Romanian puppet theatre established in the city of Ploieşti in 1953 as Teatrul de păpuşi Ciufulici (Ciufulici Puppet Theatre) within the city theatre (Teatrul de Stat Ploieşti), which was later renamed Teatrul Dramatic Toma Caragiu (Toma Caragiu Drama Theatre). The puppet theatre was recently again renamed Teatrul de animaţie Ciufulici (Ciufulici Theatre of Animation), in order to express its new multidisciplinary aesthetics.   

The theatre’s most important productions include: Omuleţul de Puf (Puf, the Little Man), directed by Cristian Mihalache, performed at the PIF (Pupteatra Internacia Festivalo International Puppet Theatre Festival) in Zagreb; Secretul pădurii bătrâne (The Secret of the Old Forest, 1982), based on Dino Buzzati, directed by Cristian Pepino; Calea stelelor (The Way of the Stars, 1985), by Alexandru Popescu, awarded at several puppet theatre festivals; Leopardul de argint (The Silver Leopard, 1997), directed by Cristian Pepino, and performed the same year at the Gulliver Festival in Galaţi, where it received the Festival’s highest award.  

(See Romania.)