The first time Stéphane Villière and I met, I had to ask him to repeat himself several times. I asked him what his background was. My Texan ears and his French accent had me confused. Did he just say the word “puppet?” Really?
He did.
On the tiny island of Belitung, Indonesia, this native of the Ardennes in Northern France is busy putting the finishing touches on a puppet theatre that is as sophisticated a performance space as I have ever seen – and I’ve seen a lot. The scenery, the lighting and, of course, the stars of the show – dozens of puppets.
Those colorful characters hang quietly in wait for now, though. Covid had a devastating effect globally on the performing arts, and this island was no exception, though we’ve been lucky compared to so many other parts of the world. But things are getting better, and if all goes to plan, it won’t be too long before the doors open to tourists and locals alike. The way things work around here is by word-of-mouth, and people are already talking about something new to see and do.
Stéphane Villière was born into a family of puppeteers who organized the renowned World Puppet Theatre Festival in Charleville-Mézières from its inception in 1961. The kid was a natural, and went on to study with the Blin Company outside Paris – the oldest and most famous in France for Marionnettes à fils (puppets with jointed limbs moved from above by manipulation of the attached strings or wires).
When he returned home to form his own company and perform in that same festival, he set an all-time attendance record. The kinds of people who are connoisseurs of the art knew he was among the best. Word-of-mouth works there, too. He also studied other disciplines within the art, including Black Art, shadow puppetry and other techniques of manipulation.
Do you believe in fate? Who could have known that puppetry would lead to him meeting his Indonesian wife in 2003? He had come to Indonesia for a month to vacation and to see Asep Sunandar Sunarya, a pioneering Maestro in Indonesian puppet arts. He got a bonus in the process.
The couple fell in love, spent many years in France and now have two children. But when they decided to move to Belitung in 2013, Villière saw it as both a beginning and a bittersweet ending.
“I really thought my career was over,” he said. “I never thought I’d actually have a physical structure again, and the support to start from scratch. After we came here, my priority was to feed my family, to earn a living. Thankfully, my deep knowledge of Belitung and its wildlife made it possible for us to start a tourism business.”
I’ll ask again – do you believe in fate? It was a grant from Institut Français d’Indonésie that lead to the creation of the theatre building –something you could not have seen coming, Villière is this close to a dream coming true. How often does that happen after 50?
And so, he toils in his workshop, sculpting molds, painting, realizing new characters for the show that is completely gleaned from Belitung history and folklore. The building at Geopark Belitung Center still smells like fresh paint.
There are stories to tell about this island, and Villière, a man who truly loves the place and the people, will be your guide. He and his little friends.
To stay up to date on the journey and when it reaches the finish line, I recommend following his business Facebook Page, which he will update.
