Children's shadow theater on Izmailovsky: history of creation, repertoire, reviews

2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25

Shadow theater originated in ancient China. The performers in it are not actors or puppets, but their shadows. It is very important that on a white screen illuminated by a powerful spotlight, the silhouette looks clear and expressive. This art form is gaining more and more fans. In Moscow, the Shadow Theater on Izmailovsky pleases children and their parents with its unusual productions.

History of the theater

The Moscow Children's Shadow Theater was founded back in 1944 by artist Ekaterina Sonnenstral and director Sofia Svobodina. Until the end of the 1950s, only projection puppets were used in the theater, which give a clear black silhouette on the screen. Works of both Russian and foreign classics were selected for the repertoire.

During the first two decades of its existence, the creative team of the theater staged almost 50 performances. Being mobile, the theater performed a lot in schools, pioneer houses, pioneer camps, as well as in various organizations, delighting both children and adults with its performances.

In 1957, the theater became a diploma winner of the first All-Union Festival of Puppet Theaters, wherehe presented the performance "Ashik-Kerib" by Lermontov, and in 1958 he was awarded the Silver Medal at the World Exhibition in Brussels.

At the end of the 1950s, the theater began to apply in its work the techniques of the traditional Chinese tetra of shadows - the theater of "puppets in the light." Since that time, the technologies of both the Chinese theater and the projection theater have become the basis of the stage practice of the Moscow Shadow Theatre. And the first performance using the techniques inherent in the Chinese theater was the play “Come, a fairy tale.”

An important event in the history of the theater was the receipt in 1988 of its own premises on Izmailovsky Boulevard. In 1989, the Shadow Theater on Izmailovsky withdrew from the Mosconcert. Since that time, he has become an independent creative unit.

Moscow children's shadow theater on Izmailovsky. Repertoire

There are many wonderful performances in the repertoire of the theater. Basically, these are performances for children. Some of the brightest ones can be noted:

• "Alice for Children" - directed by Y. Fridman. Based on the book "Alice in Wonderland" by Carroll.
• "Cinderella" - directed by S. Zhelezkin. Based on the fairy tale of the same name by Charles Perrault.
• "Black Hen" - directed by N. Borovskov. Based on Pogorelsky's fairy tale.

The creative team delights young viewers with such fairy tales as Thumbelina, The Nutcracker, Dwarf Nose, and many others.

The theater does not forget about adult audiences either. For them, the performances "The Last Day of Casanova" based on the play "Phoenix" by Marina Tsvetaeva were staged, andalso "Viy" based on the story of the same name by Nikolai Vasilyevich Gogol for the 200th anniversary of the writer.

Kids Studio

The Shadow Theater on Izmailovsky not only puts on performances for children, but also introduces them to its professional secrets. For them, the children's theater studio "Tenevichok" works in the theater. Children here are not only taught the ability to make shadow puppets, but they are also allowed to try their hand as actors. For young fans of the shadow theater, a special training program has been developed, which includes:

• acting;
• stage speech;
• the art of controlling different types of puppets (puppetry);
• doll manufacturing technology;
• acquaintance with various theatrical professions, with the backstage life of the theater;
• tours to other theaters in the city.

Children's theater studio is divided into two groups:

• older - children 10-14 years old (15 people) - classes are led by Viktor Skryabin;
• youngest - children 7-9 years old (15 people) - classes are led by Irina Nokhrina.

The leaders are artists of the Moscow Shadow Theatre. Both are professional educators.

Performances about Sherlock Holmes

The Shadow Theater on Izmailovsky Boulevard staged several performances based on Arthur Conan Doyle's stories about the famous detective Sherlock Holmes and his friend Dr. Watson. Shadow theater first turned to this author, although it is here that there are unique opportunities for conveying the mysterious atmosphere of the English detective story.

• "The Hound of the Baskervilles" - productionSvetlana Dorozhko. The main character is a dog. Here she is not at all evil, but even very friendly. She doesn't like living in the swamps at all. The images of the detective and his friend are more parodic, they are shown in two techniques - in the form of glove puppets and in live action.
• The little-known short story "Vampire from Sussex" - directed by Kirill Levshin. Mystical superstitions are exposed here, Sherlock Holmes explains to Watson that behind all riddles there is a simple calculation. The performance combines the techniques of shadow theater - Russian and Spanish shadows are used, puppet theater - glove and tablet puppets, and dramatic - live acting.

Shadow Theater on Izmailovsky: reviews

The unique Shadow Theater in Moscow gets a lot of great feedback from its fans. It is considered positive that there are many performances for preschoolers in the theater. The stage is small, very beautifully decorated, the hall is cozy, the stage is clearly visible.

Parents are pleased that the organizers have taken care of the comfort of the young spectator: the chairs are comfortable, for children the transformation of the chair is provided, as a result of which it becomes higher, there is a footrest. Theater employees will always tell you how to deal with its design.

For many, the presence of a buffet in the theater is also a positive point, where children can buy a sandwich or a bun at an affordable price.

True, there are some comments. For example, in the play "Thumbelina" there is more live play of actors, there are few shadows. And the kids love it when there are more shadows.

Adults did not like one of the innovations: parents used to expectchildren from the performance in the theater hall, and now they are forced to go outside.

Fans advise the Shadow Theater on Izmailovsky to buy tickets in advance, otherwise you may not get to your favorite performance. Although this once again speaks of the popularity of the theater.