THE call to Magrib prayers had not long been called. However, residents of Ngasem district, Bojonegoro, East Java, were already flocking towards the public gathering place in Mojodelik village, one Saturday at the end of June, three hours before the start of the performance of the wayang kulit (leather puppet) drama Tumuruning Wahyu Cakraning Jagat. The dalang (puppet master) for the evening’s performance was Ki Anom Suroto.

That evening, Ngas