“Monkey King” Workshops: The Art of Puppetry

Enjoy creative crafting, lively demonstrations, and playful puppeteering inspired by the San Francisco Opera’s upcoming world premiere production of “The Monkey King.” Join us for Free First Sunday at the Asian Art Museum and step into the playful world of “The Monkey King,” courtesy of the SF Opera’s Department of Engagement and Connectivity. No experience necessary — just bring your imagination.

Schedule

10 AM | Pop-up Creature Puppet Demonstration with Vinh G. Nguyen
10 AM | Exploring the Art of Shadow Puppetry with ShadowLight Productions
11:30 AM | Pop-up Creature Puppet Demonstration with Vinh G. Nguyen
12 PM | Exploring the Art of Shadow Puppetry with ShadowLight Productions
1 PM | Exploring the Puppetry of “The Monkey King,” Act 1 – Performance with Ramon Abad
1:30 PM | Exploring the Puppetry of “The Monkey King,” Act 2 – Puppet Movie Studio with Ramon Abad
3 PM | Journey to Puppet Island with Nao Kobayashi

Pop-up Creature Puppet Demonstration with Vinh G. Nguyen: Enjoy a whimsical puppet demonstration performed by theatre artist Vinh G. Nguyen of Carefree Puppetry. This exploration of movement and music features a menagerie of animals created from recycled materials. (10 AM & 11:30 AM)

Exploring the Art of Shadow Puppetry with ShadowLight Productions: A hands-on workshop introducing participants to the art of shadow puppetry. Make your own puppets using provided templates and materials to experiment with on a small screen. The workshop is led by ShadowLight teaching artist Jess Nguyen, who is also a puppeteer in “The Monkey King.” (10 AM & 12 PM)

Exploring the Puppetry of “The Monkey King” with Ramon Abad: This family-friendly, casual drop-in workshop has two parts:

• Act 1 – Performance: Audience members are invited to form a three-person team to make a puppet move and dance. The puppets used are similar to those in “The Monkey King.” (1 PM)
• Act 2 – Puppet Movie Studio: Everyone is invited to the Koret Education Center to make their own moving-mouth puppets out of paper. Afterward, participants are welcome to make short videos with their puppets using their own phones in front of backgrounds provided by Ramon. (1:30 PM)

Journey to Puppet Island with Nao Kobayashi: In this pop-up-style workshop booth, participants work together in small groups to create their own puppet scenes using miniature puppets and ready-made props including small animals, colorful paper flowers and leaves, fabric trees, and a glowing paper moon. Choose your setting and bring your story to life on a miniature pop-up stage. Record your scene on your phone and take home a unique video souvenir of your puppet drama. (3 PM)

About the Artists

• Ramon Abad is a proud Filipino American puppeteer and artist based in San Francisco. Since the mid-90s, he has directed and performed puppet plays throughout the U.S. and U.K. As a puppeteer/maker with Larry Reed’s ShadowLight Productions, he performed in “Wayang Listrik,” which toured in the Jim Henson International Puppetry Festival. For over 20 years, Ramon has been a member of Bindlestiff Studio, the epicenter of Filipino American arts in SOMA Pilipinas. Instagram: @when.do.we.eat

• Vinh G. Nguyen is a theatre maker, director, and puppeteer based in New York City. He has directed, choreographed, and performed in many musical productions throughout the Bay Area and is the author of “Tales of Ancient Vietnam,” a play featuring music and puppetry. You can see more of his work on Instagram @Vinh_g_nguyen and follow his puppet journey @CarefreePuppetry.

• Jess Nguyen is a teaching artist with ShadowLight Productions and a puppeteer in San Francisco Opera’s “The Monkey King.” She specializes in cinematic shadow theater, blending traditional techniques with contemporary performance and education. Jess leads multigenerational workshops that introduce the fundamentals of puppet construction, movement, and shadow play, helping participants discover storytelling through light, shape, and sound.

• Nao Kobayashi designs and fabricates puppets and costumes for entertainment, art, education, and related services. Originally from Japan and recently based in Northern California, she holds an MFA in Costume Design and Technology for Theater, TV and Film from San Diego State University. Her puppetry incorporates sketching, sculpture, fabric, and mixed media, while her background in martial arts and dance informs an understanding of movement and the body; the influence of these various disciplines provides a range and depth of innovative solutions. Instagram: @nunozoo