Artist and teacher Ramon Abad brings stories to life through puppetry

Puppeteer Ramon Abad is a featured artist at the 27th annual United States Asian America Festival. Photo courtesy of the Asian Pacific Islander Cultural Center

Ramon Abad vividly recalls the moment he stumbled upon a shadow puppet show as an undergraduate Cinema student at San Francisco State University.

"I was transfixed. I felt this very strong, almost psychic connection to the experience because it answered a lot of what I was looking for at that time. This particular type of storytelling and connection to the community was really appealing," Abad said.

The unexpected encounter ignited a new passion within him and laid the foundation for his future endeavors in puppetry and theater. His journey led him to an internship at the American Conservatory Theater (A.C.T.), where he became involved with ShadowLight Productions under the guidance of renowned director and puppeteer Larry Reed.

In the mid-1990s, Abad joined a Filipino comedy troupe called "tongue in A mood," led by Artistic Director Allan Manalo. Allan and his late wife, Joyce Juan Manalo, played vital roles in transforming Bindlestiff Studio in San Francisco's South of Market district. Their tireless efforts and creative vision turned the studio into a groundbreaking, community-based performing arts venue dedicated to showcasing emerging Filipino American and Pilipino artists. Through his involvement in "tongue in A mood," Abad forged lifelong friendships at Bindlestiff Studio that were a constant source of inspiration.

"In learning about ‘tongue in A mood,’ I really started to learn more about Filipino culture, and I'm still on that journey," Abad said.

Shadow puppetry has been deeply rooted in the cultural traditions of China, India, and various countries in Southeast Asia for centuries. This ancient form of storytelling features colorful and intricately designed silhouette figures made from leather or paper, brought to life through music and singing. Abad has honed his skills in the art of shadow puppetry, but his adoration for the craft extends beyond this specialty.

"The first thing you think about when you think of puppets is a muppet–it looks like Kermit the Frog or Elmo. Honestly, my work has not been with that kind of puppetry at all. Besides shadow puppetry, there's a lot of different types of puppetry out there," Abad said.

Abad has led puppetry residencies in the United States and the United Kingdom. During his time in England, he performed at various children's theater companies, many of which specialized in productions for young audiences. When he returned to San Francisco, he wished to bring the same liveliness and excitement for puppetry into the Filipino American community. His vision was to invest time and resources to encourage children to explore puppetry as an artistic way of storytelling.

"It involves giving space to people who want to tell stories and create visual art or sculptures. Puppetry lies right in between," Abad said. "I want to encourage a young generation and young people to take advantage of this unique art form and tell new stories moving forward."

In 2022, Ramon directed "Pickles! The Bindlestiff Kid Show," a live, all-puppet children's stage production sponsored by the Asian Pacific Islander Cultural Center. He commissioned three child playwrights to work with a dramaturg and write stories for the show.

"My favorite part of the process is seeing a lot of the inner generational collaboration that I see between really young kids and adults in the same room and seeing the joy of seeing a puppet being made," he said. 

Abad's most recent production, "Duck Soup," offers an interactive theater experience for kids and families. The name derives from Depression-era slang, meaning "easy to do" or a "piece of cake." Featured at the 2024 United States Asian American Festival, "Duck Soup" captivates audiences with engaging short stories presented through puppetry.

"Puppetry is a way for the community to express itself in a very unique way. Puppetry is the synthesis of a combination of theater and visual arts because you have to make the puppets," Abad said.

As he looks towards the future, Abad remains committed to ensuring that puppetry continues to thrive as a dynamic and inclusive art form, guided by the philosophy that imagination enriches everyday life.