Stream of Memory

“Papermoon Puppet Theatre has become a staple of the global arts festival circuit, with enigmatic, modernist puppets that tell stories from myth to the birth of modern Indonesia. … Words are few for these puppets with moon-shaped faces who, like mimes, express everything in evocative, poignant gestures.”– The New York Times, USA, 2016

“The standard of puppetry is extraordinary. The energy and artistic integrity of this company shines through in every scene. This is a magnificent piece of theatre, painting a portrait of the political in the everyday.” – Glam Adelaide, Australia, 2015

Papermoon Puppet Theatre was founded in April 2006 in Yogyakarta, Indonesia by Co-Artistic Director Maria Tri Sulistyani (Ria). She has since nurtured, developed, and expanded the company together with Co-Artistic Director Iwan Effendi, a visual artist and Papermoon’s puppet designer. Among other close collaborators, Papermoon works with a collective of puppeteers, which includes Anton Fajri, Pambo Priyojati, Beni Sanjaya, Muhammad Alhaq and Hardiansyah Yoga.

To date, Papermoon has created more than 30 puppet performances and visual art installations and exhibitions, and have toured to more than 10 countries. In 2008, Papermoon launched Pesta Boneka, an international puppet biennale that welcomes puppeteers from around the world to their home city, where they can share their work in a community setting.