shadow play

American  

noun

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

---

shadow play British  

noun

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

---

Etymology

Origin of shadow play

First recorded in 1890–95

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

shadow play

"You could say that these elections are kind of a shadow play," Kristof Titeca, an expert on Uganda at Antwerp university, told AFP.

From Barron's ● Jan. 12, 2026

The earlier film showcases Murnau’s already fluid camerawork, particularly his command of shadow play and low angles that made the 6-foot-3 Schreck seem like a force of otherworldly evil.

From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 31, 2024

But, at their best, they are thrillingly fabular, giving us the sense that we are witnessing a shadow play, our attention absorbed while elsewhere something fundamental takes place.

From The Guardian ● Jul. 13, 2019

You might expect “Re-Member Me,” by Dickie Beau, to be the genre bender: It’s self-consciously eclectic, combining elements of drag, lip-sync, shadow play and tribute.

From New York Times ● Jan. 9, 2018

A young man burst out from the side of a stage and told the crowd, “And now the Moon Lady will come and tell her sad tale to you, in a shadow play, classically sung.”

From "The Joy Luck Club" by Amy Tan