The Puppet Theater of Tîrgu-Mureș was established in 1949 and is one of the few youth and children's theaters in Romania, with sections in two languages: Romanian and Hungarian. One of its founders was director Antal Pál who directed the first puppet shows. The Romanian section came into being in 1963. Among the directors that contributed to the development of the theater are: Mihai Raicu, Claudiu Cristescu, Harag György, Dan Alecsandrescu, Kovács Ildikó and Cristian Pepino. In 1990 the name of the theater changed into Ariel Theater for Youth and Children. The plays performed at the Ariel Theater were based on literary works of famous Romanian and Hungarian writers: Ion Creangă, Petre Ispirescu, Petőfi Sándor, Vörösmarty Mihály, Vasile Alecsandri, Gellu Naum, Arany János, Fodor Sándor etc. The theater has received numerous invitations to tour the country, and was awarded prizes for direction and interpretation in various contests, all these being a confirmation of the value of its directors and actors. As of 1999, the theater expanded its activity by the establishment of the Underground Theater in cooperation with the Dramafest foundation and with the support of the Foundation for the Development of Civil Society of Bucharest. It is an alternative theatrical formula that uses the building's basement as venue and promotes unconventional plays aimed especially, but not exclusively, at the young public.

Bibliography:

www.teatrulariel.ro