Uruguayan puppet theatre founded in 1983 in Montevideo by Alicia Farias and Ronald Santana. The Mateluna puppet theatre combines diverse techniques in its productions. Alicia Farias is skilled in the making of puppets and costumes, whilst Ronald Santana is principally in charge of design and music; together they combine their talents to construct elaborate sets and productions.

They perform in streets, town squares, schools, theatres and television. They have participated in local festivals (Curitiba, Brazil in 1986), have been welcomed into several Brazilian towns (Porto Alegre, Florianapolis, Curitiba). Farias and Santana have made television appearances, participating in TV Canal 5, SODRE of Montevideo in the Jornadas de la OEA (Conference of the Organización de los Estados Americanos), “Enséñame la Paz” (Teach Peace), with shows for children (1988). They have acted and participated in the Encuentro Latinoamericano de marionetistas (Meeting of Latin-American Puppeteers) held in Trujillo, Peru. They were also invited to the conferences held during the same year by Philippe Genty entitled “The Relations Between the Actor and the Animated Object”. In 1989, they toured Buenos Aires and, in 1991, they participated in the Puppet Festival of Canela in Brazil.

Among their works, the most notable include: La casa de la amistad (The House of Friendship, 1982), Las aventuras de Matilde y Polydoro (The Adventures of Matilda and Polydoro, 1983), El zorro Julian (Julian the Fox, 1985), La deuda eterna (The Eternal Debt, 1986), El regalo (The Gift, 1989), Doña Soledad (1989), El sombrero de Serafín (Serafin’s Hat, 1990), La caja mágica (The Magic Box, 1991).  

(See Uruguay.)