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KAUNAS STATE PUPPET THEATRE

Established in 1958 the KAUNAS PUPPET THEATRE registers in its chronicle more than 180 puppet performances, a great number of tours to foreign countries, such as Hungary, Italy, Poland, Bulgaria, Finland, Denmark, Sweden, Germany, Czech Republic, Former Soviet Republics and remote countries of Latin America and festivals in many of them. Following the idea, generated by the founders of the Theatre, spouses Stasys Ratkevicius and Valerija Ratkeviciene, that everything what is being done at the theatre, should belong to the little ones, the theatre of today alongside with traditional classical puppet performances should be searching for new and engaging ways of association with little spectators who, through displayed kindness and beauty, would experience the utmost satisfaction and impact on their consciousness and feelings. Based on this point of view, new traditions of new theatrical arrangements during the last decade were generated in the Theatre.

Advertisements of the Theatre today offer to the little spectators twenty puppet performances. These are the most exciting dramatizations of Lithuanian as well as the world – wide known fairy tales – original dramaturgy – for the children. Every season more than 45 thousand spectators visit the Theatre; over 300 puppet plays have been performed; 4–5 new plays are usually staged. The theatre can boast of two halls for spectators – 226 and 50 seats each.

Spectators can visit the Kaunas Puppet Theatre Museum attached to the main part of the building under the same roof.

Chief Producer Algimantas Stankevicius
Director Sigitas Klibavicius

LET THE PUPPETS AND CHILDREN SMILE TOGETHER!

An annual festival reminds the Kaunas inhabitants that the season at the Theatre as well as the academic year is over. The actors and actresses of the Lithuanian Puppet Theatre as well as guests from foreign countries arrange puppet performances, concerts, exhibitions and other events, including the PUPPET and MASKS PARADE in the central street of the city, the latter becoming the place of a joyful festival of smiles and the landmark of the beginning of a careless summer holiday.

Traditional noncommercial Puppet Theatres Festival is organizing since 1991. From 2001 partners of the Festival became world association of puppetry UNIMA national centre in Lithuania. This festival invites professional troupes from Lithuania and abroad, the best Lithuanian children puppet theatres groups take part in festival also.

The Festival gives possibility to see and discus new performances, the workshops and creative laboratories is organized also. The Festival evening club, photo exhibition, children’s design exhibition, parade of puppets and masks, puppets are included in the Festival schedule.

In 2008 XVIII INTERNATIONAL PUPPET THEATRE FESTIVAL LET PUPPETS AND CHILDREN SMILE TOGETHER was dedicated to the 50^th anniversary of our theatreand Kaunas city 600^th anniversary.

Our theater takes part in the project FLYING FESTIVAL 2009-2011. The project’s aim is to seek the answers to a number of questions : what does the modern theatre in Europe say about family and child; how does the artistic vision correspond to the everday life experience of the audience; and last but not least, what role plays or may the theatre play in moulding the modern family model. The core of the project is staging theatrical performances and establishing the international theatrical exchange in order to provide the vast theatrical picture of today’s family and child. In the project also participate: The Baj Pomorski Theatre from Toruń (Poland), Stare Divadlo Nitra (Slovakia), Divadlo Loutek Ostrava (the Czech Republic), and a partner to this undertaking is the Academic State Puppet Theatre (Ukraine). In June, 2011 the next edition of the festival ‘Let Puppets and Children smile togeher’ will take place, where all theatres taking part in project FLYING FESTIVALl will present themselves in Kaunas.

TO THE FAIRYLAND WITH A PHOTO CAMERA

At the end of August each year a new festival opens a new season. The festival converts the Theatre as well as its approaches into the FAIRY TALE TOWN that is actually built using the parts of the désor of the performances and other articles of the kind. The characters of the performances invite all the children and their parents to take photo of themselves together with the beloved characters of the fairy tales and the plays to keep a long memory of the event. DO NOT FORGET TO TAKE YOUR PHOTO CAMERAS!

AT THE MUSEUM OF PUPPETS

A well-known character (actress Elena Zekiene), resides at the MUSEUM OF THE KAUNAS PUPPET THEATRE. She arranges an hour’s performances there and also instructs children and their parents how to improvise the scenes seen in the performances at home using the puppets of their own production.

Tel.: +3706 86 82837; email.: sigitas@kaunoleles.lt



		English KAUNAS STATE PUPPET THEATRE Established in 1958 the KAUNAS PUPPET THEATRE registers in its chronicle more than 180 puppet performances, a great number of tours to foreign countries, such as Hungary, Italy, Poland, Bulgaria, Finland, Denmark, Sweden, Germany, Czech Republic, Former Soviet Republics and remote countries of Latin America and festivals in many of them. Following the idea, generated by the founders of the Theatre, spouses Stasys Ratkevicius and Valerija Ratkeviciene, that everything what is being done at the theatre, should belong to the little ones, the theatre of today alongside with traditional classical puppet performances should be searching for new and engaging ways of association with little spectators who, through displayed kindness and beauty, would experience the utmost satisfaction and impact on their consciousness and feelings. Based on this point of view, new traditions of new theatrical arrangements during the last decade were generated in the Theatre. Advertisements of the Theatre today offer to the little spectators twenty puppet performances. These are the most exciting dramatizations of Lithuanian as well as the world – wide known fairy tales – original dramaturgy – for the children. Every season more than 45 thousand spectators visit the Theatre; over 300 puppet plays have been performed; 4–5 new plays are usually staged. The theatre can boast of two halls for spectators – 226 and 50 seats each. Spectators can visit the Kaunas Puppet Theatre Museum attached to the main part of the building under the same roof. Chief Producer Algimantas Stankevicius Director Sigitas Klibavicius LET THE PUPPETS AND CHILDREN SMILE TOGETHER! An annual festival reminds the Kaunas inhabitants that the season at the Theatre as well as the academic year is over. The actors and actresses of the Lithuanian Puppet Theatre as well as guests from foreign countries arrange puppet performances, concerts, exhibitions and other events, including the PUPPET and MASKS PARADE in the central street of the city, the latter becoming the place of a joyful festival of smiles and the landmark of the beginning of a careless summer holiday. Traditional noncommercial Puppet Theatres Festival is organizing since 1991. From 2001 partners of the Festival became world association of puppetry UNIMA national centre in Lithuania. This festival invites professional troupes from Lithuania and abroad, the best Lithuanian children puppet theatres groups take part in festival also. The Festival gives possibility to see and discus new performances, the workshops and creative laboratories is organized also. The Festival evening club, photo exhibition, children’s design exhibition, parade of puppets and masks, puppets are included in the Festival schedule. In 2008 XVIII INTERNATIONAL PUPPET THEATRE FESTIVAL LET PUPPETS AND CHILDREN SMILE TOGETHER was dedicated to the 50^th anniversary of our theatreand Kaunas city 600^th anniversary. Our theater takes part in the project FLYING FESTIVAL 2009-2011. The project’s aim is to seek the answers to a number of questions : what does the modern theatre in Europe say about family and child; how does the artistic vision correspond to the everday life experience of the audience; and last but not least, what role plays or may the theatre play in moulding the modern family model. The core of the project is staging theatrical performances and establishing the international theatrical exchange in order to provide the vast theatrical picture of today’s family and child. In the project also participate: The Baj Pomorski Theatre from Toruń (Poland), Stare Divadlo Nitra (Slovakia), Divadlo Loutek Ostrava (the Czech Republic), and a partner to this undertaking is the Academic State Puppet Theatre (Ukraine). In June, 2011 the next edition of the festival ‘Let Puppets and Children smile togeher’ will take place, where all theatres taking part in project FLYING FESTIVALl will present themselves in Kaunas. TO THE FAIRYLAND WITH A PHOTO CAMERA At the end of August each year a new festival opens a new season. The festival converts the Theatre as well as its approaches into the FAIRY TALE TOWN that is actually built using the parts of the désor of the performances and other articles of the kind. The characters of the performances invite all the children and their parents to take photo of themselves together with the beloved characters of the fairy tales and the plays to keep a long memory of the event. DO NOT FORGET TO TAKE YOUR PHOTO CAMERAS! AT THE MUSEUM OF PUPPETS A well-known character (actress Elena Zekiene), resides at the MUSEUM OF THE KAUNAS PUPPET THEATRE. She arranges an hour’s performances there and also instructs children and their parents how to improvise the scenes seen in the performances at home using the puppets of their own production. Tel.: +3706 86 82837; email.: sigitas@kaunoleles.lt