The theatre has about 54 years of history. More than 300 performances for children and adults by Bulgarian and foreign authors have been produced on its stage.

State Puppet Theatre – Stara Zagora is a repertoire theatre at state financing. The theatre has at its disposal a separate building, stages /the main one and an open-air stage/ and ateliers, enabling the effectively planning of activities. With our artistic and financial results, we are leaders between the puppet theatre companies.

All participations and numerous awards from international and national puppetry events are proving the high level and professional capacity of our team:

• The year of 1998 - 1st prize of The Union of Bulgarian Actors for technical realization of the play “The Little Elf”, director Slavcho Malenov;

• The year of 1999 - awards for dramaturgy, set design, music and acting for “Wilm The Long Nose”, director Ivan Raykov - International Puppet Festival “The Golden Dolphin”;

• The year of 1999 - The Award of “Open Society - Stara Zagora” for “Outstanding achievements in the field of culture”;

• The year of 2000 - the award for best acting company for the play “Wilm The Long Nose”, director Ivan Raykov at the International Puppet Festival “Prague – The European Capital of Culture 2000”;

• The year of 2000 - Presenting “Wilm The Long Nose”, director Ivan Raykov at the International Puppet Festivals in Tolosa and Alicante – Spain;

• The year of 2000 - The Award of “Open Society - Stara Zagora” for outstanding achievements in the field of culture – for the initiation and implementation of the 1^st edition of International Puppet Theatre for Adults Festival “PIERROT” 2000;

• The year of 2001 - Presenting “The Little Elf”, director Slavcho Malenov at the World Festival of Puppet Art – Prague;

• The year of 2001 - The award for “Experimental and new forms” for the play “Shadows in the night”, director Biserka Kolevska on the ІІ International Puppet Theatre for Adults Festival “PIERROT” 2001;

• The year of 2002 - Presenting “Shadows in the night”, director Biserka Kolevska at the International Festival for Puppet Art in Istanbul;

• The year of 2003 - Presenting “Snow-white and the seven dwarfs”, director Ivan Raykov at the festival “Puppeteers of America”, Tahlequah, Oklahoma, USA. State Puppet Theatre is a member of the union of the Puppeteers of America;

• The year of 2004 - The Special Prize for puppet art for the play “Stories from the long gone past”, director Petar Pashov at the International Children’s Festival in Banja Luka, Bosnia and Herzegovina;

• The year of 2005 - Presenting “Snow-white and the seven dwarfs”, director Ivan Raykov at the Summer Festival in the Centre for Puppetry Arts – Atlanta, Georgia, in Boston and at the festival “Puppeteers of America” in Saint Paul, Minnesota, USA;

• The year of 2005 - The “Stara Zagora” Award  for outstanding achievements in the field of culture for realization of the play “Insomnia”, directors: Zheni Pashova and Petar Pashov;

• The year of 2005 - The Award for best direction at the National Festival “Michael Lakatnik” – Yambol for “Stories from the long gone past”, director Petar Pashov;

• The year of 2005 - The Award for “Perspective young troupe” at the ІV International Puppet Theatre for Adults Festival “PIERROT” 2005 for “Insomnia”, directors: Zheni Pashova and Petar Pashov;

• The year of 2006 - Participation of State Puppet Theatre – Stara Zagora at the First Balkan Arts Market for Staging Arts – Thessaloniki, Greece;

• The year of 2006 - Presenting “Insomnia”, directors: Zheni Pashova and Petar Pashov at the ХХVІ Festival for Puppet Art in Pilsen, Czech Republic;

• The year of 2006 – The Award for puppet art for “Wilm the Long Nose”, director Ivan Raykov at the International Festival in Kotor, Montenegro;

• The year of 2007 - The “Ikar” award for puppet art of The Union of Bulgarian Actors for “Baron Munchausen”, director – Slavcho Malenov;

• The year of 2007 - The award of the Ministry of Culture for outstanding achievements in creation and dissemination of  theatrical productions;

• The year of 2007 - The “Stara Zagora” award for outstanding achievements in the field of culture;

• The year of 2007 - The award for best original interpretation; the award of the children’s jury and the  award of the Holland jury at the International Puppet Festival “Two are less, three are many” – Plovdiv 2007 for “Baron Munchausen”, director – Slavcho Malenov;

• The year of 2007 - The award for best acting in the play “The King Stag”, director Petar Pashov at the V International Puppet Theatre Festival for Adults “PIERROT” 2007;

• The year of 2008 – 3^rd award of the Holland jury at the 17^th International Puppet Festival “Two are less, three are many” for “The King Frog”, director Darin Petkov;

• The year of 2008 – Presenting “Beauty and the Beast” , director Petar Pashov at the ХХІІІ International Festival for puppet art in Bialsko Bjala, Poland;

• The year of 2008 – The best acting award and award for best dramatic version for “Baron Munchausen”, director – Slavcho Malenov at the International Puppet Festival “The Golden Dolphin”, Varna;

• The year of 2008 – Presenting “Baron Munchausen”, director – Slavcho Malenov at the 3^rd International Puppet Theatre festival “Tea drinking in Mytishchi”, Moscow;

• The year of 2008 – Presenting “Beauty and the Beast” , director Petar Pashov at the Festival “Puppet fair”,

• The year of 2009 – Best direction award for Slavcho Malenov, best acting award for Delyan Kyosev and 2^nd award of the Holland jury for “The Little Wood-nymph” at the 18^th International Puppet Festival “Two are less, three are many”, Plovdiv;

• The year of 2009 – Best male part for Delyan Kyosev for his role of the little boy in “The Brave tin Soldier” at the VІ International puppet theatre for adults festival “PIERROT” 2009, Stara Zagora;

• The year of 2010 - The “Stara Zagora” Award  for outstanding achievements in the field of culture for realization of the play “Oedipus. The feast of blindness”;

• The year of 2010 – The co-production “Oedipus. The feast of blindness” of State Puppet Theatre – Stara Zagora, State Puppet Theatre – Plovdiv and State Puppet Theatre – Burgas won the best acting company award at the 9^th International Festival of antique drama theatre „Stobi” 2010, Veles, Macedonia;
  

• The year of 2011 – The SIVINA award bestowed by the Directors' association at "UNIMA", Bulgaria to Kaloyan Georgiev as the best young puppet actor for his parts at “Commedia almost Dell’ Arte” of State Puppet Theatre – Stara Zagora;

State Puppet Theatre – Stara Zagora is a host of International Puppet Theatre for Adults Festival “PIERROT”.

The festival’s program is a mix of puppet theatre performances for adults, workshop, theoretical seminars in art management, panorama of cartoon movies, performances presentations in the region, paintings, cartoons, and plastic arts exhibitions.

Detailed information about “PIERROT” festival is published in “THEATRE” magazine - 10-12 issue, 2005 and 1-2 issue, 2006, in the American journal for puppetry art, the German and Holland press. The Bulgarian National Television has created and broadcasted two 30-minutes movies, dedicated to the festival.

“PIERROT” found his well-deserved place also on the pages of “Kuklart” magazine specialized in puppetry arts. During PIERROT 2009, The USA Masque Theatre-Bethlehem has been accompanied by Ed Wierzbicki – operator from USA and producer of Spotlight on the Arts. A movie dedicated to the festival PIERROT and Bulgaria has been filmed and broadcasted in America http://www.cptv2.org/allthingsct/spotlight-arts/masque-theatre.

State Puppet Theatre – Stara Zagora hosts every year the International Laboratory for Directors. The Laboratory is designed for young directors, actors, stage designers, play-writers and others, who want to improve and enlarge their creative instruments in the field of puppet art for adults.

State Puppet Theatre – Stara Zagora creates an opportunity for actors and directors to continue their education. The basic laboratory’s aim is the creative process itself and not necessarily the final result. In that way participants’ have freedom to use their imagination and potential to enhances their own professional capacity.