Mid-September traditionally sees a week of season premieres at Sofia Puppet Theater. This year, following a successful opening for We, The Blackbirds (see TotalTheater.com review in the Criticopia International section), the next day brought Tup-Tup. That is Bulgarian for the sound of heartbeats. The entire show is done in black light, with segments of pink tubing morphing from one shape to another to tell a story about love. A large pulsing heart turns into a floral offering for the girl.
As is the wont for such stories, happiness seems within reach until events take a different turn. Still relying on the colored tubing's evolving forms, Magdalena Miteva's show traces a sad trajectory until everything is happily resolved. Throughout Vrado Kovalev's musical selections reinforce the mood of the moment. Invisible puppeteers use impeccable timing to pace the story. The hour flies by, but the biggest surprise comes at the end when only four players come out for bows. It seems incredible that they can realize so much variety being so few in number. The performance under review attracted a full house, and the enthusiastic response augurs for a long run in repertory.
