The Vanadzor Puppet Theater, located in the building of a flower showroom, has been newly renovated
The Vanadzor Puppet Theater was founded in 1992 in the building of a Soviet-era flower showroom. The theater has been renovated and now has the appearance of a proper theater.
According to the theater’s director, Sevak Sargsyan, the building was not originally designed as a typical theater and did not meet theatrical requirements.
Previously, the building lacked any stage infrastructure, there were no dressing rooms, and the restrooms were in poor condition—meaning there was very little in place. However, as a result of this reconstruction, we now have a completely new theater building that meets modern standards, with a more beautiful hall, separate dressing rooms for the actors, storage areas, technical sections, and fully renovated, complete working conditions.
The first performance took place in 1994, but it was only recently, after the renovation, that the theater acquired its proper appearance. Over the 30 years, certain improvements and corrections have been made. One of the main issues was the lack of heating, which has now been addressed with the installation of a heating system.
The theater is actively engaged in creative work. In recent years, it has participated in grant programs announced by the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture, and Sports, which have allowed it to create new performances. The theater is also part of an subscription program, working with general education schools.
According to the director, the repertoire includes more than 7 performances, which are shown to children of various ages.
I am pleased to say that in 2021, we had our first premiere and, yesterday, our second performance. This is how we experimented with having performances featuring puppet theater with flat or floor puppets in our repertoire, as before, only rod puppets and traditional puppets were used.
Yesterday, the premiere of the play The Adventures of Cipollino was held at the theater, staged with floor puppets.
Judging by the interest generated during the construction phase, the theater’s director is confident that the number of visitors will significantly increase.
The appearance of the Vanadzor Puppet Theater now and in the past (photo from the theater’s Facebook page).
