13th World Festival of Puppet Art
Presented by the
World Association of Puppeteers
My Brief Review of 24 Live Performances (in order of performance) from Around the World, Recordings, Workshops, Discussion Groups and what I LIKED about every one. – by Jerry Bickel
F I L M & V I D E O
“The Puppeteers”
120 years with the Ferrari Family
Malu Art Productions
2009 Festival Prize: The Best Puppet Film
Directors: Maurizio Rigamonty and Lura Calder
Program Preview
The film documents the life of 4 generations of puppeteers of the Ferrari family since 1887 until today. The love of this family for puppets is not separated by death. The joy of creation goes on.
Performance
The Ferrari Family deserves celebration for their 120 year history of continuous performances. Starting as a single street performer four generations ago, the Ferrari’s theatre has raised puppetry to the highest levels of acceptance possible on the World stage. Beginning with touring, they made first ever appearances in cultural venues, made television productions, collaborated with Symphony Orchestras, performed in movies and recently were granted a museum for their work by their local government. The family has created characters from all across
“Earth and the Universe”
Yas Taman Groupe
2009 Festival Award: The Best Video Theatre
Director: Zahra Sabri
Program Preview
The Tale of Moses adapted from Masnavi-e Ma’navi.
Performance
There is inspired use of object puppetry to tell the story of Moses, his birth, trip in the reed basket, parting of the red sea, twenty years wondering the desert, and conversation with _od.
Three puppeteers used large drapes (perhaps 3 meters on each side) to make a thousand pictures. Their highly stylized movements between each scene gave time for reflection on the story. Four tassels on a large woven blanket had the first sense of life. Several puppet heads were created from small masks, appeared to be made of stone and echoed an even earlier cultural style. One most effective figure was a simple turnabout puppet from baby into adult Moses. Time passed as the sun and moon moved over head on painted hands. Especially potent was the scene of Moses walking endlessly in the desert. The film has a lovely expressive musical score and a certain way of overexposing the light at mystical moments. It was great art and potent religious drama. Beautiful.
OTHER FILMS AND VIDEOS INCLUDED film and video from Rhinestone Records and Flexitoon
L I V E P E R F O R M A N C E S
Wroclaw Puppet Theatre
“Mozart Writing Letters”
Nomination: The Best Actor
Author and Director: Krzysztof Grebski
Program Preview
One of the greatest hits at the Wroclaw Puppet Theatre, this music filled, smart and brilliant performance shows an unknown side of the congenial composer. Very rarely does a leading performer of a theatre stage play classical music live and also his own innovative jazz style arrangements. The performance combines acting (and stylish costumes) with puppet theater, including an animation technique known from the puppet theater.
Performance Review
Using the Mozart letters as framework we were given a flirtatious look into the maestro’s private life. Mostly Mozart was not about the puppets. It was about Mozart finding inspiration to compose ever more at his piano. The stage setting consisted of a piano, a trunk doubling as a post box for letters, and a giant toy theatre proscenium. The toy theater with flat cut out characters provided background. I dreamt the puppets became a more integral part of the show. Mozart was excellent. Two women (actress and puppeteers) performed all the other roles. It was a great conception for an arts-in -education program and it could have held even more educational information about Mozart.
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Pygmeteatern
“The Old Man and the Flower”
Nomination: The Best Animation
Author and Director: Sten Wallin
Program Preview
There is a lonely old man, who’s only pastime is watching TV. What happens one day when a flower is mistakenly delivered to him? We watch an astonishing story of love.
Performance Review
I felt at home as I looked at the stage. An evening of television was waiting. At the end of the work day an Old Man arrived, ate a snack and prepared to spend another night alone. In today’s society it is often the case the elderly are isolated and forgotten by the young. What a surprise when a plant is delivered to him. He loves it and it flowers. How sad then when the deliveryman reappeared explaining it was a mistaken delivery, and carried the plant away to its proper owner. Left along again with emptiness, the Old Man realized he must reach out to other people if he is to find joy and happiness. The production featured a wonderful actor with great focus and the ability to bring the “flower” object puppet to life. His ingratiating personal warmth invited me to think about my own older relatives and friends and left me wanting to take a moment and make a phone call to express my love and appreciation. The Flower children of the 60’s are in their sixties today. We don’t want ‘em to lose that lovin’ feelin’.
Mini Teater
“Ugly Duckling”
Award for Modern Puppet Dramaturgy
Author: H.C. Anderson
Director: Robert Waltl
Program Preview
The well known story--about the ugly duckling who nobody likes because he is ugly--is reconstructed and placed into a contemporary theatre world of narration, physical theater and visual art.
Performance Review
Great direction, talented young artists and inspiration brings the story to life first with alienation by peers and finally acceptance into a community. The set was a multimedia wonder. Perhaps it began as a coop for the ducks to live in. It became everything else needed as projections filled every wall of the space. White projection screens were rolled up and down as needed to provide different acting areas and environments. The performers used their bare hands as simple talking duck heads and their bodies as everything else. I especially loved watching the ducks dunk under water with their tiny feet flapping in the air. Sometimes the walls became a shadow screen to see what the characters looked like. Finally, multiple actors working together make a single character, the Adult Swan. The swan’s arrival was majestic and appreciated by the audience.
La Soupe Compagnie
“Vzadu za dvermi Derriere
“One Curious Hotel”
2009 Festival Prize: The Best Performance
Author and Director: Eric Domenicone
Program Preview
A musical and cartoon show. Our hero, Mister, is looking for Madam, a woman he saw in a picture’s reflection in a mirror. From 1 to 10 he searches each hotel room. He finds a surrealistic scene in each stop of his journey. But where is Madam?
Performance Review
This humorous play with no words has a great sense of discovery. A sound score of music and effects follows Mister around every corner he turns. A wonderful forced perspective hotel hallway allows us to see 10 of the 20 doors on stage. The set was slightly tilted every direction and added to the sense of urgency. Lighting is cleverly made from boutique hanging lamps. The hand puppets and set are modern in style and the action moved freely throughout the stage and around it. Like the children’s game “I Spy” the play’s object is to search and find Madame. Like many mysteries, there were several twists in the plot that might have led somewhere but did not…just adding to the mystery of the curious hotel. Where did the giraffe go? Hotels are mysterious places, a fantasy of rooms and the chance we might find something wonderful.
La Soupe Compagnie
“Vanity”
Award for Best Original Work
Author and Director: Benoit Fourchard
Program Preview
A blond girl is trying to keep her beauty forever. The perfection of her body becomes the purpose of her life. She wants to look like the famous doll Barbie. There is only one answer: plastic surgery.
Performance
Just like a beautiful woman--there was perfection in the production. Everywhere the production showed sharpness, style and intelligence. The found object puppets were made from iconic dolls that symbolized idealized beauty. The imagination in the show continued throughout the performance. The female in her quest for beauty was ready to go to more and more extreme grotesque ends to reach her imagined perfection of beauty. It was one women’s fight to save her beauty, but we can recognize the struggle many people face to stay at the top. The search for beauty can lead to the discovery of ugliness. All of which can drive you insane.
Figurentheater Blauer Mond
“Wolbat and the Smile of the Toad”
Nomination: The Best Scenery and Puppet Design
Author and Director: Claudia de Boer
Program Preview
Wolbat, a farmer’s son who plays the violin, lives at the foot of Toad Hill. Almost everyone in the village must farm everyday to please the land owner. Can nothing bring a smile to the toad and peace to the village?
Performance
This solo puppeteer took a chance moving away from traditional children’s stories and creating a new work that interested her. The production questioned the importance of a caste system over personal expression. The table top puppets had very good arm and leg manipulation. The head style was distinct. The voices were clear and well pitched. It was a large set for a one person show with several scenic units that moved, turned and changed during the show. Shadow puppets gave us a glimpse into the horrors of forced work underground. Freedom trumped servitude.
Luceafarul Theatre
“The Tempest”
2009 Festival Prize: The Best Scenery and Puppet Design
Author: William Shakespear
Director: Bogdan Dragulescu
Program Preview
The Tempest is an adaptation for actors and string puppets. It’s a very visual performance with special lighting and sound effects. The adaptation is respectful to the play’s spirit, but Prospero’s actions also reflect on a modern perspective.
Performance
The giant production is geared for middle school students ages 10 to fourteen years old. Few of these children read classic literature for pleasure. Even in today’s world of computers and movies “The Tempest” must excite every young adult who sees the production as part of an educational school field trip program. Part play and part lighting stage show, teenagers will love the experience. The puppets and characters range from 1 meter tall traditional string puppets to 5 meter tall giant rolling characters with tiny human faces. The staging has six or seven large rolling pieces that are reassembled as desired including their final tableaux as
Theatre Cirkus Zebrik
“The Soup is Getting Cold”
2009 Festival Prize: The Children’s Award
Authors: Milos Samek and Company
Director:
Program Preview
A show about the life of Leonardo da Vinci, his desire to fly, about his successes and failures and about one of the last thing’s he wrote in his Interlineation mathematical notes before dying, “Because the soup is getting cold…” Was it just the scream of his charwoman, or can we look into the meaning of his life to understand it?
Performance
This first time appearance by a puppet theatre from the
Duo Amfibios
“Smile in a Glass”
Award for Experimentation in Puppetry
Author and Director: Juliana Notari
Program Preview
An old lady named Ida invites one person at a time (the audience) to see pictures of her life. Through the window to her room, Ida shares emotions of her past. Seated on her old chair, encircled by little objects from her life, she shares a personal moment with each person who visits her.
Performance
Attention to detail brought this little experience to life. I saw the little black box theater. I waited my turn to peer inside. My curiosity grew as those before me were emotionally touched by what they had seen. Finally it was my turn. Covered over by a black drape and wearing earphones for music, I opened the little window and found Ida was home and waiting for me. The three minute visit made me feel a part of Ida’s family and happy to know this granny woman. The show was gentle and genuine. The actions were well thought out and lead to the little surprise ending. I left Ida’s with a smile.
Figurina Theatre of Animation
“Kidnapping of the Sun and Moon” and
“Microcircus”
2009 Festival Prize: The Best Animation
Author and Director: Gabor Siklosi
Program Preview
Hands tell the dramatic story of the creation of the cosmos and the adventure to relight the sun. Comic hands present a sensational circus. We all clap our hands.
Performance
A wonderful program of bare hand puppetry began with a fast moving creation story. Four performers used their nimble fingers and hands to create the universe and nearly every early creature that lived on it. Action was not drawn out but kept moving ahead as there was much to show about early earth. The myth of relighting the sun ended the first part of the program.
Microcircus provided maximum enjoyment. So many different circus acts were created by one man with bare hands, I cannot guess how long his creation process has gone on. Humor was everywhere in the circus ring. An acrobatic finale allowed all of the puppeteers to return to the stage for well deserved applause. Everyone left the theater with a contorted happy face that would not let go. Bravo.
I Burattini de Luciano Gottardi
“Doctor Faust”
2009 Festival Prize: The Best Actor
Authors: Tullio Kezich and Luciano Gottardi
Director: Luciano Gottardi
Program Preview
Old Doctor Faust invokes the devil to obtain knowledge, wealth and youth. The devil promises everything in exchange for Faust’s soul. Faust accepts and travels around the world. Faust’s servant, Truffaldino, saves the day.
Performance
There was magic on stage and in the puppet booth below in this wonderful performance of a classical puppet tale. Many people in the audience, hearing the live voices and seeing the number of puppets, thought a small puppet troupe was busy. But when the show was over only a single puppeteer emerged, Luciano Gottardi. Both he and Doctor Faust are possessed with spirit. The historical script of Tullio Kezich was written in 1947 when the author was but a child destined to become a famous writer. The doctor’s servant Truffaldino provided traditional comedy as he echoed Faust’s journey. His famous lines “I come, I go” echoed throughout the festival for days later. The play’s unique twist of counting time brings the story to a quick conclusion. Afterwards we enjoyed an educational tableaux when the puppet stage curtain was lowered so we could see backstage to admire all of the puppets and talent.
Trukitrek
“Hotel Crab”
2009 Festival Award: The Best Performance
Author: Trukitrek
Director: Lu Pulici
Program Preview
In a little hotel in a far away town in the summertime, no one suspects the excitement about to come into their town and how it will effect their lives. Hotel Crab is for everyone, a story with works that makes use of theatrical language and silent film style.
Performance
The show left a memory for a life time. We licked our lips in anticipation of what would happen next. The stage had three prosceniums and looked like a short piece of film stock. And oh, how cinematic the production was. Continuous entertainment flowed between the frames/windows. The style of puppet is called “humanette”. The puppeteer/actor uses their head and hands with a small puppet body in between. I have seen this novelty puppet before, but never realized it’s dramatic possibility. What did I like? The solo close-ups showing the motivation and desires of each character alone in their room. Also, the hotel and town. The cars and diamonds. The Hotel Maid. The dock and the ship. The actor’s face pantomime was great as they performed to a score of famous songs. Nothing was too long. The show had the pacing of a 007 movie. When the final curtain fell I relished in the thought of how many adults previously uninterested in puppets would find themselves loving puppetry for the first time.
Hun Chang Fron
“Princess of Love”
Award for Poetic Interpretation
Author and Director: Subtawee Sunthornmongkol
Program Preview
The history of the Prince of
Performance
To attend a world puppetry festival and totally receive it’s benefit you must let go of your preconceptions and experience foreign work to discover it’s meaning. This happened for me in this special program from the Northern Quarter of Thailand. The Thai people want to be good to one another, to speak what is right and to go forward in honor with a smile. As is often the case, a tragic true story makes a good point. “Please don’t allow intolerance to happen again” is the plea of this street theater. Emotion, sympathy and support for the characters is shown in a special
Sere de Lus Teatro
“When You Are Not There”
2009 Festival Prize: The Best Artistic Creation
Author and Director: LilyCurcio and Abel Saavedra
Program Preview
With a Latin vocation for the tragic, alternating between magical duets and solos, the actor/manipulators and the puppets perform as equals in an audacious and provocative relationship leading the audience to see much deeper than what is shown, into the absences of our own skin.
Performance
A completely theatrical, dramatic experience examining a wide range of human emotions felt when you are here and then when you are gone. During the overture, a lone light lit the stage waiting for an expected arrival. A solo puppeteer danced magnificently and yet only gave a glimpse of just how exciting the performance would be. The company of two artists arrived and astounded us with their virtuosic manipulation technique. Through the slightest nod of a well designed puppet head and beautiful movement of a well designed hand, we saw the flutter of life, maturation, grief, joy and loss. Movement and dance were one. Complex emotions flooded the stage. When the lights dimmed, the puppeteers left the stage and we found ourselves alone. They were not there. It took three rounds of applause and a standing ovation to sufficiently reward the artists for the gift they had shared.
Dejabu Theatre
“Man is Not a Bird”
2009 Festival Prize: The Best Director
Author and Director: Dejabu
Program Preview
In his golden years Simon lost possession of his land. Now he is forced to move to a small, damp flat in the town below. Now old Simon passes the last of his days watching the world from his window. Now he’s kept awake at night by ideas that fly around his mind. Now Simon has a plan.
Performance
Our emotions direct us in the long run. The things we loved we long for. Flights of fancy help to bring us all home. There was modern angst of the elderly and the sympathy and empathy the younger generation might feel in this wonderful play created by the DeJabu Theatre Laboratory.
The artful performances of the Nurse, Simon and Taxi Driver are so skillful and on fantasy’s edge, you cannot tell when you’ve really slipped over it. Wonderful stage direction allows us to see both old Simon upstairs in his room looking down at the Nurse on the doorstep, and the Nurse in close-up with full facial expression. The stage direction allows the performers to expose their character’s emotions by physical dialogue ie. “unsure, he shrugs; she falters, eyes judge, both miss, and other physical movement conversations.” Small puppets showed Simon’s journey as Everyman’s struggles through life. It was good puppetry. Flight was beautifully done. The release of Simon’s spirit and the release of the Nurse from her commitment brought a quiet moment to the conclusion. We should all hope to be so delivered by the accomplishments of our dreams.
La Negra Maria Teatro
“Tiny Story from the Universe”
2009 Award for World Association of Puppeteers:
For Young and Perspective Company
Author: La Negra Maria Teatro
Director: Alexis Espinoza
Program Preview
A writer loses her inspiration, to find it she must follow her feather pen to three worlds: Water world where she meets a fish, World of Air where life is blown into many things, and Earth, where a carnivorous plant rebels against its owner.
Performance
Deliciously simply for young children at school or in a park, this wonderful young theatre company presents a simple story with three encounters: land, sea and air. Each is comical and entertaining in its own way. Together they form a simple tale of finding the way to use your imagination. The actress uses the story to open her writing abilities. Every artist, inventor and explore uses their mind in some such way to reach their creative well of imagination.
The Vaskakas Puppet Theatre
“Metamorphisis”
Award for Visual Imagination in Theatre
Author and Director: Krzysztof Rau
Program Preview
Once upon a time there was a handkerchief. It had four corners. It was white. Boring.
But now, four puppeteers crease, pucker, know stroke and cul the white handkerchief into a world of creatures.
Performance
Playful inventiveness bounded on stage the moment the scarf puppeteers began to entertain us. Imaginative storytelling allowed the puppeteer to demonstrate their technique of folding fabric to become animals alive on stage. With scant materials of tablecloths only, we watched birds, snakes and battling peacocks; horses, mules and a trumpeting elephant; dragonflies hovered in the sky and birds circled to bath in the pool. We frolicked, the music babbled and then the bubble burst. The company had taken us right to the center of playful imaginative storytelling. We’d seen dozens of animals and had lots of fun. It was delicious.
I Burattini dei Ferrari
“Morgana”
Award for the Longest European Family Tradition in Puppetry
Authors: Daniela Ferrari
Director: Giordano Ferrari
Program Preview
Performance
Super spectacular, fantasy filled, historically accurate, now and forever; the il Burratinni del Ferrari family really know how to put on a show. Three acts of fun, traditional mischief, adventure and word play. This company does not perform in the style of the Commedia, rather its 120 year history makes them part of the continuing roots of the Commedia del Arte.
Traditional characters and staging are mixed today on stage with the modern inventions of ultraviolet lighting and other special effects. This is good. The theatre always adapts to what is new and makes it their own. Their original historical script of “Morgana” has added electrical spark swords and musical breaks for glow-in-the-dark puppets. Afterwards, hearing a part of the script translated into English I was amazed at how much the stage business humorously demonstrated good morals and decision making. The over abundance of fun is tempered by the responsible poke of a stick.
Wiczy Theatre
“Broken Nails”
A Dialogue with Marlene Dietrich
Award for Innovation in Puppetry
Author and Director: Romuald Wicza Pokojski
Program Preview
Spectacular theatre and a mesmerizing study of femininity and celebrity. In her heydays Marlene symbolized an ideal of womanhood: beautiful, passionate, independent and desired by man and women alike. In her last years of life, “Broken Nails” depicts the sacrifices she made of love and beauty for the price of fame.
Performance
A large steamer trunk sets the stage for the story of Marlene Dietrich as she reminisces about her life and personal motivations. The actress was great as Ms. Dietrich’s aide and wonderful at pulling back from the stage into her puppet Marlene character. A repertoire of her favorite songs helped point to her inner emotions. Marlene’s back stage memoir gave meaning to her public persona.
Skromlehjulet Figurteater
“Peepshow”
Author: Kjerstio Iverson
Director: Kjell Helgeland
Program Preview
Welcome to Peepshow. Three people at a time can take a peek for six minutes and watch Dolls toss innocence aside for love, sexuality and maturity. It’s fun.
Performance
A playful investigation between little naked puppets and video. Not intended to be pornographic but instead explorative, it mingled it’s puppetry and visuals. The video is used as a horizontal floor for the sexy finger puppets to perform on. The camera knows full well which way the eyes will be looking. We, however cannot guess what’s next, but wait, and find ourselves at the beach, on the floor, a top the table, in the bed and more. I took a peep and can’t tell more. This was a fun moment. It was a together little group experience.
Mobarak Company
“Eventful Marriage”
Award for Continuation of Historical Puppetry
Author and Director: Hossein Rabiey
Program Preview
“Kheymeh Shab Bazi” is a traditional comedy which has run for 1000 years. “Mobarak” usually is the main character in these folktales. In this tale, Mobarak finds a girl for marriage. We see everything; a comic courtship, parade of dowry, wedding, traditional festival performers and a Baby!
Performance
Quality comes from performance.. This traditional performance with historic puppets was perfect all the way through. We saw more than a glimpse of the traditional puppet theatre of Iran. We saw a program that documents a puppetry performance over one hundred years old. Mobarak the clown is about to be married. Through his quest, marriage and celebration we see how things have always been done.
The show was a joy to behold.
Teatro Naku
“Naku Cirkus”
Award for Modern Development in Puppetry
Author and Director: Sonia Gonzales
2009 Special Award of World Association of Puppeteers:
Teatro Naku
Puppeteers of the Year 2009
Program Preview
Naku Cirkus recreates the fantastic and eerie universe of circus. Our fortune is told, our fate sealed and we must enjoy the show and the sideshow under the tent.
Performance
Beneath the theatre at Karlova 44 is a dark cellar and in the dark cellar among a filled with a collection of historic puppets. There I found a little tent with a fortune teller who told me all I needed to know. The show was a secret I cannot reveal. Go to the Naku Circus and you will be entertained. You will see things you have never seen before. But do not reveal their nature, only the skillful manipulation of the puppeteers. The production celebrates the strange and eerie. Our joyous laughter rung throughout the cellar, then faded and disappeared as we meet each performer of the Naku Circus.
Sema Thai Marionette Troupe
“The
Festival Prize: The Best Original Performance
Author and Director: Nimit Pipithkul
Program Preview
Inspired by the Ramayana, this story is the battle between the Devas and the
Performance
An open three level marionette stage was used to present this classic tale with modern effects. Marionettes, rod puppets and shadow figures were used in the large scale production. The characters perform within a complex set of rules. For instance the angels and deities cannot have their feet touch the ground; Man’s feet always touch the ground and the monkey warriors are everywhere. The shadow figures performed on side stages after blessing the main stage. A new historic style King Rod Puppet was introduced in this production as well.
You can read more about this marionette troupe and their performances in the 12th Prague Festival Review at the WAP website www.wap-prague.org .
Luceafarul Theatre
“The Little Bag with Two Coins”
Award for Continuing Puppet Plays from Past, thru Today and into the Future
Author: Ion Creanga
Director: Constantin Brehnescu
Program Preview
One of the longest running productions of the company, two of the theater’s most gifted performers present this Romanian Fairytale.
Performance
This show made my heart feel glad to be a puppeteer. Only two children or so were in our audience, but their belief in the puppets was big enough for a theatre full of adults to relive what seeing your first show as a child is all about. Oh how excitiedly the children answered the performer’s questions, shouted out warnings and lived in the moment. The production has been in the company’s repertoire for 22 years and is still presented by the same two performers since the beginning. The little old woman moved with the same pecking head movements as her hen. A horse and buggy ride and an egg laying machine were two wonderful moments with mechanical props that made us smile. When discussing the experience afterwards with the performers, they mused that what they once did as youth, they now do as adult actors portraying youth and at a certain magic point it keeps them young at heart. My best wishes for every show that makes us feel young and filled with spirit. Cockadoodle do!
T H R E E N O N J U R I E D E V E N T S
AN EXPLANATION OF MY CREATION TECHNIQUE by Juliana Notari of Duo Amfibios used her production “Smile in a Glass” as the show model. We learned how she carefully plotted the independent and possible group reactions between the puppet, the audience, and her unseen self. As further development she sees a completed row of five performance boxes with steps along a woman’s journey. Afterwards we were lucky to see photographs of her “Gilgamesh” production.
HEATHER HENSON HANDMADE PUPPET DREAMS screened three dvd collections featuring twenty two independent film makers in the Extra Film Program. (Handmade Dreams is a previous film winner.) There was lots of different puppetry to see. Some made us laugh, some cheer, another jeer, and philosophical discussions about puppetry filled the air. Dreams #3 was fabulous showing a positive view of puppetry that the puppeteers especially enjoyed. Ibex Films representative Jon Jones announced each day’s event and fielded questions.
DISCUSSION GROUPS were held by Holli Rubin of Bits N Pieces Puppet Theatre USA. The group met six times and grew to over capacity by the last day. The live productions, videos and films were discussed. When a specific company’s creative artists were present at the meetings they were welcomed to tell about their creation techniques and goals. At the last meeting the group was joined by the Thai puppeteers who brought their puppets to share with the discussion group members.
This was a wonderful 13th Festival. Congratulations to Mr. Todor Ristic, President of the World Association of Puppeteers for organizing this great experience in world puppetry. It was everyone’s chance to reach out their hand and meet another culture. International exchange makes us better. Thank you to everyone who participated.
Sincerely yours,
Jerry Bickel, Director
Bits N Pieces Puppet Theatre,
Jbickel663@aol.com www.puppetworld.com