SYNOPSES
Aleksandr Veselov
The Sun and the Snowmen
A one-act play for puppet theatres, based on a Rumanian fairy tale.
A Boy and a Girl built two Snowmen. They built them just for fun, thinking they would be there until the spring sunshine came. But the Snowmen came to life, and then they set off to visit the Sun, to ask it not to melt them. Only their plan did not turn out as they thought - all the forest dwellers were so looking forward to springtime and warmth, and they were all so cold that the Snowmen didn't dare to put their request to the Sun. And they melted. But that wasn't the end of them, as where they had stood there grew the first snowdrops of spring.
1 male role
1 female role
6 puppets
N. Shuvalov
The Rabbit, Lisa and the Cockerel
A two-act play for puppet theatres, based on a traditional Russian folk tale
Since our childhood we h - ave all known the rather sad story about how "the little rabbit"s house was made of bark, and Lisa's house was made of ice...' But it turns out that the true Artist, Mikhail Timofeevich, and the happy clown Musia can tell the same story in quite a new way, so that it is amusing and exciting. In their skilful hands the puppets come to life and become the heroes of the well-known Russian tale.
1 male role
1 female role
5 puppets
Natal'ya Arhipova
The Shepherdess and the Chimney Sweep
A fairy tale or story in one act, based on the tales of Hans Christian Andersen
New Year's Eve. In an empty garret there is a penniless old women and her only companion - an old carved cupboard that belonged to her grandfather. But tomorrow she will have to part from it - it has been sold to pay her debts. She has had everything in her life: beauty, hope, love... "There's no time to look round before the song is over!" But on this marvellous night she can see it all again in the mirror, and live her life once more: the confession of love, the hateful betrothal, the desperate flight, and the fierce pursuit. She can experience once again the bitterness of disenchantment and the chill of parting. "Real fairy tales always come of their own accord..."
3 male roles
2 female roles
Vladimir Maslov
The Sun is my Friend!
A two-act play for puppet theatres
Once upon a time there was an ordinary forest rabbit. Like all ordinary rabbits it looked for carrots, collected bark, was afraid of everyone and trusted no-one. But one day... One day in the forest clearing there appeared a strange yellow ball. It rolled about and rang, and "was as hot as fire" - it was a sunbeam which had broken away and fallen on the ground. The sunbeam and the forest rabbit got to know each other, became friends, and set off on a journey together, to look at the world, to be amazed and glad.
But they didn't just encounter wonderful things on their journey. The two friends had to fight an unequal battle against the leader of a dark pack of Shadow-Wolves. But neither cunning nor meanness, nor the power of the Unknown One could destroy their friendship. The rabbit, now more grown up, declares bravely to his enemies:
"I am not afraid of anything, because the Sun is my friend!"
4 puppets
Nataliya Moroz, Genadii Shugurov
Sentimental Journey
An Eccentric Comedy for children and young people. A play in two acts
"Every day someone packs their cases, checks their tickets, looks at the clock, opens the door and sails, drives, flies away to who knows where". The heroes of this play set off on their sentimental journey too - characters from the Commedia del' Arte: Pierrot, Columbine and Harlequin.
In his search for his only princess, Pierrot travels round the whole world. He meets a clever English girl, and a meek Japanese girl, and many others. But for some reason they all "vanish into thin air" and Pierrot finds his love on the threshold of his own home. A real princess, who, like all princesses, cannot sleep if there is a pea under a whole pile of mattresses, turns up and knocks at his door.
2 male roles
1 female role
6 puppets
Igor' Shprits
Emil's Tricks
A play based on Astrid Lindgren's story "Emil from Lennenbergi",
translated by Liudmila Braude
In a small Swedish town there is a wonderful municipal waxworks museum. There aren't any politicians or such like among its exhibits, but, looking very life-like, here are the characters from Astrid Lindgren's story "Emil from Lennenbergi". Together with a teacher from the local school we walk through the museum, and before our eyes, scenes from the childhood of the most honourable Emil Svenson, mayor of the town of Lennenbergi, come to life. We see naughty Emil put a soup tureen on his head and earn twenty eres. We find out why the museum has built up a collection of three hundred and fifty five wooden old men. We get to know Emil the dreamer's best friends: the horse Lukas, the hen Limping Lottie, Tiny the piglet. Along with Emil and his little sister Ida we laugh at the greedy and boastful Mrs Petrell. We are witnesses to many adventures, tricks and even heroic feats of the future mayor. How tremendous these waxwork figures are! All the people of the village of Kattkul'ta large as life!
8 male roles
7 female roles
Andrei Zinchuk
Granny Mushroom, or a Little Bit of Magic
A fairy tale in two acts
There's trouble in the magic forest - the mistress of the forest is ill. Granny Mushroom has been in bed for more than a month, and hasn't been able to get up. And now there's another problem: the dreadful One-Hand, the like of which has never been seen before, is forcing his way through the edge of the magic forest and is eating up the earth of the mystical glades. Granny Mushroom's beloved pupils, Little Leaf, Little Marsh and Little Pine are desperate and don't know what to do. They cannot defeat One-Hand. Quite unexpectedly, help arrives. In the magic forest, going about their own human business are Grandpa, his granddaughter Tania, and Konstantin the bulldozer-driver. And it turns out that the most ordinary events turn into wonders, and the other way round - wonders turn into the most ordinary events.
"There always has to be a little magic in the world!"
2 male roles
4 female roles