Puppet theater in Wels

Playing with puppets knows no age limit!

Sabine Köhler and Heiki Ikkola make a guest appearance in Wels with Kafka's "Der Bau".

(Bild: André Wirsig)

Curtain up for the 33rd International Puppet Theater Festival in Wels! There are around 28 productions for young and old by groups and performers from eight different countries. The festival is the largest in Austria - puppet theater is experiencing an incredible trend!

"Puppet theater is an appealing narrative medium with a strong visual language that is in vogue," says Gerti Tröbinger. She is a passionate puppeteer and has been the director of the "Wels International Puppet Theater Festival" since 2009.

This year's festival takes place from Thursday, March 13 to Thursday, March 20 and brings artists and groups from eight different countries to Wels. The venues: Stadttheater, Alter Schl8chthof, the Minoriten and the Medienkulturhaus.

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Fotos

Franz Kafka and red balls
Anyone who believes that puppet theater is only for children is mistaken. The production "Der Bau" by the group "Cie. Freaks und Fremde" (14. 3., from 16 years) is dedicated to Franz Kafka and deals with loneliness and the difficulties of finding a home. This is just one example of several productions aimed at either young people and/or adults.

And there are, of course, many character adventures for a young audience. "Rotbällchen" (19. 3., from 2 years) by Eva Kaufmann is a play about young and old, about first encounters, lovingly presented without words, but with music.

"Als mein Vater ein Busch wurde" (13. 3., from 8 years) tells the story of a strong, young heroine fleeing from a country where a war is starting. The story is told by "theater katinkaspringinsfeld" with puppets, drama and chalk.

The puppet theater festival in Wels also features films, workshops, an exhibition and the "Animation Art" series, in which young artists who are studying "puppet theater", acting or directing design the program.