Short Biography

Patricia O'Donovan was born in Argentina. She obtained in 1976 the Degree of Licenciatura in Zoology (BA and MSc ) from the Faculty of Exact and Natural Sciences of the National University of Buenos Aires. She integrated one of the earliest Shadow Theater groups in Latin America, ‘Transparencies”, in the Collegium Musicum of Buenos Aires (1968- 1972). She studied drawing and painting in the studios of Argentine artists Cristina Santander, Noe Nojechowiz and Ceferino Rivero.

She immigrated to Israel in 1978 and got a PhD (Doctor in Philosophy) degree in Biology from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem (1989) and a Post Graduate Certificate from the Theater Arts Department of the University of California in Santa Cruz ,USA where she specialized in Indonesia Puppet Theater wayang golek (1989). She graduated from The School for Visual Theater in Jerusalem specializing in Design and Puppet Theater. (1987).

Patricia is one of the pioneers of Science-Theater (the teaching of science via theater) in Israel having created dozens of shows, for the general public and visiting school groups at the Bloomfield Science Museum in Jerusalem (1992-2002).  Her  latest involvement with the Science Museum was curating an exhibition on the brain in 2009. In a similar fashion Patricia directed and designed many of the Family Concert Series of the Jerusalem Symphonic Orchestra (1995-1999) whose aim is to teach music via theater.

Since 1983 she works with the Train Theater of Jerusalem and Patricia is well known for her work as a puppeteer. She writes, designs, directs and performs her own plays. Among her best known are Head in the Clouds, A Touch of Light and Ian’s Daughter which have been invited to participate in all major International Puppet Theater Festivals in Israel, Spain, Portugal, México, Brazil, France, Germany, Austria, Belgium, Switzerland, Holland, Italy, Luxemburg, Ireland, Canada, and recently India. Her latest creation is a lullaby from Mesopotamia Amanili Sings.

After its success in Berlin in the Augenblickmal Festival for Children and Young Public which invited the best German shows of the year and one guest country which that year was Israel , A Touch of Light (Nekudat Or) was invited to tour extensively in Germany where it was performed in the German language. Since 1998 until the present it performs all over France having been accepted into the program of Recommended Performances by the League of Teachers for Schools. (Spectacle en recommandé) Besides the festivals the show is invited to participate in the regular season programs in theaters across France.

Her shows have been acclaimed both by the public and the international press and in 2005 Patricia was nominated in the categories of Acting and Directing for the prestigious EMET Prize for Art, Science and Culture of the A.M.N. Foundation for the Advancement of Science, Art and Culture together with the Prime Minister's Office, Israel.

Together with a full schedule as a performer Patricia teaches adults –educators, artists and students, both privately and at major educational institutions in Jerusalem such as the David Yellin Academic School of Education, the Emuna Academic School of Art, Graphic Design and Theater; and recently at The Kerem Institute, one of the leading institutes in the country for training teachers in an alternative to the existing educational institutes.

Since 2007 until the present Patricia is Head  of  the International Organization of Puppeteers in Israel,UNIMA-Israel.