Intercultural Theatre and Community in Southeast Asia: The ASEAN Puppet Exchange in Jakarta

Abstract

The Association for Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is working towards creating a dynamic economic, political, and sociocultural community. As ASEAN works towards realizing the goals of creating a regional community, many cultural organizations are sponsoring artist exchanges, bolstering university arts' departments, and opening new facilities. This paper analyzes Water of ASEAN, performed in 2015 as part of the ASEAN Day celebration in Jakarta, Indonesia, as part of this effort. The performance combined puppets and artists from all ten ASEAN countries and offers an example of intercultural performance applying the principles of community to perform regional identity. Story, form, character, and style intermix within one performance to demonstrate the relationships between tradition and modernity, unity and diversity, and cities and villages.