Established in 1958, Kaunas State Puppet Theatre registers in its chronicle more than 180 puppet performances, a great number of tours to foreign countries, such as Hungary, Italy, Poland, Bulgaria, Finland, Denmark, Sweden, Germany, Czech Republic, former Soviet Republics and remote countries of Latin America and festivals in many of them.
Following the idea generated by the founders of the theatre, spouses Stasys Ratkevičius and Valerija Ratkevičienė, that everything what is being done at the theatre, should belong to the little ones, the theatre of today alongside with traditional classical puppet performances should be searching for new and engaging ways of association with little spectators who, through displayed kindness and beauty, would experience the utmost satisfaction and impact on their consciousness and feelings. Based on this point of view, new traditions of new theatrical arrangements were generated in the theatre during the last decade.
Today advertisements of the theatre offer twenty-two puppet performances to the little spectators. These are the most exciting dramatizations of Lithuania as well as the world – wide known fairy tales – original dramaturgy – for the children. Every season more than 45 thousand spectators visit the theatre; over 300 puppet plays have been performed; 4–5 new plays are usually staged. The theatre can boast of two halls for spectators – of 226 and 50 seats each.
The troupe of the theatre consists of ten experienced actors: V. Aleksaitis, S. Bagaliūnas, L. Zorūbaitė, L. Rupšytė, A. Daugėlytė, R. Bartninkaitė, J. Ross, D.Krapikas, A. Žiurauskas, R. Endriukaitis at the moment. Also, other actors who performed in first performances of the theatre help on the stage: R.Čeponienė, O. Stankevičienė, A. Naciuvienė, R.Kabelkaitė, D.Jankauskaitė.
The theatre is a member of the International Children and Youth Theatre Association ASSITEJ and the International Puppeteers Organisation UNIMA. The chief producer is Algimantas Stankevičius, and the director is Sigitas Klibavičius.
Spectators can visit the Kaunas Puppet Theatre Museum attached to the main part of the building under the same roof. The actresses E.Žekienė and R.Kabelkaitė arrange an hour’s performances in the museum, which has more than 800 exhibits, and also instruct children and their parents how to improvise the scenes seen in the performances at home using the puppets of their own production.
The traditional festivals organised by Kaunas State Puppet Theatre are “To the Fairyland with a Camera” and "Let the Puppets and Children Smile Together” (organised since 1991). The latter festival will return in 2011.
Website: www.kaunoleles.lt
