State Puppet Theatre Varna
The State Puppet Theatre - Varna was found in 1952. More than 250 productions have been put on its stage for the last 58 years, more than 20 0000 performances have been played, all of them seen by more than 8 million spectators here and abroad.
The theatre has its own building in the centre of the town, represenring a valuable architectural monument, which is ingeniousnly adapted to the needs of modern cultural institution. An auditorium with 200 seats, a rehearsal stage, dressing rooms, administration rooms, studios and a Museum of Puppets - the only one of that kind on the Balkans.
The repertoire of the theatre offers performances for spectators of all age, starting from classical and modern plays for children, entertaining and vanguard performances for adults to educative productions for students.
Varna Puppet Theatre has been the host of the prestigious International Puppet Festival The Golden Dolphin. It is held every three years at the biginning of Octobre in the town Varna and it has turned into a centre of the best achievements of puppet theatres in the world.
History
In 1951, the community of Varna invited Georgi Saravanov, famous puppeteer, stage designer and director who had laid the foundations of the marionette theatre in Plovdiv (1948) to establish a puppet theatre in our city. He responded to the invitation, came to Varna and established a group of beginning actors, part of which have graduated from a musical school. In August 1952, the puppet performance The Duckling by Nina Gernett and Tamara Gurevich was played in the old hall of the Varna Commune theatre with marionettes that Saravanov made by himself. His unique puppets from the first performances may be seen at the Museum of Puppets to the theatre. The interest and the joy exhibited by the young spectators displayed the need for puppet art in Varna's cultural life. Immediately after the success of The Duckling, the theatre became a cultural institute to the city's people council.
GEORGI SARAVANOV (1920–2000)
Founder, manager, director and stage designer of Varna Puppet Theatre from 1952 to 1958. He staged the performances: The Duckling, The Two Bears, The Golden Fish, Cinderella, The Dragon and the Golden Apple, The Devil's Mill, The Scarlet Flower, Aladdin's Magic Lamp, The Pearl Tears Girl, Life-giving Water and Ivan - the Peasant Son, Darling Beauty, etc. Georgi Saravanov has been working at Varna Puppet Theatre for six season, creating a number of performances after Bulgarian and Russian fairy-tales as well as from the world classical tales. He kept deploying his aesthetic platform in them. His preference for the marionette set in motion to the highest degree required an exceptional puppeteering technique from the actors. This circumstance contributed to further achievement of notable puppeteering mastery by the actors' team of Varna.
Let's remember the founders' names: Yordanka Saravanova, Petya Mandadzhiyska, Olga Peneva, Ruska Tsekova, Stefan Krumov, Avgustina Boeva, Anton Kutikov, Boris Zhelev, Vyara Mihaylova-Popova, Veselin Dionisiev, Dimitar Popov, Konstantin Kotsev, Nedka Pinteva, Neli Dzhedzheva-Mihova, Nastya Mihaylova, Roza Bozadzhieva, Stefan Voykov, Dimitar Bogdanov, etc.
The first building allocated for theatre was situated at Vladislav Varnenchik boulevard, behind the Post Station. There were soup kitchens and a cereals warehouse there but the first puppeteers undertook with love and enthusiasm the reconstruction of the dark and inconvenient hall to transform it... into theatre! Almost with no money. Georgi Saravanov even granted his laureate prize... Everybody was dedicatedly doing everything that should be done - creative, administrative, organizational and technical work. Because they believed that they were giving birth to something good, nice and necessary to children.
The first premiere in the new hall - The Golden Fish after Al. S. Puskine, in late December 1953. Five years later, followed the first international event for the theatre - participation in the World Puppet Art Festival in Bucharest, Romania in May 1958. Following years were a time of team's continual extension and improvement
On 12 July 1985, the theatre was accommodated in a new building in the city centre – a valuable architectural monument that was originally adapted to the needs of a modern cultural institute. Professor Nikolina Georgieva's performance Carnival of Animals was played at the official inauguration.
Managers and artistic directors of the theatre following the founder Georgi Saravanov
MIHAIL MATEEV: Manager and playwright of Varna State Puppet Theatre from 1958 to 1968.
YORDAN TODOROV Manager and artistic director of Varna State Puppet Theatre from 1958 to 1968. His activity resulted in the professional development of all theatre units. In 1970, he became the initiator and promoter of a puppet theatre festival that was transformed into an international festival in 1972 - The Golden Dolphin. He was author of the plays: Maximka, Goldie Golden Girl, Tale of Sleepy Girl, Pie the Parrot, The Raven, etc. He wrote the scripts for Little Ani, Toshko Afrikanski, The Nightingale and the Rose, The Happy Prince, Queen of Spades. Prize for dramaturgy (Pie the Parrot) at the 7th International Puppet Festival of Bulgarian Puppet Play The Golden Dolphin.
ZLATI ZLATEV Manager and director of Varna State Puppet Theatre from 1991 to 2006. He staged more than 50 performances at the theatre: The Merry Roosters, Maximka, The Nightingale and the Rose, Love, Love…, The Happiest Man, The Little Prince, Queen of Spades, Long Live Louis XVI, Booboo's New Adventures, Kosse Bosse, a Button for Sleep and others. A number of Bulgarian theatre companies have performed his shows in England, Algeria, Belgium, Germany, Greece, India, Iran, Mexico, Poland, Russia, Turkey, Holland, the Czech Republic, Japan, Cuba, etc. Zlati Zlatev has been awarded the Cyril and Methodius order, The Golden Badge of the Bulgarian Actors' Union, prizes at a number of festivals and national reviews, The yearly Award of the Ministry of Culture for 2000.
Awards
2010
Annual national prizes ICARUS 2010 of the Union of Bulgarian Actors for excellence and high achievements in the theatrical field
2009
Varna Prize for the actor Boyan Stoyanov
2008
Varna Prize for the actress Diana Tsolevska
14th International Puppet Festival The Golden Dolphin - Prize for development of the theatre's means of expression - for The Cave and the Shadows; - Best technical team prize - for SPT - Varna
7th International Festival of Children's Theatres - Banja Luka 2008, RS - Award for artistry to Emiliya Petkova and Evgeniya Vasileva in "A Story About the Singing Three" - Award for directing to Slavcho Malenov for the performance "A Story About the Singing Three"
2007
5th International Puppet Theatre Festival for Adults Pierrot, Stara Zagora Award for Experimental and New Forms for The Cave and the Shadows
Varna 2007 Award – collective,for the artistic team having realized the performance The Cave and the Shadows
8th International Festival of Performances for Children The Magic Curtain, Targovishte Award for the acting ensemble for the performance Folklore Fantasies
2006
15th International Puppet Theatre Festival Three Are Too Many, Two – Not Enough, Plovdiv Award for Thumbelina by the international jury for best vision of a children’s performance
2005
6th Asian International Puppet Festival, Taipei, Taiwan Best performance prize for Thumbelina
International Puppet Theatre Festival in Shanghai, China The big prize for the performance Thumbelina
13th International Puppet Festival The Golden Dolphin The big prize The Golden Dolphin for an overall performance – for A Story About the Singing Tree; Original music prize – to Vladimir Dzhambazov for the music in A Story About the Singing Tree;
Prize for directing – to Slavcho Malenov for the performance A Story About the Singing Tree Scenography prizes – to Vasil Rokomanov for the décor in A Story About the Singing Tree and to Marieta Golomehova – for the puppets in the performance Thumbelina; Male role prize – to Krasimir Dobrev for his role in A Story About the Singing Tree; Female role prize – to Evgeniya Vasileva for her role in Thumbelina; Best technical team prize – to SPT, Varna
2004
5th Asian International Puppet Festival, Taipei, Taiwan Best performance prize for Folklore Fantasies
2003
Puppet Festival, Tolosa, Spain Audience’s prize for Folklore Fantasies
Pierrot IPF, Stara Zagora Prize for Svila Velichkova’s scenography in Alice
2002
Varna Prize - collective for the performance Folklore Fantasies
Varna Prize to Zlati Zlatev for overall work in the field of puppet art
2000
Varna Prize to Zlati Zlatev for high creative achievements in the field of directing, for theatre management and for a very good organization and carrying out the IPF The Golden Dolphin
1999
Varna Prize to the actor Sasho Alexandrov for overall performance and in occasion of his 50th anniversary.
11th International Puppet Festival The Golden Dolphin Prize to Vera Stoykova for her role in Cosse Bosse, to Sunny Suninski for the production of Aladdin
1998
Festival of Chamber Performances, Vratsa Staging prize to Sunny Suninski and female role prize to Diana Tsolevska in the performance Portraits;
Varna Prize - collective for the production of the performance Portraits
1997
Puppeteer Prize for the performance The Mad Kite:to Kiryakos Argiropulos for staging, to Petya Stoykova for scenography and for acting mastership to Vera Stoykova and Zhivko Zhekov
1996
10th International Puppet Festival The Golden Dolphin The big prize is awarded for theatre company’s high professional overall performance 1995
Varna Prize – collectivefor theatre company’s overall performance
1994
Burborak Festival, Smolyan Prize for the most vivid and unusual means of expression in the performance Birds.
Fifth International Festival of Puppet Theatres, Teheran, Iran.The big prize The Golden Mask for Play of Lights and Shadows and Yellow Boy
1988
Seventh International Festival of Bulgarian Puppet Performance
The Golden Dolphin Special Diploma for dramaturgy to Yordan Todorov (Pie the Parrot)
1985
Fourth National Competition of Puppet Theatres in Gabrovo Acting awards to:Sasho Alexandrov, Ivan Petrov, Mariya Antonova and Zhivko Zhekov (As the French Say); Second Award for directing to Venelin Kyossev, Second award for stage design to Maya Petrov, Second award for music to Dimitar Boyadzhiev, acting awards to Diana Valcheva and Zhivko Zhekov (Star Boy); Children’s Jury award.
First Award of the Ministry of Education for very good and systematic collaboration with the schools in raising children’s aesthetic awareness.
Award of the Bulgarian Actors’ Union to Diana Valcheva for best female part in Star Boy
1984
Dolphin Awards to the stage designer Angel Nedelchev and to the actor Venelin Kyossev (Motley World).
Week of Children’s Book and Arts First award to Motley World.
The Order of Cyril and Methodius, 1st degree to Petya Mandadzhiyska
1983
Week of Children’s Book and Arts First award to Spring Carnival.
The Comedy Show Festival, Gabrovo Award for the performance Toshko Africanski
1982
Varna Awardto the actor Venelin Kyossev 1981
Fourth International Festival of Bulgarian Puppet Performance The Golden Dolphin The big prize is awarded to the theatre company for the performance Booboo directed by Slavcho Malenov
1980
First Award of the Ministry of Education, the Komsomol and Bulgarian Actors' Union to the performance Chimi
1979
Third National Competition of State Puppet Theatres Directing awards to Zlati Zlatev (Love, Love...) and to Slavcho Malenov (Chimi), stage design award to architect Ivan Tsonev.Acting awards to:Todor Dimitrov, Dimitar Zhekov, Mariya Boyanova, Galya Peeva, Petya Mandadzhiyska and Konstantin Boyanov
1978
Varna Prize
Third International Festival of Bulgarian Puppet Performance The Golden Dolphin The special award of the festival is awarded to the theatre company for its sustained interest in Bulgarian puppet plays, its contribution to the development in puppetry as well as for staging of Rumeto and the Old Lion and The Happiest Man.Directing award to Zlati Zlatev, stage design award to Ivan Tsonev.Acting awards to Dimitar Zhekov, Yolanta Raykova, Petya Mandadzhiyska and Todor Dimitrov
1977
The Order of the Red Banner of Labour for theatre’s 25th anniversary and for its overall contribution to Bulgarian culture.
PIF International Festival of Puppet Theatres, Zagreb, Yugoslavia First Award to the performance Sleeping Beauty.
Arts Award of the Komsomol, the governmental Committee of Culture and Ministry of Education
1976
Award of the Children Centre for Literature and Arts, Sofia
Arts Award of the Komsomol, the governmental Committee of Culture and Ministry of Education
1975
Varna Prize for the production of the performance The Golden Bird.
Second International Festival of Bulgarian Puppet Performance The Golden Dolphin A gold medal to the theatre for its sustained interest in Bulgarian puppet plays.Awards to:the stage designer, architectIvan Tsonev and the director Zlati Zlatev for the performance The Golden Bird, the director Evdalina Saradzhalieva and the stage designer Maya Petrova for the performance Your Little Star; the actors Todor Dimitrov, Tsvetana Neshkova and Georgi Kotsev.
Arts Award of the Komsomol, the governmental Committee of Culture and Ministry of Education
Award of the Bulgarian Actors’ Union for a high standard of artistic achievements in The Golden Bird
1974
Varna Prize for high artistic achievements in the performance Queen of Spades directed by Zlati Zlatev and of the actress Petya Mandadzhiyska (the Countess).
Honorary medal by the governmental Sports and Youth Committeefor exceptional merits in the education of children and youth.
The Order of Cyril and Methodius, 3rd degree to the actress Sofia Nenova
1973
Second National Competition of State Puppet Theatres Awards to:the director Zlati Zlatev and the stage designer architectIvan Tsonev (Queen of Spades), the stage designer Lyubomir Tsakev (The Land Where You Could Do Whatever You Like), the actors Petya Mandadzhiyska (the Countess) and Nedka Pinteva (for supporting in the same part) in Queen of Spades, Tsvetana Neshkova (Vladko) and Todor Dimitrov (the Traffic Warden) in the same show.The Best Children’s Performance collective prize was awarded to the performance The Land Where You Could Do Whatever You Like.The technical staff of the theatre was also awarded a collective prize.
The Order of Cyril and Methodius, 1st degree to the actress Yordanka Kovacheva in the occasion of her 50th anniversary and 25-year long career on stage
1972
Varna Prize for high standard of artistic achievement in the show The Nightingale and the Rose after Oscar Wilde, directed by Zlati Zlatev, stage designer Nikolay Izvarin.
First International Festival of Bulgarian Puppet Performance The Golden Dolphin A golden medal to the theatre for its sustained interest in Bulgarian plays and for the show Maximka.Individual awards to the director Zlati Zlatev, the stage designer Lilyana Angelova and the actors Dimitar Zhekov (Chernyo Chernev) and Dimitar Serafimov (Dr. Dalgokrakov).
The Order of Cyril and Methodius, 2nd degree to the actress Avgustina Boeva in the occasion of her 50th anniversary.
The Order of Cyril and Methodius, 3rd degree to the actresses Petya Mandadzhiyska and Vyara Popova
1970
Festival of Bulgarian Puppet Performance The Golden Dolphin A gold medal to the performance The Merry Roosters.Individual awards to the director Zlati Zlatev, the stage designer Nikolay Izvarin and the actresses Sofia Nenova and Nedka Pinteva
1969
Puppet Theatre Festivities, Varna Awards to the director Nikolina Georgieva and the stage designer Nikolay Izvarin (Miniatures), to the stage designer Danail Raykov (The Island of the Cannibals) and to the actors Petya Mandadzhiyska (Mitko from The Island of the Cannibals) and Zlati Zlatev (the Rabbit from Miniatures).
Participation in festivals
2010
4th International Puppet Days, Izmir, Turkey, with Folklore Fantasies 2nd International Review of the Fantastic Arts - MAF, Santander, Spain, with Folklore Fantasies Titirilandia International Puppet Theatre Festival 2010, Madrid, Spain, with Allegro Vivace
2009
Kaoshiung Country International Puppet Theatre Festival 2009, Taiwan, with Folklore Fantasies Titirimundi International Puppet Theatre Festival 2009, Segovia, Spain, with Folklore Fantasies International Theatre Festival Varna Summer, Varna 2009, Bulgaria, with Beauty is Sleeping and Puss in Boots International Theatre Festival On the Bank, Burgas, Bulgaria, with Beauty is Sleeping
2008
6th International Festival of Visual Arts August in Art, Varna, Bulgaria, with The Cave and the Shadows International Puppet Theatre Festival Puppet Fair, Sofia 2008, Bulgaria, with The Cave and the Shadows International Puppet Theatre Festival Three are to many - two not enough, Plovdiv 2008, Bulgaria, with The Little Parrot Rony International Theatre Festival Varna Summer, Varna 2008, Bulgaria, with Beauty and the Beast The Golden Dolphin International Puppet Festival 2008, Varna, with Beauty and the Beast, Little Ida's Flowers and The Cave and the Shadows 7th International Festival of Children's Theatres, Banja Luka 2008, RS, with A Story About the Singing Three
2007
International Tourist Fair in Stuttgart, with Folklore Fantasies and with The Cave and the Shadows showed within the Days of Modern Bulgarian Culture International Exhibition Bulgarian Business in Russia, Moscow, with Folklore Fantasies 17th International Festival of Puppet Theatres in Tenerife, Spain, with Folklore Fantasies 15th International Theatre Festival Varna Summer, Varna, Bulgaria, with The Cave and the Shadows 8th International Festival of Performances for Children The Magic Curtain, Targovishte, Bulgaria, with Folklore Fantasies 15th International Puppet Theatre Festival Three Are Too Many, Two – Not Enough, Plovdiv, Bulgaria, with The Cave and the Shadows Pierrot International Puppet Theatre Festival for Adults, Stara Zagora 2007, Bulgaria, with The Cave and the Shadows Days of Varna in Genova, Italy, with Folklore Fantasies
2006
Titirimundi International Puppet Theatre Festival, Segovia, Spain, with A Story About the Singing Tree 15th International Puppet Theatre Festival Three Are Too Many, Two – Not Enough, Plovdiv, Bulgaria, with Thumbelina Puppet Fair International Puppet Theatre Festival, Sofia, Bulgaria, with A Story About the Singing Tree International Puppet Pantomime Festival in Kilkis, Greece, with Folklore Fantasies International Tourist Fair WTM in London, UK, with Folklore Fantasies Autumn Theatre Meetings in Pazardzhik, Bulgaria, with A Story About the Singing Tree International Tourist Fair Philoxenia in Thessalonica, Greece, with Folklore Fantasies
2005
15th International Puppet Festival in Barcelona, Spain, with Folklore Fantasies International Puppet Theatre Festival in Shanghai, China, with Thumbelina 6th Asian International Puppet Festival, Taipei, Taiwan, with Thumbelina 2004
5th Asian International Puppet Festival in Taipei, Taiwan, with Folklore Fantasies
2003
Titirimundi International Puppet Festival, Segovia, Spain, with Folklore Fantasies and The Light Blue Peter Puppet Festival, Tolosa, Spain, with Folklore Fantasies and The Light Blue Peter Puppet Festival in Sestau, Spain, with Folklore Fantasies Tour in Portugal Pierrot International Puppet Festival in Stara Zagora, Bulgaria, with Alice Participation in the Puppet Fair in Sofia, Bulgaria
2001
2nd Festival of the Black Sea Region Theatres in Trabzon, Turkey, with Play of Lights and Shadows
2000
Tolosa, Spain International Puppet Festival in Switzerland, with Aladdin 1st Festival of the Black Sea Region Theatres in Trobzon, Turkey, with The Sad Pince 1998
La Strada 3rd International Festival of Unconventional Art in Sibiu, Romania, with Play of Lights and Shadows 7th International Puppet Theatre Festival in Teheran, Iran, with Star Boy 4th International Puppet Festival in Bucharest, Romania, with Play of Lights and Shadows 3rd Puppet Theater Festival in Rijeka, Croatia, with Yellow Boy and Play of Lights and Shadows
1997
La Strada International Festival of Unconventional Art in Sibiu, Romania, with Four Tales of a Dragon International Days of the Puppet Theatre on the Island of Hydra, Greece, with Play of Lights and Shadows 5th Balkan Festival of Puppet Theatres, Nis, Yugoslavia, with The New Adventures of Booboo and Portraits International Festival of Puppet Theatres in Tolosa, Spain, with The New Adventures of Booboo
1996
International Festival of Children’s Theatre Oton Tomanich in Subotica, Yugoslavia, with Play of Lights and Shadows 17th World UNIMA Congress in Budapest, Hungary, with Play of Lights and Shadows Tolosa, Spain Japan, with Star Boy and The Dog that Could Not Bark 1995
1st International Puppet Theatre Festival in Athens, Greece, with Play of Lights and Shadows 1994
5th International Festival of Puppet Theatres in Teheran, Iran, with Play of Lights and Shadows and Yellow Boy 12th International Festival of Puppet Theatres in Tolosa, Spain, with Play of Lights and Shadows and puppet exhibition Athens, Greece, with Play of Lights and Shadows 1993
International Puppet Theatre Festival in Athens, Greece, with Yellow Boy and Four Tales of a Dragon
1992
International Festival of Puppet Theatres in Dordrecht as well as in Papendrecht and Breda, the Netherlands, with Yellow Boy 15th International Festival of Puppet Theatres in Bielsko Biala, Poland, with Cinderella Japan, with Star Boy and Boubou
1990
International Festival of Puppet Theatres in Dordrecht as well as in Mepel and Breda, the Netherlands, with The Most Beautiful War and Yellow Boy Japan, with Star Boy and Pie the Parrot
1989
Japan, with Star Boy Odessa, USSR, with Star Boy
1988
Ostrava, Czech Republic, with Star Boy and Boubou First International Festival of Puppet Theatres in Mexico, with Star Boy
1987
Rostock, Germany, with Star Boy and Cabare International Festival of Puppet Theatres in Tolosa, Spain, with Booboo
1986
First International Puppet Festival organized by the 21st Century Association in Osaka, Japan, with Booboo
1985
Festival of Puppet Theatres in Bochum, Germany, with Motley World Belgrade, Yugoslavia, with Star Boy
1983
Vienna, Austria, with Booboo and The Duckling Magdeburg, GDR, Yordan Todorov’s visit on the 25th anniversary of the theatre
1982
International Festival of the Arts for Children in Šibenik, Dalmatia, with Booboo International Festival of Puppet Theatres in Lugano, Switzerland, with Booboo and Miniatures International Festival in Magdeburg, GDR International Festival of Puppet Theatres in Mistelbach, Austria, with Booboo
1981
Turkey, with Booboo and The Duckling India, with Booboo, The Duckling, The Naughty Boy and Miniatures
1980
13th World Congress of UNIMA in Washington, the USA, with Chimi Cienfuegos, Santa Clara, Camagüey and Havana, Cuba, with Chimi and Wave Your Magic Wand Holidays of Morning Star in London, UK, with Puppet from Puppet Village Part of the cultural program of EXPO, Montreal, Canada, with Chimi, The Carnival of Animals and Wave Your Magic Wand
1979
Theatre Festival in Magdeburg, GDR, with Rumeto and the Old Lion
1978
Prague, Pilsen, Bratislava, Brno, Kosice and other towns of Czechoslovakia, with The Golden Bird and The Carnival of Animals Cieszęcin, Poland, with The Happiest Man
1977
PIF International Festival of Puppet Theatres, Zagreb, Yugoslavia, with Sleeping Beauty 1976
Leningrad, USSR, with Maximka and Miniatures Magdeburg, GDR as guest of the National Festival of Theatres, with The Carnival of Animals International Festival in Charleville-Mézières, France, with Miniatures
1975
Montreal, Canada, as part of the cultural program of EXPO 75, with The Carnival of Animals
1974
Havana and the province of Matansas, Cuba, with Miniatures and The Merry Roosters International Festival of Arts in Budapest, Hungary, with Miniatures
1973 Białystok and Czezecin, Poland, with Queen of Spades and The Land Where You Can Do Whatever You Like Magdeburg, GDR, with Queen of Spades and The Land Where You Can Do Whatever You Like
1972
Bratislava, Czech Republic, with Maximka
1971
Magdeburg, GDR, with Goldie, The Golden Girl
1970
Białystok and Warsaw, with Miniatures and The Merry Roosters International Festival of Puppet Theatres in Algeria, with Miniatures and The Merry Roosters
1969
World UNIMA Congress in Prague, Czech Republic, delegation of the theatre with members: Yordan Todorov, Director, Zlati Zlatev, Nikolay Izvarin, D. Popov and V. Valchev
1958
International Festival of Puppetry Art, Bucharest, Romania with Dazzling Beauty
External links
Source
The Theatre Magazine, issue 9-10, 1999, Miroslava Topchieva,critic
uk:Варненський державний ляльковий театр