shadow play

American  

noun

1. a show in which shadows of puppets, flat figures, or live actors are projected onto a lighted screen.

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shadow play British  

noun

1. a theatrical entertainment using shadows thrown by puppets or actors onto a lighted screen

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Etymology

Origin of shadow play

First recorded in 1890–95

Example Sentences

The work unfolds as a digital shadow play projected on the walls and floor of the Swiss Institute’s basement.

From New York Times

Another highlight is an immersive multichannel video installation by Lap-See Lam, a shadow play inspired by her family’s Chinese restaurant in Sweden and the artist’s U.S. museum debut.

From New York Times

The cinematographer Jason Krangel fills the narrative gaps with eerie shadow play.

From New York Times

To many in Hong Kong, these images were a surreal shadow play of the widely televised scenes of police officers charging onto a train on August 31, 2019, pepper-spraying and hitting cowing youngsters with batons.

From Reuters

Perhaps it’s no surprise that “In the Light of a Shadow” relies on theatrical elements like lighting, music, video and, with its reliance on shadow play, a certain visual sleight-of-hand.

From New York Times