Some discussions of the semiotics of theatre limit themselves to one tradition of performance, while others use examples from different theatre traditions to illustrate their theories. Rarely, however, has there been an attempt to examine what occurs when a tale or element that is an integral part of one cultural code is translated into the performance code of another very different culture. An interesting example of this is John Emigh's production of Little Red Riding Shawl, which is presented within forms associated with the Balinese topeng tradition. (Although many productions of topeng use several actors, Emigh's performance is based on topeng pajegan [T82], the oldest form of topeng, where one actor plays all the roles in succession.) We will look at what modifications the topeng codes undergo in the course of the performance, what extratextual information is required of the audience, and how Emigh employs the various performance codes in order to convey messages on many different levels.