NASHVILLE (AP) - Nashville is playing host to puppet troupes from around the world this weekend at a free festival hosted by the public library.

Performances at the International Puppet Festival include an Argentinian puppeteer who creates complex shadow puppets using only her hands and a few simple props. There's also the object theater of France's Velo Theatre, in which a puppeteer/storyteller stays on stage and anything he picks up can be transformed into a puppet. And a Japanese troupe performs traditional Bunraku puppetry with a show called "Silent Poems."

The performances are free, but many require tickets due to limited seating. Half the tickets can be reserved in advance for a $2.50 handling fee. The other half are available at the library on the day of the show.