The idea of founding a puppet theatre as a means of improving health education among children, and the relationship between doctors and their little patients came from a long way off. I had read a book by Sergey Obraztsov, one of the best known and appreciated Russian puppeteers. His short plays were so charmingly written that I felt compelled to go and meet him when he came to Bucharest. He acted on stage most of the plays from his book and he ended up with a baby puppet, little Teopka, who kept fidgeting and whom the puppeteer was caressing and singing to: the baby got quieter and quieter and eventually went to sleep, breathing calmly. At this point, Obraztsov turned his back to the audience and left slowly, tiptoeing to the other end of the stage. No one dared to applaud before he left the stage… being careful not to wake the baby up! It was a moment of magic, when art makes the border between fiction and reality vanish. In 1974 I founded the puppet theatre "Pillet." I managed to form a team of 10-14 people – doctors, nurses, technicians. As time went by, they became true puppeteers: no mean achievement considering the amount of hours needed to rehearse, hold up their arms, concentrate in order not to miss the cues and to give a real impression that the puppet is speaking. They were author shows: I wrote the plays, I composed the music, I made the puppets, designed the sets, directed them. This team worked for 14 whole years, offering dozens of shows of its seven plays, in children's hospitals, in orphanages, in schools and nurseries; we were welcome everywhere we went with great enthusiasm and joy. Somebody wrote about us in a newspaper that we were "a true medicine of joy." The plays are all based on medical themes, humorously and attractively introduced to children. In one of the plays, "Who Said OUCH?," the nurse Alunitza (Beauty Spot) bandages Halvitza (a dessert made of caramel, honey, nuts, almonds and flavors) the puppy's wound, and he later becomes his assistant. Then, they immobilize a cat's fracture and stop an elephant's trunk hemorrhaging. After each scene, both of them sing, repeating what they did and ending up with the famous refrain: "It's wise in life To face its strife And when you know how To lend a hand somehow." In the play "The Clean Blue Prince," the prince leaves with his helper Roibitza (a puppy) to rescue the Grubby Little Princess from the hands of the dragons: the Microbes, who have kidnapped her from the castle. He goes through several adventures; he fights with the dragons and eventually defeats them. At the end, the Blue Prince and the Princess go home accompanied by a triumphal march and Roibitza shouts with all his strength: "Blue Prince, wash your hands because you have dealt with the Microbes…."The detective play "The Microbol Gang Trial" enjoyed much success.There were dozens of shows we performed in children's wards, but one of them was particularly emotional: the Christmas show performed in the wards where almost all were older children. There were a few children, with serious illnesses which didn't allow them to be discharged, and for many of them this was probably the last show they saw in their lives. The artists returned from holiday as it was inconceivable not to perform this show. Once, after the show, all the children stood up and went to their wards. Only one of them remained: an eight-year-old boy with leukemia who had been in the hospital for a long time. He was staring at some unseen point in front of him. I got closer to him and asked him, with some concern, "what's happened? are you alright?" His answer struck me dumb: "I feel happy," he said and he didn't see that two of the artists dashed off as they didn't wish him to see them bursting into tears.How was it possible for this team to survive for 14 years? It's very simple: we were all motivated by the love we felt for children, either well or unwell. The numberless rehearsals, the performances, the putting up and taking down of sets, the sacrificing of Sundays... had only one reward: the laughter and the participation of our little spectators. Of course, there were the praises of the critics, too. In the context of the genre, we were awarded six second prizes, and in 1985, the first prize and the laureate diploma. All these in a national contest. We were particularly thrilled when we had to perform "At the Circus with Pillet" in the national phase of the contest. In our opinion, it was the best piece we had ever produced. It was an uninterrupted exchange of funny retorts, which had produced great laughter and endless applauses, almost preventing us from continuing. While we were putting up the set, all nervous as we were, news reached us that the mother of one of the protagonists had died the evening before. There was nothing to be done, it was impossible to replace one of the main puppeteers just before the show, so we started packing, tears in our eyes. Suddenly, P. showed up, all dressed in black mourning. She had thought it would have been a crime to spoil the last two year's work of the team. She didn't think that would be an impiety towards her mother, so she performed and at the end she went away, leaving the others to collect well-deserved applauses. The jury awarded us the national first prize and the laureate diploma.After the anti-communist revolution of 1989, the room where we used to rehearse was taken by the newly formed trade union. Among the first decisions: to stop all volunteer work, to stop working on Saturdays, and to strike for better salaries. Under the circumstances, we offered a last show at the hospital, then packed the puppets and the sets and donated them to the Children's Palace. We were left with the memories we always talk about when we meet.I published the plays in a volume entitled Let's Go to the Theatre! hoping that somebody would bring them to life again. Dr. Jules COHN BOTEA graduated from the Pediatric Faculty in Bucharest in 1953. He worked at the Dr. Victor Gomoiu Children's Polyclinic and Hospital until 1994 when he retired. He published 22 scientific articles and he founded the "Liminal intellect recuperation class." He also made some innovations in medical equipment and teaching materials. In 1974 he founded a puppet theatre at Dr. V. Gomoiu Hospital, named "Pillet," a probably unique initiative in children's hospitals.
by Jules Cohn-Botea
