MINI TEATER'S SNOW WHITE WON A GRAN PRIX FOR THE BEST PERFORMANCE OF THE FESTIVAL AND AWARD FOR BEST DIRECTION AT THE 19TH INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL OF CHILDREN'S THEATER IN SUBOTICA, SERBIA.
The jury of the 19th International Festival of Children's Theatres composed of: Luko Paljetak, writer, dramatist and director (Croatia) – president, Edvard Majaron, prof. theatrologist (Slovenia), Evgeny Ibragimov, director (Russia), Oleg Zhugzhda, director (Belarus) and Igor Bojović, dramatist (Serbia) – members, has after seeing 23 performances in official competition performed by 23 theatres from 15 countries of the world unanimously decided to award:
GRAND PRIX FOR THE BEST PERFORMANCE AS A WHOLE:
to SNOW WHITE by the Brothers Grimm performance, adapted by Marek Bečka and Zala Dobovšek, performed by MINI TEATER, Ljubljana, SLOVENIA;
PRIZE FOR THE BEST DIRECTION:
to MAREK BEČKA for the Snow White by the Brothers Grimm performance, adapted by Marek Bečka and Zala Dobovšek, performed by MINI TEATER, Ljubljana, SLOVENIA;
Marek Bečka’s adaptions are always full of black humor, improvisation and dribbling between different puppet techniques and their stage methodology. In his adaptations he stays loyal to the basic elements but on the other hand with bald approaches shapes his own sharpness of humor, through which real and actual reflection of the world is shown. Therefore the characters of Mini teater’s Snow white are no longer set in the world of magical forest and trees, ideal nature, poisoned apples and magical kisses. But on the other hand there cannot be a Snow white without the evil stepmother, magical mirror, dwarfs and of course the savior. Responsible for incredible animation of the puppets are Jose and Elena Volpi, Czech director, puppeteer, co-founder and member of famous Prague Puppet Theater Buchty a loutky, Marek Bečka in Mini teater also inspires with performances Puss in Boots and The wishing table.
In terms of the official selection there were, on three different locations, presented 23 performances for children till 18 years of age from 15 different countries (Great Britain, France, Russia, Poland, Spain, Italy, Egypt, Chile, Romania, Hungary, Serbia, Croatia, FYR Macedonia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Mini teater as an important representative of Slovenia), chosen amongst 204 applicants from 41 states. The repertoire was set to high professional measures with the emphasis on versatility of shape and approach in puppetry theatrical expression, with carefully thought through program and high demands the participation in the festival is enabled only to the best.
Mini teater has also, on one of the most renowned festivals in Europe and in the world, which received for its enormous contribution to children’s theater and culture the Vuk award in 2005, in overbooked auditorium out of competition presented itself with the guest puppeteer master with the first virtual Puppet Show in the world – Thumbelina. The actor and director of the performance and the CEO of Mini teater Robert Waltl also carried out in terms of »Puppet Nomad Academy 3« project under the management of Mini teater a creative and interesting lecture on the subject Virtual Puppetry - future or fancy workshop.
