Kids

Puppets at Play By Jennifer Cherkasov

Issue 4 March 4 - April 8, 2004

	Vladimir Filonov
	Puppets: Obraztsov Theater

At the theater’s entrance, kiosks selling handmade toys and puppets provide the first distraction for young eyes. Upstairs, theatergoers are greeted by Little Red Riding Hood and her friends as they leap from the legendary “Mechanical Puppet Clock” every hour on the hour. This ornate cuckoo clock has come to be the symbol of the Obraztsov Theater.

The auditorium functions like a grown-up theater, so if you have a squirmy child, ask for seats near the end of a row so you can flee for the exit doors when necessary. Staff members understand that children may need to enter and exit, but the overall atmosphere is highly professional. Once the lights go down, youthful eyes are instantly drawn to the animated dancing and spirited personalities of the puppets appearing on stage. The costumes of Obraztsov characters range from the gaudy to the extraordinary, and they accompany appealing personalities like Buratino, the Russian Pinocchio. Young viewers, and adults as well, will marvel at scenes like the creation of Pinocchio’s nose — from a clean orb of smooth wood to a long sharp nose, with just a few flicks of Papa Carlo’s knife.

The theater was founded in 1931 by its first director, Sergei Obraztsov. This prominent Soviet artist was also a prolific author, not to mention a talented actor, painter and musician.

The Obraztsov Theater is known for organizing prestigious international puppet-show festivals and giving public lectures for children and teachers. More than 250,000 people visit the theater each year, and not surprisingly, 70 percent of them are children.