How do we experience loss? How can we hold and appreciate what has been left to us? Puno, Sewing Memories is the story of Tala, a young girl who is coping with her father’s passing and learning about life and death. 

“Papermoon breaks through cultural barriers that usually separate us from one another, such as differences in language, nation, history, politics, and so on. Words can often fail. With its universal touchstones and emotional, beautiful articulation, Puno and Tala's story of separation and grief ultimately joins every human being in a shared space of love, memory, and longing.”  - Geleran.id 

Papermoon Puppet Theatre was founded in 2006 by illustrator, writer, and theatre performer Maria (Ria) Tri Sulistyani and visual artist Iwan Effendi. Based in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, in a country with world-renowned puppetry traditions, the expert artists of Papermoon Puppet Theatre extend this form with their mixed-media productions that tell stories about the choices, values, circumstances, and conflicts of everyday life. “Our stories are personal and focus on individuals. From there we can see the bigger issues.” - Ria Sulistyani 

Since their U.S. debut with Center Stage in 2012, Papermoon has shared their work around the globe, created a studio and residency compound in Yogyakarta to host collaborating and visiting artists, and continued to produce Pesta Boneka, a community-based festival for international puppet makers, started in 2008.

Puno, sewing memories

60-minute non-verbal puppet performance
For adults and children age 7+  
Link to Puno, Sewing Memories booklet
Link to Puno, Sewing Memories production trailer

Travelers

Ms. Maria ‘Ria’ Tri Sulistyani, Co-Artistic Director, Director, Scriptwriter
Mr. Iwan Effendi, Co-Artistic Director, Puppet Builder, Music Director
Mr. Anton Fajri, Technical & Set Engineer, Puppet Builder, Puppeteer
Mr. Beni Sanjaya, Puppet Builder and Puppeteer
Mr. Pambo Priyojati, Puppet Builder and Puppeteer
Mr. Hardiansyah Yoga, Puppet Builder and Puppeteer
Mr. Andreas ‘Rere’ Praditya, Lighting and Technical Director
Ms. Aulia ‘Dita’ Anindita, Tour Manager
Mr. Rangga Yudhistira, Videographer and Photographer
Ms. Theresa Teague, Center Stage Company Manager 

Venues

Black box or intimate proscenium stages seating 100-500 people (steep audience rake required). Optimal play space: 20’ wide x 20’ deep and 20’ to lighting batten. Black marley, soft goods to enclose the performance space required. Audio playback.

About papermoon

Papermoon Puppet Theatre was founded in April 2006 in Yogyakarta, Indonesia by Co-Artistic Director Maria “Ria” Tri Sulistyani. 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, we work with a collective of puppeteers. 

To date, Papermoon Puppet Theatre has created more than 30 puppet productions, visual art installations, and exhibitions, which we have toured to a dozen countries. In 2008, they 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.

Papermoon Puppet Theatre believes that anything can come alive. Every creature, every object, every single thing in the world holds life somewhere inside of it. With their performances, installations, workshops, collaborations, and festival, they hope to bring those things to life—through the amazing art form of puppetry, as well as by nurturing the good things around and within us.

Papermoon Puppet Theatre:

• creates original puppet performances on contemporary themes
• makes visual art installations and exhibitions
• engages in collaborative and interdisciplinary projects
• offers workshops and talks for all ages on puppetry and performance making
• produces Pesta Boneka, our international puppet biennale

Papermoon has shared work with audiences around the world, from Japan to The Netherlands, from Australia, and Pakistan to the United States. But our home and our hearts are always in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, where we are lucky enough to be part of a vibrant arts community. 

Photos

▸Access to downloadable high resolution photos here. 

World Culture in Context

A package of virtual educational materials, tailored to students in upper elementary through high school provides a better understanding of the context in which these artists thrive. Visit worldcultureincontext.org/artist/papermoon-puppet-theatre-yogyakarta-indonesia

Follow this link to view the full version and more information about World Culture in Context.

2025 U.S. Tour Program Notes

Puno, Sewing Memories

A Play by Papermoon Puppet Theatre

Conceived and Produced by 
PAPERMOON PUPPET THEATRE
Artistic Directors: Maria Tri Sulistyani and Iwan Effendi

Director & Playwright
Maria Tri Sulistyani

Music Director
Iwan Effendi

Technical & Set Engineer
Anton Fajri

Puppet Builders
Anton Fajri, Beni Sanjaya, Pambo Priyojati, Hardiansyah Yoga, Iwan Effendi, Maria Tri Sulistyani

Puppeteers
Pambo Priyojati, Beni Sanjaya, Hardiansyah Yoga, Anton Fajri

Costume Maker
Retno Intiani

Music Composer
Yennu Ariendra

Video and Photography
Rangga Yudhistira

Lighting and Technical Director 
Andreas Praditya

Tour Manager 
Aulia Anandita

A non-verbal puppet production. 
Duration: 60 minutes without intermission. 
Please join us near the stage after the show to share your stories and visit with us.

Papermoon Puppet Theatre is on tour as part of Center Stage, a public diplomacy initiative of the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs with funding provided by the U.S. Government, administered by the New England Foundation for the Arts in cooperation with the U.S. Regional Arts Organizations. General management is provided by Lisa Booth Management, Inc. 

Tala and Puno from ‘Puno, Sewing Memories,’ an original production by Papermoon Puppet Theatre. Photo by Rangga Yudhistira

About Puno, Sewing Memories

Death – of those we love, and our own passing – is so hard to make sense of, to cope with, and to talk about. How do we say goodbye? Death is an absolute thing in life, but none of us are ready for it.

The process of grieving can have so many limitations. In a time of loss, people often say “It’s ok. She/he is a better place now. Life must go on.” In Java, Indonesia people sharing condolences often use the word “ikhlas,” encouraging those who are grieving to “let go” and accept loss, to encourage strength and avoid the many pains of grief – the sadnesses, anger, and longings. 

Puno, Sewing Memories is the story of Tala, a young girl and only child, who is coping with the death of her father, Puno, a tailor and single parent. As Papermoon stitches the threads and fabrics of their work, they invite us to consider the different ways death shapes our own lives. 

In 2014, Papermoon Puppet Theatre’s dear friend collaborator, Filipino puppeteer Don M. Salubaya, died suddenly of an aneurysm. The company created Surat ke Langit in his memory, a dedication that helped process their own grief and that of the communities that shared the experience in the theater. In 2018, Papermoon returned to the work, investigating a bit deeper, and employing a broader set of puppetry techniques and larger visual palette. That piece, Puno: Letters to the Sky, was shared with audiences of all ages in Indonesia, Thailand, Singapore, the Philippines, and Taiwan. For this 2025 U.S. tour, Papermoon has once again returned to and reimagined the Puno story and its universal theme of life, love, and loss as Puno, Sewing Memories.

With its mix of non-verbal storytelling, puppetry forms, evocative visual environment, and through-composed musical score, Puno, Sewing Memories carries the hallmarks of a Papermoon production. It incorporates several puppetry techniques including mask theater. The action of the primary characters is inspired by kuruma ningyo, a bunraku form of manipulation executed on moving carts. Every element, each technique is selected with care to move the story forward.

Members of Papermoon Puppet Theatre in their Yogyakarta studio workshop. Photo by Josh Kohn

About Papermoon Puppet Theatre

Papermoon Puppet Theatre was founded in 2006 by illustrator, writer, and theatre performer Maria (Ria) Tri Sulistyani who, together with visual artist Iwan Effendi, leads the company’s many activities from a studio and workshop they built outside of Yogyakarta, Indonesia in central Java. 

In a country with world-renowned puppetry traditions, the expert artists of Papermoon Puppet Theatre have created a distinct body of work. They have presented 30 mixed-media productions, visual art installations, and exhibitions that tell stories about the choices, circumstances, and conflicts of everyday life. “Our stories are personal and focus on individuals. From there we can see the bigger issues.”- Ria Sulistyani

Since their international debut in the U.S. with Center Stage in 2012, Papermoon has shared their work in more than a dozen countries. They collaborate with other puppeteers around the globe, and welcome artists in residence and audiences to their studio and residency compound in Yogyakarta. In 2008, Papermoon launched Pesta Boneka -- an international puppetry biennale where puppeteers share their work in a community setting; the next edition takes place in 2026. In 2020, responding to the isolation of the global COVID pandemic, Papermoon began creating puppetry works for film; these have been screened widely and featured at international film festivals. In 2021, Papermoon launched the GULALI Festival, the first theater festival for young audiences in Indonesia. At home and on tour they host puppet labs and workshops.

Papermoon Puppet Theatre believes that anything can come alive. Every creature, every object, every single thing in the world holds life somewhere inside of it. With their performances, installations, workshops, collaborations, and festivals, they hope to bring those things to life and nurture the good things around and within us. Visit their website at the following link: www.papermoonpuppet.com 

Papermoon Puppet Theatre’s 2025 U.S. tour includes stops in New York City, Easton PA, Worcester MA, Fairfax VA, and Tucson, AZ. 

Papermoon Puppet Theatre is on tour in the U.S. for five weeks as part of Center Stage, a cultural diplomacy program that hosted the company’s U.S. debut tour in 2012. To date, 48 groups from 19 countries have made month-long national tours, hosted by colleges and universities, festivals, music clubs, and cultural centers. Center Stage ensembles reach large cities and small towns. They engage with communities onstage, offstage, and online through performances, workshops, and discussions, artist-to-artist exchanges, master classes, and community gatherings, and return home to share these experiences with peers and fans. For this last edition of the program, Center Stage has invited alumni groups to return and share their work in communities from coast to coast. These are Khumariyaan (Pakistan), Papermoon Puppet Theatre (Indonesia), Mohamed Abozekry (Egypt & France), and Kurbasy (Ukraine). 

A package of virtual educational materials, tailored to students in upper elementary through high school, provides a better understanding of the contexts in which these artists thrive. Visit worldcultureincontext.org/artist/papermoon-puppet-theatre-yogyakarta-indonesia 

Center Stage is a public diplomacy initiative of the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs with funding provided by the U.S. Government, administered by the New England Foundation for the Arts in cooperation with the U.S. Regional Arts Organizations. General management is provided by Lisa Booth Management, Inc. 

Center Stage credits

Producer 
New England Foundation for the Arts
Adrienne Petrillo, Interim Director of Program Strategy
Kelsey Spitalny, Interim Manager of Program Strategy

General Manager 
LBMI, Lisa Booth Management, Inc. 
Deirdre Valente, Principal
Robert W. Henderson, Jr., Production Manager
Danielle Dybiec, Nine Muses Travel, Tour Advance 
Theresa L Teague, On Tour Company Manager 

To download and/or view this as a Word Document, click here: https://nefaorg.app.box.com/file/1958326859247?s=prw6v0is4snv6vg0sfp8paju548z60pr 

Billing & Credit

Shortest billing for event listings, etc.

papermoon puppet theatre
Puno, Sewing Memories
on tour as part of Center Stage

The following credit is required on the title page in all printed performance programs. We appreciate its use wherever else it's practical: brochures, posters, ensemble-only promotional materials, press releases, advertisements, etc:

Papermoon Puppet Theatre is on tour in the U.S. as part of Center Stage, an initiative of the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs with funding provided by the U.S. Government. It is administered by the New England Foundation for the Arts in cooperation with the U.S. Regional Arts Organizations. General management is provided by Lisa Booth Management, Inc. www.centerstageUS.org. 

Center Stage logo placement is greatly appreciated. On web-based materials, please link from the Center Stage logo or written name to www.centerstageUS.org. 

Download the Center Stage Logo (various formats) here.

2012 program notes

On tour as part of Center Stage in Mwathirika

Maria Tri Sulistyani, Director 
Iwan Effendi, Artistic Designer and Puppet Engineer 
Octo Cornelius, Artistic Engineer 
Anton Fajri & Beni Sanjaya, Puppet and Set Construction 
Yennu Ariendra, Music Director and Sound Designer 
Banjar Tri Andaru, Lighting Designer 
Doni Maulistya, Video Artist 
Gemailla Gea Geriantiana…. Costume Designer 
Retno Intiani, Costume Designer

Puppeteers 
Amanda Mita, Maria Tri Sulistyani, Anton Fajri, Beni Sanjaya, Octo Cornelius, Iwan Effendi

Indonesia Production 
Wulang Sunu, Suryo Hapsoro

Mwathirika was made possible with an Empowering Woman Artist 2010-2011 grant, supported by Kelola Foundation/Yayasan Kelola (Jakarta), HIVOS and FORD Foundation.

About the Company

In a country renowned for its puppetry traditions, Papermoon Puppet Theatre is a young, contemporary standout. The company was founded in 2006 by Maria Tri Sulistyani (an illustrator, writer, and former actor) and is now co-directed by Iwan Effendi (a visual artist who likes to tell stories). Based in Yogyakarta, Java, Papermoon draws on a variety of Indonesian and other performing arts forms and techniques to create its mixed-media works. Not content to create productions for the theatrical stage, Papermoon also stages site-specific performances in markets, trains, town squares, art galleries, and other public spaces. It launched an antique and found objects shop in Jogja earlier this year. It regularly holds puppetry workshops for and with artists, community groups, adults and children. 

Papermoon Puppet Theatre is making its U,S. debut with Mwathirika under the auspices of Center Stage, a cultural exchange and public diplomacy program initiated by the U.S. Department of State. From September 4 – October 2, 2012, the company is participating in residencies, exchange activities and presenting performances in Washington DC, Easton PA, Huntingdon PA, Lewisburg PA, West Liberty IA, Providence RI and New York City.

About Mwathirika

The 1965 attempted coup against Indonesian leader, Sukarno, and the turbulent aftermath when thousands of Indonesians were jailed and murdered, was made famous by Christopher Koch’s book The Year of Living Dangerously and the Peter Weir film of the same name. With Mwathirika, Papermoon’s multi-media puppet play seeks the emotional truth behind the public events -- to recover the personal stories of those lost, and to recall the lost history of their nation.
Mwathirika (which means 'victim' in Swahili) is set in a specific time and place, but its undercurrent is the mass violence that was perpetrated, experienced, and witnessed around the globe throughout the 20th century.

“Though our work is based on family stories, the things that these stories are about have happened around the world,” reflects Papermoon’s artistic co-director and founder Maria Tri Sulistyani. “We want to share ‘Mwathirika’ with Americans because we want all of us to understand, so it will never happen again. Anywhere in the world.”

The production flowed from Papermoon’s co-director Iwan Effendi’s longtime interest in Indonesia during the mid-1960s, when anti-communist agitation under then President Sukarno led to murder, prison, and broken families for millions of Indonesians. Effendi’s grandfather was imprisoned for thirteen years without trial. Though general historical accounts address this period through dates and numbers, few people discussed their harrowing personal experiences in the immediate aftermath of the atrocities. Personal memoirs began to be published in the late 1990s, but discussions of the tragedy -- at home, in schools, in communities, and among artists and intellectuals are still often isolated, rare occurrences.