March 21st, World Puppetry Day

Monday, 30 March 2009 19:43

Every March 21st, World Puppetry Day is celebrated. TOPic wants to join this celebration and spread it on its website. This is the international message published by UNIMA (the International Marionette Union) and written by the great Czech scenographer, Ptre. Matásek for this year’s celebration:

 «A true legend

A long, fiery line in the sky cuts through space and disappears in the depths of the Universe.It reappears and vanishes again. It’s Prometheus, with a torch in his hand, searching wearily in the darkness for someone to whom he may pass it.


The torch in Prometheus’ hand is, in fact, a Burning Puppet, the gift of the gods who sent their own reflection to the human race so as not to be forgotten. The human race humbly accepted the torch in order to remember the gods, to create their image as well as mankind’s own changing dependence on them.

Nevertheless, there is a problem. Let’s not pretend we can overlook the law of the conservation of energy. If we respect that law, the Burning Puppet will burn into ashes. But luckily, it burns without ceasing to exist, permuting through the faith of those who meet the Burning Puppet.

A recycled image of the gods is thus created, an objectified idea that animates through the people and fascinates through fire, illuminating spaces so that we don’t feel so lonely in the Universe. As a result, mankind learned about the benignity of light and the warmth of fire, while becoming obsessed with creation and the metaphor of its permanency in a work of art and finally, with the idea of solidarity which is remembered in shared spaces during moments of ritual providence.

Here on Earth the beacon of the Burning Puppet is carried continuously by generations of fortunate people who are scorched but not burnt by its blazing warmth.

It is a never-ending race with a message that is constant in spite of the passage of time and the adversity of our days. Places, and their mutual proximity wherever the Burning Puppet appears and its changing image, are seemingly accidental and the reason behind their recurrent appearance is known only to the gods.

We stare in surprise at those who get to hold the torch of the Burning Puppet, taking it from their predecessor and carrying it to the end of their path in order to pass it on to others.

Prometheus is not likely to return. We are too insensitive to notice his return once again. So let us defend those who were given the opportunity to carry and pass on the Burning Puppet. This is clearly our only chance to keep its fire burning».


 

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