End of the season – Numerous successes of the puppeteers from Mostar

In the last theater season, the Puppet Theater in Mostar continued its path of success, new premieres, performances, guest appearances and collaborations with prominent puppet artists from all over the world. The members of this “house of fairy tales in Brankovac” did everything to give their most loyal audience the best they could and to be the best cultural ambassadors of their city and their country on all their travels. Despite numerous difficulties, especially financial ones, the Puppet Theater fulfilled its work plan and realized and increased its creative potential throughout the season by working hard and with quality, carefully preserving its name and the tradition of this seventy-two-year-old house.

The season began with participation in the International Puppet Festival in Podgorica with the play “Goldilocks” directed by Jelena Đorđević. This performance officially opened the Festival, while the President of Montenegro and his family were also present in the audience, in a crowded hall. “Zlatokosa” won the Award for the best dramaturgy at this Festival. By the way, the show was also played in Nikšić, also in front of a packed hall.

Shortly after that, at the end of September last year, the Puppet Theater organized its Third International Festival of Puppet Art (FLUM), which was attended by, in addition to the participants of the Festival itself in the competition program, numerous distinguished guests from all over the world, members and managers of the world union of puppeteers ( UNIMA), who had numerous meetings, sessions, seminars and gatherings as part of the Festival. The Puppet Museum was opened in the courtyard of the Puppet Theater. The work and rich lifelong work of Mr. Edi Majaron, a puppet creator and director who realized some of his most important directing works in Mostar’s Puppet Theater, was presented. The book of texts for children’s and puppet theaters “Forest at the End of the World” was also promoted at FLUM, authored by Nedžad Maksumić, a long-time actor and now the artistic director of the Puppet Theater. Contacts were made with the leaders of UNIMA, discussions were held and conditions were created for the establishment of the UNIMA Center in Bosnia and Herzegovina. In a strong competition of eight puppet shows from seven countries, the “Golden Firefly” award, the Grand Prix of this FLUM, was won by the show “Don’t wait for me…” by Compagnie La neige sur le cils, from Nantes, France.

Immediately after the Puppet Art Festival, work began on the play “Once upon a time, an egg”, based on the text of the Slovenian writer Saša Eržen, and directed by Slovenian puppeteer and director Silvan Omerzu. The music for the play was composed by the famous Slovenian musician and composer Vlatko Atanasovski. Young members of the Puppet Theater ensemble played in the play, for whom it was one of their first puppet experiences and a good puppet school. Immediately after the premiere, in addition to the regular performances, the entire series of this play was performed for the students of the elementary schools in Mostar.

In the month of December last year, a traditional New Year’s show was prepared. This time it was the play “Dolazi nam Deda Mraz” according to the text and directed by Nedžad Maksumić, which, in addition to playing in the Theater, was also performed as part of the Children’s New Year in the area in front of the “Herceg Stjepan Kosač” Home.

The young actors are also involved in the revival of the play “Prince from my street”, which was also performed in the spring series for children from elementary schools in Mostar. World Puppetry Day was celebrated in a special way. The Puppet Theater in Mostar, as a representative of Bosnia and Herzegovina, together with colleagues from the Theater for Children and Youth from Kragujevac from Serbia and the City Puppet Theater Rijeka from Croatia, recorded a video message “Let there be light”, which was promoted by UNIMA for that day.

The play “Once upon a time there was an egg”, in addition to other appearances, participated in several festivals. At the 3rd JUHU FEST in Banja Luka, then at the HAPS-ić Festival in Herceg Novi, Montenegro, at the cultural event “Zenička Spring”, and at the 10th FEDA in Sarajevo. The play “Puss in Boots” was on tour in several BiH cities, from Mostar, Sarajevo, Banja Luka and Tuzla, as part of the program marking the beginning of the accession negotiations for BiH’s entry into the European Union. As part of the project Spaces that move the Theater is richer for the new, conditional and functional Workshop for making puppets and scenography, which was built right next to the Theater building.

Close contacts with UNIMA continued, and the director of the Theater Edin Kmetaš was a guest at the “Golden Spark” festival in Kragujevac, Serbia, at the “Fira de Titteles de Lleida” festival in Leida, Spain, as well as at the JEMFESTIVAL and conference “Culture of Peace” in Brussels, Belgium, marking the 95th birthday of the World Organization of Puppeteers UNIMA. At the end of the season, a Masterclass workshop was organized with professors of the Academy of Arts and Culture from Osijek for five young members of the acting ensemble of the Puppet Theater. The workshop was led by Professor Goran Guksić.

As part of the work of the Children’s Drama and Puppet Studio, at the end of this season, the premiere of the play “The Legend of the Neretva River” was held, based on the text by Muhamed Hamica Nametko and the dramatization by Nedžad Maksumić. 19 children aged 10 to 12 from Mostar primary schools played in the play. This is already the third premiere of this Studio. The drama and pedagogical leadership was entrusted to Adela Lerić, and the direction was signed by Nedžad Maksumić and Armin Filipović. In the work on the play, cooperation was achieved with Lejla Isić Dizdarević and Lejla Imamović from the University Studio of Interior Design Mostar, University “Džemal Bijedić”, who created the scenography and props. The author of the music was Atilla Aksoj. This play was also performed in the program of the Mostarko ljeto cultural event, within which, as a program organized by the Puppet Theater, the play “Doll sapiens” by the world-famous puppeteer Ines Pašić was performed.

At the end of the season, the Puppet Theatre, with the play “Puss in Boots”, visited as many as three international festivals in Bulgaria, in the cities of Veliko Trnovo, Gabrovo and Pleven. The short vacation at the Theater will be interrupted at the beginning of August due to hosting two plays, “Puss in Boots” and “Once upon a time, one egg” at the festival in Tivat, Montenegro.