“Teatrik” of Sasha Lunyakova from Moscow performed in Kirillov

The puppet play “The Bear and Christmas” is based on the French fairy tale written by Marie Colmont. It is a story about a small teddy bear - Michka - who decides to leave his mistress – a mean and fretful girl who doesn’t care of her toys. On Christmas Eve, he runs away to a thick forest where he meets squirrels, a hare, a wolf, a wood grouse, a deer, ravens and a wise owl. Michka asks them, “What is Christmas?” Spectators gradually find answers to this question together with the fairy characters and learn what a real Christmas deed is. At the end of the play, Michka together with the Christmas deer delivers gifts for children. There is a house of a poor sick boy on their way, but there are no more presents and Michka decides to become the very cherished surprise for this boy.

Alexandra Lunyakova, author of this performance, uses an unusual artistic solution: the puppet theater is connected with the shadow show. Scenes connected with the biblical subjects – the Nativity of Christ, the adoration of the shepherds and the magi, punishment of Herod for his misdeeds – are interwoven into the fairy narration.

Only four persons take part in the performance: Alexandra and her adult children Maria, Natalya and Fyodor. The actors sing Christmas carols to their own accompaniment.

After the performance, children and adults could see the arrangement of the Christmas crib and play with fairy characters.

Alexandra Lunyakova shared her impressions of staying in the Kirillov district with us, “We were pleased to perform in your town. We like your region, Ferapontovo and Kirillov, very much. We have visited them many times and they have become native for us. We have first come with our puppet theatre, we are very glad at it. It is significant that we have come during the pre-Christmas season. Our performance is connected with the Christmas story. When I was small, I had a book of Marie Colmont in which I read the story about Michka who sacrificed himself for a good deed that should be certainly done at Christmas. This story about Michka became my favourite one. It always warms the cockle of my heart and the hearts of many other people now. Your spectators are wonderful. Some children have seen our performance three times. It is very pleasant that they are ready to see the play again and again. I was amazed at it. The combination of the shadow play and the puppet theatre is a peculiarity of our family theatre established many years ago for my little kids. We made puppets and all pieces of scenery together. We still use the figures carved by five-year-old Natasha. We present different performances from time to time: “The Return of the Dragon”, “The Shepherd Girl and the Chimney Sweeper”, “The Nightingale”, and others. We try to achieve the greatest expression using simple means in all of them.

The “Teatrik” of Sasha Lunyakova with all pieces of scenery was housed in a wardrobe once. And now it is a famous theater where every puppet and every detail are works of art.

We wish the artists creative success and new original performances!