皮影戲，shadow play或者shadow puppetry，是一種什么樣的表演呢？
It is an ancient form of storytelling and entertainment using opaque figures in front of an illuminated backdrop to create the illusion of moving images。
這是一種古老的表演藝術(shù)，用不透光的剪影形象在一個照亮的背景布上形成投影，用來表演一個故事。
在臺灣，皮影戲由潮州皮影，the Chaochow school of shadow puppet theatre發(fā)展而來，通常被稱為leather monkey shows，皮猴戲。
Older puppeteers estimate that there were at least a hundred shadow puppet troupes in southern Taiwan in the closing years of the Qing. Traditionally, the eight to 12-inch puppet figures, and the stage scenery and props such as furniture, natural scenery, pagodas, halls, and plants are all cut from leather。
老一輩皮影藝人說，在清末，臺南至少有100家皮影劇團。傳統(tǒng)臺灣皮影中8-12寸大小的人物剪影、舞臺道具包括家具、自然景觀、寶塔。殿堂和樹木花草等都是用皮革做成的。
在法國，皮影戲雖然一開始也是從中國流傳過去，但是加入本地特色后，這種表演立刻變成了原汁原味的法國藝術(shù)：
The show began to spread to Europe in the mid-18th century, when French missionaries in China took it back to France in 1767 and put on performances in Paris and Marseilles, causing quite a stir. In time, the Ombres chinoises (French for "Chinese Shadows") with local modification and embellishment, became the Ombres françaises and struck root in the country。
皮影戲是十八世紀中期傳到歐洲的，法國傳教士在1767年將皮影戲帶回法國，在巴黎和馬賽舉辦的表演，引起一陣轟動。馬上，“中國影戲”被改造，加入了法國特色元素，成為“法國影戲”，并在法國長期流傳下來。
在印度、印尼、馬來西亞、泰國、土耳其，都有shadow theatre的傳統(tǒng)。而德國動畫界首創(chuàng)了剪紙動畫，silhouette animation，是用和皮影戲一樣的木偶一格一格，frame-by-frame地拍攝出來的。
