Papermoon Puppet Theatre

Have you ever made a shadow puppet with your hands? On the islands of Java and Bali, two of the nearly 17,000 islands that make up the Asian country of Indonesia, there is a deep tradition of shadow puppets likely unlike anything you have ever seen.

The name of this type of puppetry is wayang kulit (waa-yaan kuu-leet) meaning “leather shadow.” Each puppet is hand-carved by master artists out of cow leather. The carved puppets are flat with sticks attached to move arms, legs, and parts of the head. During a Wayang Kulit performance, dozens if not hundreds of puppets are used. During the performance the puppets are placed in front of lights to create shadows cast on large pieces of cloth. The stories performed through these puppet performances are often very old, passed down from generation to generation.

While Indonesia is known around the world for traditional styles of puppetry, an adventurous puppet company called Papermoon Puppet Theatre is taking Indonesian puppetry in a whole new direction. They came to puppetry without any formal training, approaching their shows out of curiosity, creating puppet worlds without following traditional methods. Their work is inspired by how Sesame Street uses puppets to communicate with audiences and the ways in which Japanese Anime studio Ghibli often can tell a complicated history understandable to audiences of different generations. The resulting performances connect with audiences across generations, languages and cultures. Their ability to impact audiences and tell big stories has cemented their legacy as part of the long history of Indonesian puppetry.

Papermoon Puppet Theatre believes that “anything can come alive,” and that every creature and object in the world holds life somewhere inside of it. They create their stories from beautifully handmade puppets, often constructed from local materials. Founded in 2006 by the now husband and wife team of illustrator, writer and theater performer Maria (Ria) Tri Sulistyani and visual artist Iwan Effendi, this group of storytellers and puppeteers has created an entirely new way to use puppets to tell the stories of life’s joys and the sorrows. Originally founded to work with children, the company soon understood that puppets can speak to all of us, no matter our age. All Papermoon performances are non-verbal, meaning they use gestures and movements to express emotions and tell their story. No words are ever spoken! Telling a story this way allows for anyone to understand what is happening on stage regardless of their own native language, proving very helpful in their country where nearly 400 languages are spoken, or when performing in other countries.

Papermoon Puppet Theatre works out of a studio they built themselves, surrounded by nature, on a hill of an old Chinese cemetery. While it is surrounded by dense trees the inside is bright, allowing the company to construct all of their hand-built puppets together and create their shows. The stories they tell through their puppet shows are often heartbreaking, not shying away from sadness and loss that are part of the human experience. But their puppets also convey joy, wonder and humor—all inspired by the history and environment where the group creates their work.

Papermoon has performed for audiences around the world, from Japan to The Netherlands, from Australia and Pakistan to the United States. In their home city of Yogyakarta, they host gatherings, workshops and community events and welcome puppeteers from around the world for Pesta Boneka, a community-based festival they started showcasing international puppet artists.

Did you know that Indonesia is not only the fourth most populous country in the world but it also has the largest population of Muslims on earth? Indonesia is in Southeast Asia, located between the Indian and Pacific oceans, and consists of over 17,000 islands. The smallest of these islands is smaller than a football field! Most Indonesian Islands were formed as a result of volcanic activity and many active volcanoes are still found throughout the country.

Indonesia is a predominantly Muslim nation, but depending on which island you are on, you will likely meet people of a variety of religions, such as Hindus on the island of Bali, Christians and Catholics on Eastern Indonesia, Muslims on the islands of Java, Sulawesi and Sumatra.

In the center of the island of Java is the city of Yogyakarta (JOHg-ja-kaart-ah), and it is here where Papermoon Puppet Theatre calls home. Yogyakarta, or as it is now more commonly called Jogja (JOHg-jah), sits in the shadow of Mount Merapi, an active volcano.

Jogja was once the center of an independent kingdom with a king who, while no longer a ruler of a vast kingdom, still acts as governor of the region. The royal family supports arts around the city, operating out of the palace, or Kraton, as it is called.

Jogja is an artistic hotspot that vibrates with a creative energy that can be readily felt in the many hip coffee shops and art galleries, wild street murals, and expressed by contemporary and traditional musicians, crafters, fabric artists and of course puppeteers. The six puppeteers that make up Papermoon hail from all corners of Java but came together in Jogja, drawn by its vibrant arts scene. Jogja has long been hailed both as a center for arts as well as being the home to dozens of colleges and universities. This creates a powerful mix, where the ancient traditions come in direct contact with youth culture, inspiring a feeling of creative energy throughout the city.

Visiting Jogja today, you’re as likely to see a punk rock show as you would a wayang kulit performance, attend a workshop at the Papermoon Theatre studio or purchase traditional batik (dyed fabric) from a master craftsperson.

After viewing Papermoon’s video, before showing it to your class…»

• What did you find most interesting about the video, artist, tradition, and place?
• What do you think the students will find most interesting?
• What concepts/skills/topics in your curriculum might this connect or shed insight on?
• How is the life and community of these artists similar to parts of your students’ communities?
• What did you find most interesting about Papermoon Puppet Theatre, their unique puppets, and Yogyakarta?