“Scene of Souls in Hell” (19th century), donkey skin; Shaanxi, China (all images courtesy Museu do Oriente) LISBON — Asian shadow theater is catnip for those with energetic imaginations. Its ...

My dad was the first person to introduce me to shadow puppets. When my sister and I were tiny kids, he would tuck us into bed, turn off the lights and then cast an image of a dog against the wall.

By Karen Taylor Thousands of miles apart, shadow puppets are used in two very different corners of the world to tell stories against a backdrop no more dramatic than a large white sheet. Using ...