Puppet Theatres (entry)

Categories / Art/Music, Theatre/Theaters, Concert Organizations
PUPPET THEATRES. The first professional State Puppet Theatre was Petrograd Puppet Theatre directed by L. V. Shaporina-Yakovleva (founded in 1918, opened in 1919, in 1923-24 part of the Young People's Theatre at 33 Mokhovaya Street). In 1924, the Theatre of Petrushka was established and headed by E.S. Demmeni, becoming part of the Young People's Theatre in 1925. In 1930, the companies united to become the Puppet Theatre of the Leningrad Young People's Theatre, in 1937 became known as the Leningrad State Puppet Theatre headed by E.S. Demmeni (remained the director until 1969) at 52 Nevsky Prospect, in 1982 as the Marionette Puppet Theatre, and in 1994 named after Demmeni (memorial plaque installed). The repertoire included performances for children and adults, and demonstrated techniques of Marionettes, Petrushkas, cane puppets, and mixed-genre. The theatre has produced over 250 performances, including Gulliver's Voyage To Lilliput based on J. Swift's book (1928), A.P. Chekhov's The Wedding (1929), The Tale of the Dead Princess and the Seven Knights based on Alexander Pushkin's story (1937), Puppet Town by E.L. Schwarz (1939), Hop o' My Thumb based on Ch. Perrault' fairy tale (1946), The Merry Wives of Windsor based on W. Shakespeare's play (1947), Michek-Flichek by Y. Malik (1957), Le Medecio malgr lui by J.-B. Moliere (1959), Famous Duckling Tim based on Blyton's stories (1966), Uncle Remus' Stories based on books by D. Harris (1978), Oh, Dear Augustin based on H.-Ch. Andersen's stories (1989), The Tale of the Magic Butterfly Chimera and Celestial Horse Pegasus by E.Y. Ugryumov (1997), and The Good Tale of An Unkind Fate by N. Shuvalov (1999). In 1927 the theater initiated courses for directors, actors, and designers. In 1942 the theatre was evacuated to the town of Ivanovo, then to Moscow; in 1945, it resumed performance in Leningrad. The theatre has been associated with directors such as: K.K. Tverskoy, V.A. Ilyin, Y.S. Poznyakov, V.N. Lopukhin, M.A. Khusid, and Ugryumov; actors M.M. Drozzhin, V.G. Vorstedt, N.V. Okhochinsky, Ilyin, Poznyakov, V.M. Melnik, G.A. Moroz, T.E. Tomashevskaya, V.S. Popov, L.I. Zhorina, F.I. Kostina, and A.V. Mirokhin; and puppet designers T.G. Bruni, M.Y. Artyukhova, N.A. Yanson-Manizer, A.F. Gaush, A.E. Blek, E.I. Kruglikova, N.M. Kochergin, I.P. Pavlovich, M.A. Yasinskaya, N.I. Sizykh. N.P. Luneva began heading the theatre in 1977. In 1931 the main travelling puppet theatre of the House for Communist Education of Children of Smolninsky District (today 49 Liteiny Avenue), was renamed the Second Leningrad Puppet Theatre in 1939, found a permanent home in 1940 at 10 Nekrasova Street, become a state theater in 1941, and renamed the Bolshoy Puppet Theatre in 1955. In 1942-44, it was evacuated to Novosibirsk. Among the best productions for children and grown-ups are Aladdin and the Magic Lamp by N.V. Gernet (1940), The Scarlet Flower based on S. T. Aksakov's book (1945), The Twelve Chairs based on I.A. Ilf and E.P. Petrov's book (1957), Beautiful Galatea by B. Gador and S. Darvash (1958), Little Red Riding Hood (1954), Schwarz's Cinderella (1963), The Elephant's Child based on R. Kipling's story (1964), The Good Soldier Svejk based on J. Hasek's book (1973), At Dawn based on V.M. Shukshin's story (1976), Petersburg Fantasy based on stories by N.V. Gogol and F.M. Dostoevsky (1982), and Y. Eksholm's The Fox-Cub That Didn't Want to be Cunning (1996). The theatre was headed by the directors S.N. Shapiro, M.M. Korolev, and V.B. Sudarushkin; and included actors V.S. Kiseleva, I.S. Alperovich, V.V. Kukushkin, A.P. Korzakov and V.P. Korzakov, V.P. Martyanov, L.G. Donskova, A.A. Tsukanov, N.M. Tarnovskaya, N.V. Karikova, E.R. Mirzoyan, A.V. Knyazkov, B.A. Makarov, et al. Artists: I.A. Korotkov, N.N. Konstantinovskaya, V.V. Malakhieva, V.A. Khovralev and V.G. Khovralev, and L. A. Borovenkova. Since 1993, A.A. Polukhina, Honoured Worker of the Arts of Russia, has been the theatre's main director. In 1944, the Fairy-Tale Puppet theatre was opened in the House of Pioneers and Schoolchildren in the Frunzensky District, beginning in 1956 as a travelling theatre, and settling in 1986 at 121 Moskovsky Avenue. Among its best-known productions are Well done, Balda! by V.P. Kravchenko (1972), Out of the Harbour of Liverpool based on Kipling's stories (1988), Dwarf Nose based on W. Hauff's book (1992), Bluebeard based on Perrault's story (1994), and The Nutcracker based on E.T.A. Hoffmann's story (2000). The following directors have worked at the theatre: A.S. Nikolaev, V.S. Iogelson, Y.N. Eliseev, N.Y. Borovkov et al. Actors: E.B. Gelodi, E.P. Chernyak, O.P. Lyandsberg, V.V. Chernyavsky, V.N. Morozov, E.S. Kulikova, Y.B. Bulankina, P.V. Semenova, I.K. Laskari, et al. Artists: A.M. Lyandsberg, N.I. Polyakova, and A.D. Ignatyeva. I.V. Ignatyev, Honoured Worker of Arts of Russia became the theatre's main director in 1987 . New puppet theatres have proliferated since the early 1990s, among them the Brodyachaya Sobachka (Stray Dog) Puppet Theatre (since 1990; 59 Stachek Avenue); the Puppet Opera (since 1990; residence at 17 Bronnitskaya Street); Puppet House (since 1992, no set stage); and Potudan Puppet Theatre of the Baltic House Theatre-Festival (since 2002; 4 Alexandrovsky Park).

References: Ленинградскому государственному Большому театру кукол 50 лет. Л., 1982; Деммени Е. С. Призвание - кукольник: Ст. Выступления. Заметки. Л., 1986.

A. A. Kirillov. Aarne V.
Aksakov Sergey Timofeevich
Alperovich Ilya Simonovich
Andersen Hans Christian
Artyukhova Maria Yakovlevna
Blek Alexander Eduardovich
Blyton E.
Borovenkova L.A.
Borovkov Nikolay Yurievich
Bruni Tatyana Georgievna
Bulankina Yulia B.
Chekhov Anton Pavlovich
Chernyak Ekaterina P.
Chernyavsky Vladimir Vsevolodovich
Darvas Jozsef
Demmeni Evgeny Sergeevich
Donskova Lyubov G.
Dostoevsky Fedor Mikhailovich
Drozzhin Mikhail Mikhailovich
Eksholm Ya.
Eliseev Yury Nikolaevich
Gador B.
Gaush Alexander Fedorovich
Gelodi E.B.
Gernet Nina Vladimirovna
Gogol Nikolay Vasilievich
Harris D.
Hasek Jaroslav
Hauff Wilhelm
Hoffmann Ernst Theodor Amadeus
Ignatyev Igor Vsevolodovich
Ignatyeva Anna Dmitrievna
Ilf Ilya (real name Feinsilberg Ilya Arnoldovich)
Ilyin V.A.
Iogelson B.S.
Karikova Natalia Vasilievna
Khovralev Vladimir Alexeevich
Khovraleva Valentina Grigorievna
Khusid Mikhail A.
Kipling Joseph Rudyard
Kiseleva Valeria Sergeevna
Knyazkov Andrey Valerievich
Kochergin Nikolay Mikhailovich
Konstantinovskaya Natalia Nikolaevna
Korolev Mikhail Mikhailovich
Korotkov I.A.
Korzakov Alexander Petrovich
Korzakov Vladimir P.
Kostina Faina Ivanovna
Kravchenko Boris P.
Kruglikova Elizaveta Sergeevna
Kukushkin Vladimir Vladimirovich
Kulikova Emilia Sergeevna
Laskari Irina Kirillovna
Lopukhin Vladimir Nikolaevich
Luneva Natalia P.
Lyandsberg A.M.
Lyandsberg Olga P.
Makarov Boris Anatolievich
Malakhieva V.V.
Malik Ya.
Martyanov Vladimir Petrovich
Melnik Alexey M.
Mirokhin Arkady V.
Mirzoyan Ella R.
Moliere Jean-Baptiste
Moroz Galina Alexandrovna
Morozov V.N.
Nikolaev Alexey S.
Okhochinsky Nikita Vladimirovich
Pavlovich I.P.
Perrault Charles
Petrov (real name Kataev) Evgeny Petrovich
Polukhina Alla Alexandrovna
Polyakova Nelly Ivanovna
Popov Vyacheslav S.
Poznyakov Yury Sergeevich
Pushkin Alexander Sergeevich
Schwarz Evgeny Lvovich
Semenova P.V.
Shakespeare William
Shapiro Savely Naumovich
Shaporina-Yakovleva Lyubov Vasilievna
Shukshin Vasily Makarovich
Shuvalov N.
Sizykh Natalia I.
Sudarushkin Viktor Borisovich
Swift Jonathan
Tarnovskaya N.M.
Tomashevskaya Tatyana Evgenievna
Tsukanov Alexey A.
Tverskoy (real name Kuzmin-Karavaev) Konstantin Konstantinovich
Ugryumov Evgeny Yurievich
Vorstedt Vera Georgievna
Yanson-Manizer Elena Alexandrovna
Yasinskaya Margarita Anatolievna
Zhorina Larisa Ivanovna
Bronnitskaya St./Saint Petersburg, city, house 17
Liteiny Ave/Saint Petersburg, city, house 49
Mokhovaya St./Saint Petersburg, city, house 33
Moskovsky Ave/Saint Petersburg, city, house 121
Nekrasova St./Saint Petersburg, city, house 10
Nevsky prospect/Saint Petersburg, city, house 52
Stachek Ave/Saint Petersburg, city, house 59
Деммени Е. С. Призвание - кукольник: Статьи. Выступления. Заметки. Л., 1986
Ленинградскому государственному Большому театру кукол 50 лет. Л., 1982