2026 TCAF:A Bucket of Beetles

★ Invited to Chicago International Puppet Theater Festival, the largest puppet festival in North America
★ Based on the original worldview of a four-year-old Indonesian boy
★ Representative of contemporary Indonesian puppetry 
 
Wehea, a young boy who lives in the deep of a rainforest, has had a close connection to all the lives in the rainforest ever since he was little. Insects, birdsong, and the sound of the wind are his daily companions, and even the tiniest creatures become his friends. One day, he meets a rhinoceros beetle who is chasing after light. Darting between the light spots amid the leaves, the beetle leads Wehea deeper into the rainforest, where they embark on a mysterious and unforgettable adventure.
A Bucket of Beetles is adapted from a story told by a four-year-old Indonesian boy, and the design of the animal puppets in the production is based on the boy’s drawings. Starting from how a child sees the world, A Bucket of Beetles not only depicts a sincere friendship but invites the audience to think about the fact that the water, land, and air in our lives are precious natural resources that should be cherished. Only when we learn to appreciate small things can we gradually expand our understanding of this big world.
In this production, light and shadow, puppets, and the sounds of nature fill the stage; since dialogues are not the essential element, the performance overcomes the language barriers, allowing the audience to immerse themselves in the drama. The puppeteer’s dexterous body movement brings life to the beetle while the light and shadow and the stereo sound successfully create a rainforest breathing on the stage. This time, let’s follow the curious boy and his friend, the beetle, to go on an adventure in the rainforest!
Presented by Papermoon Puppet Theatre, one of the most important contemporary Indonesian puppet companies, A Bucket of Beetles was presented in Chicago International Puppet Festival (USA, 2024), Sydney Festival 2024, Chuncheon International Puppet Festival (2025), Sydney Opera HOuse (2025). and the online performance presented in Japan, Canada, Poland, India. Like a magic show performed for families, the audience hear the details in a rainforest and witness the tiny and yet vibrant ecosystem; moreover, from a child’s viewpoint, we get to feel the beauty and surprises of nature once again.
 
Papermoon Puppet Theatre
Founded in 2006, Papermoon Puppet Theatre is a contemporary puppet theatre company from Yogyakarta in Indonesia. They believe that anything can come alive. Every creature, every object, every single thing in the world holds life somewhere inside of it. As they continue to act on their beliefs, they turn puppetry into a poetic art form. The company is dedicated to creating works that connect man and nature. To date, they have produced more than 30 puppet shows, visual art installations, and exhibitions.