Devour the Moon

We are honored to be partnering with Gamelan Dharma Swara, one of the leading Balinese gamelan and dance groups in the United States, on Devour the Moon, a shadow puppetry play set to their original piece, Synesthesia, composed by Joel Mellin. Our work shares an aesthetic sensibility and vision with that of Gamelan Dharma Swara, as we also present an ancient art form through a contemporary lens and are dedicated to making the performing arts accessible to multigenerational, multicultural audiences around the world.

Devour the Moon adapts the Hindu myths of Samudra Manthan and Kala Rahu. This epic tale unites the demons and gods in a cosmic tug-of-war to churn the nectar of immortality from the depths of the ocean. When the demon Kala Rahu steals a sip of the nectar, he is beheaded, and his immortal head flung into space, where it chronically devours the moon in revenge, creating a lunar eclipse. Through overhead projector shadow puppetry, shadow mask, lanterns, and wayang kulit-inspired shadow puppetry, we will frame this myth as a bedtime story passed from grandmother to her grandchild in a land of present-day unrest. Exploring themes of universal oneness, transformation, and the interdependence of darkness and light, this psychedelic all-ages shadow play assures us that though the moon may be eclipsed, the light will always return.

We workshopped a version of the piece with recorded sound at Fall Frequencies, Gamelan Dharma Swara’s annual event at Stone Circle Theater, on October 24-25, 2026 and are excited to share a reimagined version of the piece accompanied by a live gamelan orchestra at Roulette on June 7, 2026.

We are infinitely grateful to Victoria Lo Mellin, Joel Mellin, Miranda Danusugondo, Putu Tangkas Adi Hiranmayena, Dewa Ayu Eka Putri, and Ida Bagus Anom Mandhara Giri for their support and feedback on this project.