Cult and unforgettable fairytale by Frane Ježek for children of all ages. One of the most popular Slovenian fairytales with a universal message that we can with kindness and good, pure thought and love overcome evil.
She is a star in the sky that puts children to sleep, leads sailors over the seas and helps the poet find the right rhymes. She has gold long hair and is called Sleepy Star. But because she is often late for work she causes confusion on Earth. The children are crying, the sailors can’t find their ways, the poet does not find the rhyme to the word pot.
Therefore the Moon punishes her by sending her to the Earth with the ability to come back when and if she will prove to be smart enough. After the comet Repatec brings her to Earth Sleepy star finds herself amongst strangers. The road leads her by the fair and into the city where a bandit Ceferin resides. When he finds out that the girl has golden hair he desires this fortune of hers immediately. Due to the goodness of Sleepy Star even the horrible bandit Ceferin’s heart changes from a rock and starts beating and comet is allowed to take Sleepy Star back to the sky.
About the author
Frane Milčinski or Ježek was born in Ljubljana in 1914 and passed away in 1988. He is thought to be one of Slovenia’s foremost 20th-century satirists and entertainers. He is known for his poetry, nature, comedy, acting, children’s writing, and directing.
From the critiques
»Against expectations is also the diversity of the puppets, especially the heroine and her friends, colleague stars in the sky and beside them at least the famous starry mailman Repatec the Comet. They literally glow, shine and fly around thanks to Robert Smolik’s design and ideas and of course excellent animation by Maruša Majer in alternation with Nina Ivanišin, Tadej Pišek and Igor Štamulak. They visually appear completely figurative and sensually abstractive at the same time. Very witty are the puppet solutions and ideas. For example, that the bandit Ceferin literally drops a stone from his heart that then starts beating.« Uroš Smasek, Against all expectations; Večer, 13.12.2012
“Sleepy Star is in her irresponsibility and vanity very much like Pipi Longstocking. They are both little girls surrounded by many friends. Yet Pipi Longstocking with her playfulness and careless actions does not caouse greater problems to the people around her as Sleepy Star does. In both cases a younger character teaches older characters good things.”Robert Waltl, director and CEO of Mini teater
“What is Sleepy Star letting us know? To trust strangers? Or that someone can be “fixed” by the one with a pure heart? Or perhaps that we have to get up early in the morning and on time or we shall be sent to Earth instead? But are already on Earth. And even those chosen ones that have the privilege to visiting space will one day get back to solid ground. Whether we are on time or not, our place is right here, on Earth and the the place for the stars is up there on the sky. Fortunately there are people that every now and then bring us a story about a star, Sleepy Star. One of those people was Fran Milčinki Ježek.” Robert Waltl, director and CEO of Mini teater
“Sleepy Star is with its visual purity, simplicity and art didactics meant for children and at the same time with its global and human subject, structure and included animation, direct message narrates all age groups or has so called international content. With integration of urban surroundings and technological additions with nature and space Sleepy Star is set into a modern context and in contemporary social-political situation.” Robert Waltl, director and CEO of Mini teater
“An important part at the visual image itself and structure of the tale has the organization of the story and message in a way that enables the following of the story to those with bad sight and with hearing dysfunctions.”Robert Waltl, director and CEO of Mini teater
»Due to the numerous staging of Sleepy Star we in Mini teater will not focus so much on the story itself (that is in generally well known) but more on different variations how to introduce her in post-dramatic key through the animation of classical puppets and performance of the actors as well as throughout video projections and virtual puppets in computer surroundings. It will be a multimedia performance in which a very important role will be played by sound that will be performed live by Miha Ciglar with his coworkers. In the performance itself several Slovenian actors will perform – in the role of the Sleepy Star Nina Ivanišin (alt. Maruša Majer), beside her Tadej Pišek and Igor Štamulak.” Robert Waltl, director and CEO of Mini teater
Festivals
20th International Festival of Children's Theatres Subotica (Serbia); May 2013
Awards
Award for Best Actress for Maruša Majer at the 20th International Festival of Children's Theatres Subotica (Serbia); May 2013
