland, India, Japan Taiwan, and Singapore.

I Madé Moja, Designer, Director, and Shadow Puppetry Master (2016, 2020, 2026)

I Madé Moja is a prominent painter, skilled in the traditional ink and watercolor technique of his native village Batuan, Bali, known for its classical music and dance, fine woodcarving and unique painting style. These time-honored traditions are passed from one generation to the next and continue to thrive, despite great changes in the culture and economy of Bali. In addition to his intensive training under his father, I Madé Budi, Moja studied at the Fine Arts Academy in Denpasar, Bali, where he was trained in western traditions and modern art forms, such as graphic arts, in addition to traditional Balinese painting styles. His work has been shown internationally and featured in numerous books on Balinese art and culture.

Since relocating to the Bay Area, Moja has branched out artistically. In addition to teaching and experimenting with new themes in his painting, Moja has been creating puppets, designing and painting stunning sets, and performing with ShadowLight Productions, a non-profit theater company based in San Francisco that takes its inspiration from classical Indonesian Wayang Kulit (shadow puppet theater). Moja is also a primary dancer with Gamelan Sekar Jaya, an award-winning Bay Area orchestra and dance group which fosters artistic exchange between Bali and the United States through residencies, workshops, performances, and the creation of innovative new works for music and dance.

Moja has served as Designer, Director, and Shadow Puppetry Master for three UHM Kennedy Theatre Mainstage productions: Subali-Sugriwa: Battle of the Monkey Kings (2016), The Last King of Bali (2020), and Panji and the Lost Princess (2026).

I Madé Widana, Composer, Musical Director, Gamelan/Dance Instructor (2016, 2020, 2026)

I Madé Widana is a professional musician, dancer, and composer from Karangasem, Bali and has resided in Honolulu since 2009. He received his Bachelor of Arts in traditional music and composition from the Indonesian Arts Institute in Denpasar, Bali. He is currently the Artistic Director of Gamelan Segara Madu,Gamelan Taksu Gitaning Shanti, and presents many community outreach programs under the auspices of the East-West Center Arts Program, the Mayor’s Office of Culture and the Arts, and the UH-Manoa Outreach Statewide Cultural Extension Program.

When in Bali, he teaches traditional gamelan music in various villages and at a number of formal music and dance studios. As a founding member and musician in the Bali-based Çudamani performing arts ensemble, Widana has participated in tours to the US, Japan, and Europe. Widana’s expertise in traditional Balinese music and dance is coupled with extensive experience in innovative and collaborative artistic works. He wrote and performed original music for a unique puppet performance, Journey to the East: Ruminations on a Sixteenth-Century Chronicle, by Hourglass Theatre, that was premiered at Shangri La in Honolulu and toured to the East Coast.

Widana has served as Musical Director for three UHM Kennedy Theatre Mainstage productions: Subali-Sugriwa: Battle of the Monkey Kings (2016), The Last King of Bali (2020), and Panji and the Lost Princess (2026).

Annie Reynolds, Gamelan/Dance Instructor (2016, 2020, 2026)

Annie Reynolds holds a Ph.D. in Theatre and M.A. in Asian Studies from the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa and a B.M. in Music from San Francisco State University. Annie has a background in music, especially composition and violin. While completing her undergraduate degree, she became interested in Balinese gamelan music. Prior to undertaking her graduate studies, Annie spent several years in Bali studying music and dance, including one year of study as a Darmasiswa RI scholarship student at the Indonesian Arts Institute (Institut Seni Indonesia) in Denpasar, Bali.

Since 2009, Annie and her husband, I Madé Widana, have been leading the Honolulu-based Balinese gamelan music and dance ensembles Gamelan Segara Madu and, more recently, Gamelan Taksu Gitaning Shanti. Together they have offered numerous educational outreach programs across Hawai‘i through the auspices of the Statewide Cultural Extension Program (UHM Outreach College), UHM Department of Theatre and Dance, Arts Focus Southeast Asia, and the East-West Center, where she has curated a number of exhibitions at the East-West Center Gallery. Annie prioritizes teaching about cultures through the arts and approaches her work by understanding the interconnected nature between the performing and visual arts.

Annie has contributed to three Kennedy Theatre productions as dance instructor, assistant musical director, and musician: A Balinese Tempest (2008), Subali-Sugriwa: Battle of the Monkey Kings (2016), and The Last King of Bali (2020).

Larry Reed, Guest Director (2008) with I Madé Mojaʻs Designs

Larry Reed is a nationally and internationally acclaimed artist, and is a trailblazer in the contemporary shadow theatre. He is one of the first Westerners to have trained in the traditional Balinese shadow theatre (wayang kulit) and is a “dalang,” or “shadow master,” who manipulates over 20 carved leather shadow puppets while simultaneously serving as the conductor of the accompanying gamelan orchestra, the director, and the stage manager. Over the years, he has performed over 250 shows in this tradition around the world. Reed has collaborated with numerous artists and organizations from various disciplines and cultural background.

See more at Shadow Light.

I Nyoman Sumandhi – Musical Director and Composer (2008) 

I Nyoman Sumandhi comes from a family of famous Balinese dalang, or puppet masters. He is an expert in shadow puppetry and other forms of Balinese music and dance.

He is featured in the documentary ShadowMaster (1979).