THE STORY OF THE THREE SQUARRELS (RO)

after Virginia Waters

 Cast: Ramona Atănăsoaie, Călin Mureșan, Robert Trifan, Adina Ungur

Figuration: Cosmin Cîrlea

Voices: Dana Bonțidean, Ionuț Constantinescu

Script and direction: Dana Bonțidean

Scenography / painting: Elena Ilaș

Sculpture: Florin Marin

Music: Attila Nagy

Rational storytelling is an under-explored and under-used tool in children’s education in Romania. In recent years, specialists from the Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences at Babeș Bolyai University in Cluj have developed a series of stories that teach young children to build resistance to frustration, to cope with anxiety or anger, and to accept themselves. Puck Theatre aims to take over and expand this unique project by adapting stories for preschool children. The performance „The Tale of the Three Little Squirrels” was inspired by Virginia Waters’ book of rational stories for children, published in 1980 and published in Romanian in 2003 by the Romanian Centre for Cognitive and Behavioural Psychotherapies.

Here are some of the statements that the Rational Stories offer us as a tool in managing difficult situations, regardless of the age at which we face them:

I wish things could be different, but I know it won’t happen just because I want it to.

I can accept that things can happen to me in life that I don’t want, even if they are unpleasant, and I try to avoid them.

It’s very unpleasant that this happens to me, but it’s not the worst thing in the world.

I think I can handle such unpleasant situations.

It’s unpleasant, but I accept the fact that I can’t control the situation the way I want to.

It’s unpleasant, but not catastrophic to feel that way.

It’s unpleasant, but not catastrophic to think that.

The story of the three little squirrels, in the scenic vision of Dana Bonțidean, is an entertaining and funny show, in which each of us will identify with one or another of the characters, and children will discover that every problem, however complicated, has at least one solution, and this is a ‘rational’ one.

Recommended age: 3+

Duration: 45 min

Date of the premiere: 11.11.2021