A compelling review of the puppet show The Mysterious Gift

A real gift to children

Whenever I hear that young, enthusiastic, and highly motivated artists are entering the artistic fields, I thank the kind God a thousand times. Long story short, during the blessed holidays of Sha’ban, after years, I received a valuable gift from an old and artistic friend that brought back the happy memories of the 1960s (1980s AD) and children’s programming, and made me more hopeful than ever about the future of my homeland’s children in the arts and creativity sector. Anyway, in this esteemed group, through my dear master, Mr. Majid Ghannad, I became familiar with the time and location of the puppet show The Mysterious Gift.

Along with my wife, sister, and niece, I bought tickets online to watch the puppet show “The Mysterious Gift”. Interestingly, in the very first minutes, the seats quickly filled up! I said to myself, this is just an ordinary work that I have to make time for anyway; after all, we are also part of this cultural family.
Today the weather was great, especially in Laleh Park, and we arrived right on time. Seeing Master Ghannad (professional, simple, affectionate, and friendly) with people of all ages swarming around him and constantly taking pictures, I felt that this work must be different. But upon seeing the performance hall, its capacity, and the small space, I thought to myself how the esteemed director and the blooming cast and crew would be able to execute a surreal, musical (with children’s and well-thought-out music), and engaging performance for children in this small place?

I was really overwhelmed by a strange stress. Even though I had hosted hundreds of live children’s television programs in the presence of children, that same anxiety and stress took over me. Children, accompanied by their parents, one by one, two by two, and four by four, were filling the seats with snacks in hand. Seeing the simple and white set design added to my stress. Before the show began—which started a bit late due to a shortage of parking spaces—the esteemed director, Mr. Meysam Yousefi, apologized to the audience. As soon as I saw Mr. Yousefi, memories of years ago when I worked with him on the Nowruz special program series “Spring Blossoms” came alive. He is an experienced, highly motivated, and creative artist, and after seeing this puppet show, I truly came to believe in his art and management.

Performance

Act one began with light, shadow, and music. Right at the very first step, the clever director presented such a magical blend of light and shadow on the white screen accompanied by music that the children’s murmurs quickly subsided!

The puppets, dialogues, lighting, music, and the variety of multi-purpose sets combined different techniques in a truly wondrous way. I thought to myself how beautifully our ancestors said that necessity is the mother of invention! When you are able to captivate an elusive child for a relatively long time and immerse them in the magical world of the show, you will certainly be able to make the most of this small space and severely limited facilities.
Today I learned a lot from these young artists and Master Meysam Yousefi.

Merits of the Work

• Simple and fluent writing
• Gentle children’s poems appropriate for the children’s age
• Considering the target audience’s age
• Outstanding design and execution of sets, puppets, puppet costumes, and props
• Skill of the puppeteers
• Music and music arrangement
• Lighting
• And ultimately, a cohesive team along with smart management

They provided us with an extraordinary work and a memorable day. I thank all those involved in this artistic field, especially the friends of the puppet show “The Mysterious Gift,” and I strongly suggest watching this extremely beautiful and engaging show to all of you friends along with your family and relatives.

Author: Reza Habibi