The human need to tell stories gave life to theatre in ancient Greece. The World Theatre Day was founded in 1961 at the suggestion of the International Theatre Institute and is celebrated every year on 27 March.
A puppet theatre is a special kind of theatre which includes the human manipulation of puppets to tell a story. One such theatre - the Mostar Puppet Theatre has been telling fairytale stories to children for 70 years, introducing them to the world of theatre culture in a way they can understand. Back in 1939, it was recorded that the Sokol Parish of Mostar had a puppet show founded and led by Đorđe Bovan, who would become the director of the Mostar City Puppet Theatre, which was founded in 1949. The first play, “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs”, premiered on 15 November 1952. In 1960, it changed its name to the Mostar Puppet Theatre, and two years later Antonije Karačić took over the management duties from Bovan.
The war events that began in 1992 did not stop the Mostar puppeteers. They followed the paths of refugees and exiles and performed plays wherever there were children. After many years of tenancy, they opened their new home in Mostar on 12 March 2011 with the play “Devil's Bridge” (Vragov most) by Petar Šurkalović. It has been called the Mostar Puppet Theatre since 18 December 1992.
Croatian Post Ltd. Mostar congratulates them on their birthday with a postage stamp and a wish to continue doing beautiful plays and entertain young and old.
(Željka Šaravanja)
