Romanian puppeteer. Gabriel Apostol graduated from the Puppetry Department of UNATC (Universitatea Naţională de Artă Teatrală şi Cinematografică National University of Theatre Arts and Cinematography) in 1994. He has since been working as a puppeteer at Țăndarică Puppet Theatre (Teatrul de animaţie Ţăndărică) in Bucharest. He performed notably in Conferinta păsărilor (The Conference of the Birds, 1993), Sânziana şi Pepelea (Sanziana and Pepelea, 1995), Motanul incăltat (Puss in Boots, 1996), Playing Faust (1996), Pasărea de foc (The Firebird), Pinocchio, Ali Baba şi cei patruzeci de hoti (Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves, 2001), Svejk Galaxy (2010), Gulliver (2010). He is an outstanding puppet performer, distinguished by his creativity and the diversity of his technique.

Author of the project Wassilissa (1988), a coproduction with the theatre (Ombre et Silhouettes (Shadow and Silhouettes) in Brussels, Gabriel Apostol made his first appearance as a director in Tăndărică Puppet Theatre with the production of Capra cu trei iezi (The Goat and Her Three Kids, 2002). The show was a success and was later performed in Spain, the United States, and Germany. He also directed in other Romanian cities, including Targoviste, Ploiești, and Constanța.

Apostol received an award at the Festival of Constanța (1999) for his role as Kaskei (Kashchei) in Pasărea de foc (The Firebird), directed by Irina Niculescu to music by Igor Stravinsky, and for his role as the Cat in Motanul încălțat (Puss in Boots) at the Animafest in Cluj-Napoca (2002).

Gabriel Apostol (PhD) is an Assistant Professor at Bucharest’s UNATC Universitatea Naţională de Artă Teatrală şi Cinematografică National University of Theatre Arts and Cinematography).

(See Romania.)