TEHRAN – The level of positive energy emanating from the Iranian theater audience is truly remarkable, Peruvian director Hugo Suárez, who is currently in Tehran to take part in the 19th edition of the Mobarak Puppet Theater Festival, has said.

“We have been overwhelmed by the tremendous positivity emanating from the Iranian audience,” Suárez, who staged “Body Rhapsody” at the festival, explained on Thursday.
    
“The support and enthusiasm from the Iranian audience fuel us with an immense positive energy.”

“This is our troupe’s first time visiting Iran and I must say, the festival was impeccably organized,” he added.

The audience's energy was contagious, and their enthusiastic response during the show filled me with immense joy, he noted.

“It was truly heartwarming to see them express their emotions so openly.” 

"Body Rhapsody" presents a fresh and innovative concept by incorporating inflatable puppets as the main style of the show, he added.

The characters are uniquely crafted using an imaginative combination of various body parts such as hands, knees, stomach, and more, he mentioned.

“My wife, Ines Pasic, and I collaborate on directing and writing shows, continuously expanding our knowledge about the human body and creating theatrical productions inspired by its various parts,” he stated.

“Recently, we designed a new doll that features a realistic human mouth, adding yet another unique element to our repertoire.”

“First, we begin by developing the characters, closely examining their movements and the capabilities of their bodies,” he said and added: “We then craft characters that reflect these traits, using them as a foundation to propel the story forward.”

"Body Rhapsody" is a picturesque parade of funny characters who, in the brief moments of their existence on the stage, try to capture those little poetic moments that are hidden in daily life. These characters, with their dreams and frustrations, with their successes and failures, tell us about the eternal drama of the human tragicomedy.

Seven performances are staged by troupes from Turkey, Georgia, Mexico, Armenia, Peru and Brazil during Mobarak Puppet Theater Festival, which will come to an end on Saturday.

“Treasure Island” by Brazilian director Fábio Superbi is among the puppet shows. 

It tells an adventure-filled story reminiscent of tales of heroes and their trials. Jim, an 11-year-old brave adventurer meets an old sea wolf, wins a treasure map, sails the seas on a huge ship, faces pirates, overcomes the dangers of a desert island, finds a ghost and finally discovers his treasure.

Renowned Georgian puppeteer Elene Matskhonashvili attends the festival with the biographical plays “Pirosmani” and “Niko Nikoladze”.

“Pirosmani” portrays the tragic life story of the great Georgian artist, Niko Pirosmani, who died in a basement.

In her second puppet show, Matskhonashvili centers on Niko Nikoladze, a Georgian writer, pro-Western enlightener, and public figure primarily known for his contributions to the development of Georgian liberal journalism and his involvement in various economic and social projects of that time.

The lineup also includes “The Magic Lamp” by Cengiz Özek from Turkey.

It is a stage adaptation of “Thumbelina”, a literary fairy tale by Danish author Hans Christian Andersen.

Hacivat finds a lamp and takes it to Karagoz to have it cleaned. Usually, a genie lives in old lamps. But this genie is not a bad genie. Karagoz is allowed to ask whatever he wants. He has only three wishes. However, Karagoz is so indecisive that he shrinks to the size of a thumb. Poor Karagoz comes across giants; a crow, a frog, a snake, a mole, a rat and a stork. He asks every one of them about his lamp, but not everybody has good intentions. And from the clouds to the earth, through water, under bad weather conditions his adventure waits for him. In the end the gold-hearted genie saves him from this situation. Karagoz returns to his normal height and uses his wishes for his friends’ happiness and health.

“Birds Are Eternal” by Antonio Camacho Oropeza from Mexico and “Swan Lake” by Samson Movsesyan from Armenia are also included.

Photo: Peruvian director Hugo Suárez performs "Body Rhapsody" at the 19th edition of the Mobarak Puppet Theater Festival in Tehran.

ABU/