The Obraztsov Puppet Theater is making its first ever tour to Brazil as part of the International Cultural Project of the Government of the Russian Federation and the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation Russian Seasons.The project’s main goal is to present Russian culture abroad.
The first performances will take place in São Paulo at the Obrevento Theatre. On 2 July, the company will present a puppet show The Snowman staged by the principal director of the Sergei Obraztsov Theater Boris Konstantinov. The production is the winner of the Golden Mask Russian National Theater Award.
On 3 July, the Brazilian audience will see Circus on Strings, an original puppet and circus show for children and adults staged by the chief designer of the Sergei Obraztsov Theater Viktor Antonov. Afterwards, the tour will continue in different cities of the country – Santo André, Mairiporã, Diadema, São Bernardo do Campo. In addition to performances, the tour program includes master classes and meetings of puppeteers and the theater’s principal director Boris Konstantinov with the audience.
The history of cooperation between the Obraztsov theater and Brazilian colleagues began in 2019, when several performances from Brazil were presented at the 10th S.Obraztsov International Puppet Theater Festival – Obraztsovfest. These were: Treasure Island by the company from São Paulo “What Would That Mean?” and The Rock On Which We Split by the “Sense of Touch” Theater from the city of Curitiba.
Elena Bulukova, Director of the Obraztsov Puppet Theater:
“On our first tour, we would like to surprise the audience in hot Brazil with the extraordinary puppet “Russian Seasons”. And with the heritage and traditions of the world-famous puppeteer Sergei Obraztsov. We would like to reveal to Brazilians the world of romantic experiences of “The Snowman” and take them to the arena of the puppet “Circus on Strings”. We will present the masterpieces with virtuoso tricks and a touching love story. We will present two solo performances for the chamber stage, created by the Golden Mask Award winners. The puppet show “Circus on Strings” staged by the theater’s chief designer, Viktor Antonov, is a flamboyant display of virtuoso tricks and unique puppets created by the show’s author and performer. And a romantic, heart-warming, and touching show, filled with warmth, wisdom and light of the most important human experiences – a production by the theater’s principal director Boris Konstantinov based on Hans Christian Andersen’s fairy tale “The Snowman” and performed by one puppeteer. The performances of “Snowman” will feature the two casts: with Honored Artists of the Russian Federation Dmitry Chernov and Andrei Nechaev. No doubt, these puppet shows, meetings with puppeteers and authors, conversations of Boris Konstantinov with spectators and professionals will become unforgettable experiences, will reveal the beauty and depth of modern Russian theatrical art. Those impressions will be remembered for a long time by Brazilians of all ages and will mark a new stage in the history of dialogue between the cultures of our countries. Thanks to our tour program, the 21st century “Russian Seasons” will touch the strings of the Brazilian audience’s hearts and become a vibrant cultural event, as it used to be in the era of “Russian Season’s” dawn.”
