The Train Theater
![]() The Train Theater was established in Jerusalem in 1981 as a collaboration of four independent puppeteers: Michael Schuster, Alina Ashbel, Hadass Ophrat and Mario Kotliar. At first, the performances took place in a train wagon brought to the Koret Liberty Bell Park for that purpose. As the years passed the Train Theater became a creative and inspirational source of puppetry in Israel. The Train Theater productions are the result of the search for personal expression, mostly in small format, aiming for the highest level of stage and performance work. Although means were limited, the artists contributed to the enrichment of the theatrical language through their search to investigate and to renew. Many of the plays were created for children but they always included levels directed to the adults in the audience. Thus the artists refined their personal expression while breaking down the accepted limitations of the medium. The plays are beautiful and rich in visual artistry making use of puppets, objects, space and the element of surprise.
Click here to see a video clip of a collection of samples from the Train Theateґs shows.
In time, the Train Theater expanded its fields of activity and established the International Festival of Puppet Theater, The School of Visual Theater and Habamah Theater, (now called Hazira Performance Art). These institutions are dedicated to interdisciplinary experimental work, as well as special projects for both the informal and formal educational system.
The Train Theater has a permanent repertoire of plays and annual productions. Since its inception in 1981, the Train Theater has produced eighty works including large sophisticated performances such as "Roseta" (1993) by Naomi Yoeli, directed by Michal Porat and designed by Hadass Ophrat as well as "Crown of Feathers" (1996) by Alina Ashbel. The Jerusalem Foundation, the Jerusalem Municipality Department of Culture and the Culture Committee for of the Ministry of Science, Culture and Sport presently support the theater. Each of the productions are certified by Omanut La’am, as well as the National Basket of Culture, allowing the Train Theater the possibility of performing throughout Israel. In fact, only a third of all performances take place at the Train Theater itself, a 70-seat auditorium in the Koret Liberty Bell Park. The Train Theater´s target audience is children ages 2-12, offering a variety of plays from full-length performances to colorful story telling with objects and music for very small children, as well as creative workshops and roving street festivals for the whole family.
The Train Theater believes that the boundaries of puppetry can change and that the various structural elements, such as space, the puppet, the object and the puppeteer can have an expanded role. The Train Theater believes in artistic freedom for all artists working within its framework, giving free reign to the artist’s imagination. This produced plays such as: "Head in the Clouds" and "A Touch of Light" by Patricia O´Donovan; "Golden Hair" and "The King´s Path" by Roni Mosenson-Nelken; "The Nightingale", "Crown of Feathers", and "A Girl in a Flower Pot" by Alina Ashbel; "The Marzipan Fairy" by Nathalia Rosenthal; "Filling the Pillows" by Myriam Salzberg and Tsipor Frumkin; and "Who´s Afraid of the Bogey Man" by Jonathan Ben Haim. One can say that the Train Theater stands at the artistic forefront, not giving in to the populism that exists in the theater marketplace, particularly in children’s theater. There is no doubt that this is an artistic institution, one of the most important in its field in Israel and the world, recognized and awarded many international prizes.
From the Press:
"The Jerusalem Train Theater has established a rich and successful repertoire forming a unique style. The theater’s plays combine puppetry and objects with actors onstage while the visual design at the core succeeds in visual expressions of drama and plot." Yehuda Biton, Ha´aretz Newspaper (translation)
"The Train Theater of Jerusalem is the most influential creative force in the field of puppetry in Israel." Ruthy Russo, Maariv Newspaper (translation)
"The shows of the Train Theater of Jerusalem are excelled with good taste and with quality which characterizes almost every one of its performances, from the aspect of the story as well as the way in which it is presented on stage with puppets, objects, and different surprises of light and various props - that every one of them usually has a double or even triple role. The shows of this theater do not age, and they are performed for years in Israel and abroad, where they participate in the best festivals of puppet theater." Yoram Rotem, "Children and Parents" Magazine (translation)
Street Festival:
Street Festival includes colorful outdoor shows that are performed throughout Israel including story telling, clowns, a music box, puppet theater, a one man band, a box theater, jugglers and more.
Festival Participation: The Train Theater participates in many festivals in Israel such as the “Haifa Children´s Theater Festival” and "The Magic of Fairytales" at the Suzanne Dellal Center, and at municipal theaters during "Book Week". The Train Theater has been invited to participate in various international festivals and has won much acclaim abroad. The most important of these is the World-Wide Festival of Puppet Theatres of Charlesville-Mezzier, France.
The International Festival of Puppet Theater in Jerusalem:
The International Festival of Puppet Theater was initiated by the Train Theater in 1983. The Festival selects performances on variety, quality and relevance. The festival has hosted many artists known for their contribution such as Philip Gentil of France, Maria La Ribot of Spain, and Frank Zoehnle of Germany.
Since 2001 the Festival takes place annually on summer (August).
From the Press:
"Must come and see, and invite parents and even grandparents" - Maariv for Children Magazine (translation).
"The experience from past years shows that this is a fresh cultural wind and a visual celebration of quality and magic for the whole family" - Children and Parents Magazine (translation).
"The International Festival of Puppet Theater in Jerusalem - a well known and well invested event" - Rutha Kupfer, Ha´aretz Newspaper (translation).
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Story Theater
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Contact Us
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Mario Kotliar
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The International Festival of Puppet Theater
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The Heart of the Puppet
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