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ACTING SCHOOL AND CREATIVE RESEARCH IN THE UZBEKISTAN
PUPPET THEATRE
Mamura Umarkhodjaeva
Uzbekistan state art and teacher of the cultural institute
Marhabo Abdurahmonova
1st year student
Annotation:
This article analyzes the stages of development of acting and special schools in
the Uzbek puppet theater. It also shows the physical and spiritual preparation of actors, their
attitude to the profession, and their importance for the future of the theater.
Keywords:
actor, school, puppet, stage, art, image, puppet, artist, master, professional.
There is a famous saying in the world of theater. Theater begins with a clothes hanger.
Puppet theater begins with a puppet and ends with a puppet. In any case, this is the main
advice of all theaters striving for professionalism.
The Republican Puppet Theater accelerated towards this professionalism in the 60s-
70s. During these years, continuous work was carried out to fully master the features inherent
in puppet theater, not content with children, but to serve adult audiences as well, and to
increase the artistic completeness of performances. Young directors V.S. Iogelsen, I.R.
Yakubov, artist V.A. Akudin, master puppeteers E.G. Podgurskaya, A.S. Semikova, S.L.
Strashnova joined the theater. The cast was divided into Uzbek and Russian groups, and the
Uzbek group included actors A.Saidaliev, N.Zaynuddinov, U.Allakulova, Z.Ishokova, and
the young artist T.Makhramov.
During these years, one can see significant changes in directing, a desire for
innovation in the activities of the artist and puppeteer, and growth in the creativity of the
actors. These achievements did not happen by themselves, of course. Behind this lies great
work and the extensive use of the rich possibilities of the traditional puppet theater. As proof
of our opinion, we found it appropriate to cite the thoughts of the critic T.Yuldashev about
the director I.Yakubov, who served in the formation of the theater repertoire at that time. “If
director I.R. Yakubov achieved significant achievements during his creative career, we
consider this primarily to be the case when he worked on the ancient roots of the traditional
Uzbek puppet theater, combining the artistic methods of staging classical and modern works
with specificity” [1], says the researcher.
We are far from relying on this very idea. After all, comparing the activities of the
entire theater in the 60s-70s and beyond only with the creative path of director I. Yakubov
and drawing conclusions can be one-sided. It is also necessary to separately note the work of
such directors as F. Shein, S. Yogelsen, L. Hait, M. Korlov, who worked in these years. They
staged works on serious topics for adults, with strong dramaturgy in a modern direction, on
the theater stage. These include I. Shtok's "The Devil's Mill", B. Gador and S. Darvash's "The
Beautiful Galatea", and E. Schwartz's "The Naked King".
Another achievement of the Republican Puppet Theater in the late 1970s was the
entry into the theater of actors specially trained in the field of puppetry. This, in our opinion,
is one of the main reasons that ensured the fruitfulness of the theater's creative path during
this period and its achievements in professional performance. There is reason to say that one.
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By the 1970s and 1980s, the performances included in the theater's repertoire had become
more diverse in terms of subject matter. Serious work was started on making puppets. The
puppets were made more expressive, compact and mobile. The previous "glove puppets"
animated by fingers were replaced by puppets with moving hands and eyes, controlled from
below by wires and special mechanisms. As a result, significant changes occurred in the
performing arts. The new puppets were handled by a modern professional theater actor who
had graduated from a special school. New methods and discoveries began to be used in
working with puppets on the image, in transferring the image of modern heroes to the stage.
The use of new methods in open work with puppets provided variety. This became the basis
for achieving great successes. At many prestigious festivals, the actors of the Republican
Puppet Theater achieved a number of successes with their skillful performances.
The issue of training personnel for the puppet theater for its own field was solved for
the first time in this imitation. The Department of "Puppet Theater Acting", opened in 1974 at
the Tashkent Institute of Theater and Fine Arts, became the only educational institution for
training personnel for puppet theaters in our republic and neighboring republics. The lack of
acting specialists for regional puppet theaters and theaters in the capital or the existing
shortcomings in the field necessitated the establishment of the department. In addition, the
puppet theater, which was improving year by year, needed professional personnel in its field.
Also, there were problems in the theaters regarding the replacement of the younger
generation, and there was a great demand for young specialists who could continue the
creative path of the older generation. The department was organized taking into account these
requirements, and its main task was to prepare personnel for puppet theaters who would have
a broad outlook, modern knowledge, and who would be able to fully meet world standards
while mastering the secrets of their field.
At the institute, such masters as S. Yogelsen, who had gained experience in the puppet
theater, began to teach young people the secrets of the field. Most of the first graduates of the
department continued their creative activities at the Republican Puppet Theater. Until now,
dramatic theater actors have also worked in the direction of the puppet theater.
Research in the field and serious achievements in puppet theater acting fell precisely
on the years when S. Yogelsen was in charge. During S. Iogelsen's 20-year teaching career,
the number of young people who understand the specifics of puppet theater and have
received training in this field has further expanded.
In the 80s and 90s, a number of talented actors, such as V. Yusupova, F. Khodzhaev,
Sh. Kamilova, A. Mahkamova, M. Egamnazarov, Sh. Zhabborov, K. Zhabborova, Z. Raskin,
A. Moslikov, M. Hamdamov, E. N. Yakovleva, N. Krylova, N. Pavlova, Sh. Khayitboev, D.
Soliyev, Sh. Solieva, M. Egamnazarova, A. Mirzaghiyosov, O. Otaboev, L. Kribanova, G.
Prokofeva, N. Goncharova, Sh. Komilov, successfully graduated from the acting department
of the puppet theater, most of whom continued their creative path at the Republican Puppet
Theater. It was during these years that a unique tradition of teacher-student relations was
established in puppet theater acting. New research and experiments were introduced in the
field of puppetry and acting. A number of performances and unique performances were
created that played an important role in the development of the theater and are still part of the
repertoire of the Republican Puppet Theater.
In a word, the establishment of the department eliminated the existing problems in
puppet theater acting and justified its activities. Young people who studied at the puppet
theater department gained sufficient knowledge not only in their specialty, but also in secular
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subjects. S. Yogelsen introduced the first two years of training for students, as usual,
according to the Stanislavsky system. The last two years of the educational process were
supplemented with subjects related to the specialty, that is, the basics and skills of puppetry.
In this way, future puppet theater actors mastered the secrets of puppet making, puppet
management, stage speech, music, and plastic arts one by one.
This tradition also bore fruit during the years of independence. Actors who had
mastered the specifics, language, and environment of puppet theater were fully absorbed into
the theater environment that very year. Of course, there were changes in the new conditions
and the transition to a new era. Many actors, not content with the small salaries of the theater,
moved to other areas. However, one cannot ignore the achievements. In the years before
independence and before, modern Uzbek puppet art took part in a number of prestigious
festivals, competitions, and achieved many achievements.
In the last decade, problems began to arise related to the issue of training personnel in
the puppet theater. Some shortcomings in the field became apparent. There are, of course,
specific objective and subjective reasons for this. Firstly, most of the young people who
graduate from the puppet theater acting department apply to the institute without initially
intending to work in this field. Many of them are unsuccessful applicants who take exams for
drama or other acting fields every year, and quickly look for easier ways to stand out. As a
result, they choose the field of puppet acting, which is relatively easier to enter than other
acting fields. After graduating, they move to the television and film industries.
Secondly, young people who start their careers in the field of puppet acting and get
used to this environment, although a little, are not satisfied with the salary they are paid until
they are assigned a staff position in the theater, and move to other fields. Television, radio,
dubbing, etc.
Thirdly, actors who graduate from their field and then go to the theater, due to the
lack of vacancies, work as technicians, props and similar positions, and eventually end up in
another field. The talented ones can get the main roles in a year or two. However, those with
more advanced skills pass away without seeing the stage.
Fourthly, students and young people who have graduated not only from acting, but
also from other areas of art, try to settle in the capital as specialists, rather than going to art
and culture institutions in their region. As a result, the future of art and culture institutions
remains in the hands of amateur youth or college graduates with secondary education in their
field.
Such problems related to the issue of personnel training have become an urgent
problem not only for us, but also for Russian puppet theaters, which have great success,
experience and schools in the puppet theater.
The monthly salary of puppet theater actors is set at a low amount. Most of them earn
extra income from weddings, holidays, birthdays, events, radio and television appearances,
leading roles, and acting roles. However, they continue their work in the theater due to their
love and faith in their field.
Very few actors can withstand the relentless work of puppet theater. This is a field
that requires enormous physical strength, willpower, endurance, fortitude, and patience. In
order to hold a puppet during hours of rehearsals, bring it to life, and create an artistic image,
one must have enough spiritual courage and inner strength.
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It takes a lot of humility to give all one's strength, talent, youth, and life to a lifeless
puppet, to become absorbed in it, and through it to find one's "I". Unfortunately, the humility
of today's actors is not imbued with the concepts of dedication and faith in one's profession.
The reason we analyzed the process of personnel training in this chapter is because
the existing problem has not been solved for several years. Moreover, many of these
problems in puppet theater performance arise due to the factors listed above. Unless the
factors (small problems) that cause the problem are eliminated, the problem itself will not be
solved.
References:
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ечими”. Театр ва ёш авлод. – Т.: 2012.
2. Қодиров М. Ўзбек халқ томоша санъати. – Т.: Ўқитувчи, 1981.
3. Қодиров М. Томоша санъати ўтмишидан лавҳалар.. – Т.: Фан, 1993.
4. Қодиров М. Масхарабоз ва қизиқчилар санъати (Фарғон анъанавий театри). – Т.:
Фан, 1971.
