Cuba to host International Puppet Festival

MATANZAS, Cuba, Sep 16 (ACN) The Matanzas International Puppet Festival (Festitim) is already preparing for its 16th edition, scheduled for March 17-22, with a more focused format, focused on artistic quality and cultural experimentation.

Ruben Dario Salazar Taquechel, director of Teatro de las Estaciones, the event's host group, stated that they are returning to their original date of March, Puppet Month, with days dedicated to this artistic expression.

The festival's curation will focus on a journey into the identities of puppets in the participating countries and in Cuba.

The artist explained that, despite the complex current and future economic circumstances, the festival will maintain its inclusive and special character, dedicated this time to the 70th birthday of Pelusin del Monte, an emblematic Cuban figure.

The event will pay tribute to popular heroes of global puppetry, such as Petrusca in Russia, Gaspar in Germany, Don Cristobal in Spain, Juancito and Maria in Argentina, Juan Bobo in Puerto Rico, Don Folias in Mexico, and Pelusin del Monte in Cuba, who represents local culture with his Campeche language and unique charisma.

Among the planned activities are workshops, concerts, shows, exhibitions, theoretical events, film screenings, book presentations, street theater, and performances for adults and children.

The 2020 National Theater Award winner emphasized that Festitim will offer a rich overview of current trends in puppetry.

Festitim will be an opportunity to define our artistic identity without giving in to massive and global influences.

We are millionaire puppeteers in culture, grace, and respect for our own stories, and this festival will be, I am sure, unforgettable for everything that will happen from beginning to end, emphasized Salazar Taquechel (Santiago de Cuba, 1963), recipient of numerous awards and recognitions such as the Distinction for National Culture and the Maestro de Juventudes Award, and with a career as an actor, theater director, promoter, editor, researcher, playwright, and professor.