Puppet show educates children about their rights

AMMAN — The Lebanese Puppet Theatre presented this weekend its 21-year-old play “Let It Rain Chicks” at Haya Cultural Centre (HCC), highlighting the importance of children’s rights. 

Karim Dakroub, the director of the play and founder of the Lebanese Puppet Theatre, said that the play was first presented in 1996 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of UNICEF. 

 “The main theme of the story is about children’s rights and it is portrayed in a very simple way for children to understand. It also invites the audience to participate and interact in some of the scenes,” he told The Jordan Times at HCC on Saturday. 

Stressing the great significance of children in light of the regional instability, Dakroub said that when the troupe creates a play they try to convey a timeless idea. 

“Every play reflects on what we feel as artists at the time that we create it but, at the same time, we pay attention to the quality of the play so it can be performed at any time. Human problems never come to an end,” he stated.  

Dakroub said every now and then, they make arrangements to improve some parts of the plays. 

“Sometimes, there are scenes that need to be taken out or scenes that need to be included, so that the details of the play are in line with the latest developments,” he noted.  

Dakroub said that, despite its long history in the world of puppetry, the Arab world currently only has a limited number of people working in the sector on the international level. 

“But, hopefully, thanks to the efforts we exert in Lebanon and the efforts of the HCC, this art will become more developed. The puppet itself has to first be accepted by the artist who creates it, andlater be accepted by the child,” he noted. 

It is the second time the Lebanese Puppet Theatre participates at the HCC, although they have already performed many times in Jordan, the director said.

Founded in 1992, the Lebanese Puppet Theatre is a theatrical company specialising in puppet theatre production and puppet design, according to its website.

The company aims to spread and develop the art of puppetry and the puppet theatre in Lebanon and other Arab countries, along with its social and educational applications, the website showed.

The festival will run through November 11.