Theatre in Croatia

Theatre in Croatia refers to the history of the performing arts in Croatia, or theatrical performances written, acted and produced by Croatians. Croatian theatre generally falls into the Western theatre tradition, with influences especially from Italy, Germany, Austria and other European nations.
Croatian theatre dates back at least as far as the Middle Ages, with a combination of religious liturgical dramas, and secular performances of travelling entertainers. During the Renaissance, there was a flowering of dramatic writing and performances in Dalmatia, especially in Dubrovnik and on the island of Hvar. Notable playwrights of the time were Marin Držić and Hanibal Lucić.
In other parts of Croatia, theatres started to appear in the late 18th, early 19th century in cities such as Split, Dubrovnik, Šibenik, Zadar, Osijek, Varaždin, Pula, Rijeka, and Zagreb. The development of a Croatian National Theatre evolved from Zagreb's first city theatre on St Mark's Square. Beginning in the 1860s, performances were increasingly written and given in the Croatian language.
Today, Croatia boasts a strong tradition of theatres and theatrical companies all round the country. Performances range from dramas and musicals for adults or children, youth theatre and puppet theatre. Croatia is also home to the world's oldest Theatre of the Blind. Festivals are held in several locations in the summer.
History.
Classical.
The very first theatre venues in today's Croatia were built during the Roman period. The remains of a Classical theatre can be seen in ancient Salona near Split, and in Pula there are remains of a smaller Roman theatre, both dating from the 1st century.
Medieval plays.
The first evidence of theatrical performances in Croatia refers to liturgical scenes that formed part of the mass celebration in medieval churches. Mostly anonymous and initially only Latin texts, they presented dialogues between biblical or saintly characters. At first these were sung or chanted by priests, but later by lay people at the altar or in parts of the church that served as a stage. In the oldest ritual of the Zagreb Cathedral from the 11th century, two Latin liturgical dramas have been preserved, the Easter Visitatio sepulchri and the Epiphany Tractus stellae, and in the Vrbnica Missal from 1462 there is a fragment written in Glagolitic in the Old Church Slavonic Croatian edition. From these liturgical scenes, other secular religious dramas developed: miracles (legends of the saints), passion (sufferings of Jesus and the saints), and morality (Christian teaching).
Along with the liturgical dramas, there were secular performances, associated with travelling musicians and entertainers who would perform at public events such as weddings, church holidays, or carnival processions.
Renaissance theatre.
The renaissance saw the first organized theatrical events given by named authors, mostly in the literary centres of Dubrovnik and Hvar, but also to some extent in Korčula and in public performances in Zagreb (in Latin). The Renaissance theatre brought a flourishing of dramatic literature.
Born in Dubrovnik, then known as the Republic of Ragusa, Marin Držić is considered to be one of the finest renaissance authors in Croatian literature His work covers many fields: lyric poetry, pastorals, political letters and pamphlets, and comedies. While his pastorals ("Tirena", "Venera i Adon" and "Plakir") are still highly regarded as masterful examples of the genre, his comedies are among the best in European Renaissance literature. Držić's comedies are full of exuberant life and vitality, celebrating love, liberty and sincerity and mocking avarice, egoism and petty tyrants — both in the family and in the state. His best-known comedies include: "Pomet" (1548 or 1553), "Novela od Stanca" (1550), "Dundo Maroje" (1551 or 1556) - his best-known play which was also performed abroad, and "Skup" (1554)
Meanwhile, in Hvar, another important author of the Croatian renaissance was Hanibal Lucić who, as well as poetry, also wrote ("The Slave Girl" being the first secular play in Croatian literature). Also writing drama around this time were authors such as Mavro Vetranović, Nikola Nalješković, Martin Benetović, Dinko Zlatarić.
The influence of Italian theatre was strong, which can be seen in the themes of the plays and the theatrical terminology. New, specially built indoor stages gave the actors more space to move around, and scenic backdrops introduced, suitable for tragic, comic or pastoral dramas. Some amateur theatre companies were founded.
In 1610, the oldest public theatre in Europe was opened in Hvar. Earlier Italian theatres such as the Teatro Olimpico in Vicenza (1584) were privately built, while the Hvar theatre, added as part of the reconstruction works to the Arsenal building, was financed by the commune for the people of Hvar. Modified over the years, it is still in existence serving the same purpose today.
Baroque theatre.
During the 17th century, theatrical performances were taking place throughout most of Croatia, but the main creative centre was still Dubrovnik. In addition to the old theatrical forms, new ones began to appear: melodrama and musical pastorals (Ivan Gundulić, Junije Palmotić) and "te trionfe i anonimne komedije" with influences of commedia dell'arte.
Music now took an increasing role, and some performances could almost be called operas. New stage design allowed for improved decor, costumes, and lighting, and even an increased number of performers. The equipment became more complex, and fantastic new stage effects designed for specific performances: mountains and seas which could be dismantled, angels or monsters would appear and disappear, gods come down from heaven. More demanding performances called for printed manuals (translated from the original Italian) to deal with the dynamic equipment and lighting fixtures.
One of the leading figures of the Dubrovnik literary scene was Ivan Gundulić, whose most famous play is "Dubravka", a pastoral written in 1628, where he rhapsodises on the former glory of Dubrovnik and it contains some of the most famous verses in Croatian literature:
Croatian
<poem>
O liepa, o draga, o slatka slobodo,
 dar u kom sva blaga višnji nam Bog je dô,
uzroče istini od naše sve slave,
 uresu jedini od ove Dubrave,
sva srebra, sva zlata, svi ljudcki životi
 ne mogu bit plata tvôj čistoj lipoti.
</poem>
English
<poem>
Fair liberty, beloved liberty, liberty sweetly avowed,
 thou are the treasured gift that God to us endowed,
all our glory is thy true creation,
 to our Home thou are all the decoration,
no silver nor gold, not life itself could replace
 the reward of thy pure and sublime grace.
</poem>
Age of Enlightenment.
During the 18th and early 19th centuries, performances took place in various venues and there was an increasingly professional approach to theatre. The lavishness of the Baroque performances continued with elaborate costumes and inventive stage solutions. The first theatrical programs were printed, and more cities were involved in theatrical life (Split, Trogir, Šibenik, Zadar, Senj, Rijeka, and Karlovac). Dubrovnik was still the core of dramatic creativity, but there was less original dramatic writing. In the northern part of Croatia, most of the theatrical productions were connected with the schools of certain priestly orders, for example the Jesuits in Zagreb, Varaždin, Požega, Osijek, and Rijeka, the Franciscans in Osijek, Slavonski Brod, and Vukovar, and the Paulines in Senj.
One of the first performances that was explicitly performed in Croatian was "Cyrus in solium vocatur" (Cirus Called to the Throne) in 1766.
Zagreb's first public theatre hall was part of the Kulmer-Pejačević palace, which is now the Croatian Natural History Museum at Demetrova 1. It had many of the characteristics of a public theatre, including tickets and publicity leaflets. Operating from 1797 to 1834, it was known as Amadeo's theatre after Count Antal Amade de Várkony county prefect of Zagreb. The theatre was rented exclusively to German companies, but in 1832 and 1833 German actors also performed several plays in Kajkavian.
Nationalism and city theatres.
At the turn of the 19th century, dramatic performances in the Kajkavian dialect flourished, with the most important author being Tituš Brezovački, who wrote («"Matijaš grabancijaš dijak"», «"Diogeneš"»). In Dubrovnik, 23 plays by Molière were translated and performed, still unusual at the time. The best drama written in the Croatian language during the 18th century was "Kate Kapuralica" by Vlaha Stulli.
The beginning of the nineteenth century is also marked by the strong influence of German theatre, which can be seen in the theatrical terminology of the time, but also in the increasingly professional work habits and organization. Many Croatian actors and theatre workers gained their experience by watching guest performances by German theatre companies or they would travel to Germany and Austria to learn at first hand.
In 1834, the first real theatre space was opened on St. Mark's Square in Zagreb. The golden age of construction of theatre halls in Croatia came between 1859 and 1895, when large theatres were built in Split, Dubrovnik, Šibenik, Zadar, Osijek, Varaždin, Pula, Rijeka and Zagreb. Following that, theatrical life in Croatia gradually became more professionalized and despite a number of political and material difficulties, a single national theatre was formed, primarily due to the efforts of Dimitrije Demeter, August Šenoa and Stjepan Miletić.
Zagreb's first purpose-built city theatre was Stanković's Theatre (also known as the Old Theatre or the Theatre on St. Mark's Square). It was built by the merchant Kristofor Stanković, who had won 30,000 ducats in the Vienna lottery in 1833. He intended to rent the building to foreign companies, and it also contained a ballroom, which hosted a number of important sessions of the Croatian Parliament.
The builders were father and son, Christofor and Anton Cragnolini. The theatre was designed with three rows of boxes surrounding the auditorium, and could accommodate more than 750 patrons. The stage covered approximately 200 m2, and at the same time served as a storage for the scenery backdrops. The orchestra was placed on a level with the audience. Lighting was originally candles, then from 1864 by gaslight, and after 1894 by electricity.
The first play, Körner's play Niklas Graf von Zriny, was performed by a German troupe on October 4, 1834. German and Italian theatrical troupes performed, but beginning in 1860, only Croatian plays were performed. The Croatian language was first heard in the theatre during an intermezzo of a German production, when Ljudevit Gaj's reveille "Još Hrvatska ni propala" was performed, and the first play in Croatian, the "Juran and Sofia or The Turks under Sisak: Heroic Play in Three Acts" () by Ivan Kukuljević Sakcinski, was performed there on 10 June 1840. The first Croatian opera, "Love and Malice" () by Vatroslav Lisinski, was also performed there on 28 March 1846.
Dimitrije Demeter, author of the patriotic epic ""Grobničko polje" (Grobnik Plain) in 1842, laid the foundation for a new Croatian theatre, as manager and writer. His most important dramatic work "Teuta" (1844) draws on Illyrian history. Other writers of the time are Antun Nemčić, author of a drama called "Kvas bez kruha" (Yeast without bread).
Ivan Kukuljević Sakcinski was a politician, scientist, historian, and the first writer of plays based on more recent Croatian literature: "Juran i Sofija"" (1839).
The old theatre building was badly damaged in the great earthquake of 1880, and in 1881 the Croatian Parliament voted to construct a new theatre. The last performance was held in the old theatre on June 16, 1895. After the interior was renovated in 1895, the building was given an new administrative purpose as the City Hall, while the theatre moved to the new Fellner-Helmer building in the lower town that we know today as the Croatian National Theatre.
In the late 19th century, Ivo Vojnović captivated the public with plays such as "Ekvinocij" (Equinox, 1895). Although his early works dealt with cosmopolitan themes, Dubrovnik remained his major inspiration especially in "Dubrovačka trilogija" (Dubrovnik Trilogy, 1903). In that work, the subject relates to realism, although the technique and inspiration is entirely modernist.
Two other very successful playwrights of the time were Milan Ogrizović and Josip Kosor. Ogrizović used themes from folk songs in works such as ("Hasanaginica"), and he also wrote passionate dramas ("Vučina", 1921), while Kosor is best known for his dramatic "Požar strasti" (Fire of Passion, 1912).
Modern times.
The growth of theatrical art in Croatia entailed the opening of new theatre venues throughout the 20th century, many of them within the adapted buildings of former cinemas and cultural centres. This trend continued to the end of the 20th and beginning of the 21st century, when several new theatre venues were opened in Zagreb (Small Stage Theatre, EXIT Theatre, Histrion House), and a number of existing venues have been reconstructed and adapted.
Theatres and theatrical companies.
The Croatian National Theatre and other theatres around Croatia.
Croatian National Theatre.
Croatian National Theatre () is the official name of all the state-funded theatre houses in Croatia. Each one is commonly referred to by the Croatian-language initials HNK. The Croatian National Theatre was established in 1860, and in 1861 it gained government support putting it on par with many other European national theatres. As part of that, new theatres were built in Zadar (1865), Dubrovnik (1865), Osijek (1866), Šibenik (1870), Varaždin (1873), Rijeka (1885) and Split (1893). The theatre buildings in the biggest cities (Zagreb, Split, Rijeka, Osijek and Varaždin) are considered the premier theatre and opera houses in the country.
Croatian National Theatre in Zagreb.
With the increasing demands on Zagreb's old theatre in St Mark's Square, it was decided to build a larger theatre to accommodate the new artistic and technical requirements. So in 1895 the Croatian National Theatre moved to a new purpose-built building on Republic of Croatia Square in Zagreb's Lower Town, where it is based today. The Austro-Hungarian emperor Franz Joseph I was at the unveiling of this new building during his visit to the city in 1895. The new building was the project of famed Viennese architects Ferdinand Fellner and Herman Helmer, whose firm had built several theatres in Vienna. Celebrations marking the 100th anniversary of the building were held on October 14, 1995.
The auditorium has seating for 809 patrons, including the parterre, two tiers of boxes and a balcony. The Croatian National Theatre has three ensembles: a drama company founded in 1860, opera established in 1870, and ballet first formed in 1894. In principal, the drama and opera repertoires are focused on classical pieces and well-known pieces by contemporary authors. The ballet ensemble also leans towards a more classical repertoire, but also sometimes includes contemporary dance.
Croatian National Theatre in Split.
Originally opened in 1893, the Croatian National Theatre in Split is owned and operated by the City of Split and is one of the oldest surviving theatres in Dalmatia. When first opened, the auditorium that could accommodate 1,000 with three tiers of boxes, a gallery and parterre circle. The building was designed by Emilio Veccietti and Ante Bezić, whose approach was that of historical eclecticism. Following a fire in 1970, major renovations were need to reconstruct parts of the original building (the front façade, the atrium, and the foyer) while a new west wing was added. The main theatre now has seating for 660, and there is an additional chamber stage, called Stage 55 (Scena 55).
After an initial attempt to establish a theatrical company in 1898, it was not until 1920 that Split's first professional ensemble was founded. Although it only ran for 8 years, the drama and opera ensembles resumed again in 1945, and in 1952 they were joined by a ballet ensemble. Today all three produce rich and diverse repertoires, both classical and contemporary. The drama and the opera ensembles are particularly dedicated to working with authors from the Mediterranean cultural scene.
Since 1954, the Croatian National Theatre has been organizing the Split Summer Festival, with productions by all three ensembles contributing to the festival's program. Also, since 1992, the Croatian National Theatre in Split has been organizing Marulić Days - Festival of Croatian Drama.
Croatian National Theatre in Rijeka.
The building of the Croatian National Theatre in Rijeka was designed by renowned Viennese architects Ferdinand Fellner and Hermann Helmer, and opened in 1885. The exterior of this luxurious theatre building featured a renaissance style façade with six columns and gable roof, while the interior was designed in a late-baroque style. The main theatre contains a parterre, three tiers of boxes and a balcony, providing seating for 600. The building was completely renovated in the 1970s.
For the first 60 years, the venue mainly hosted visiting theatrical troupes, primarily for opera performances. Then in 1946, the building gained its own resident Croatian and Italian drama, opera and ballet ensembles. All provide an extensive and diverse repertoire, including domestic and international classics from literature and music, contemporary pieces right up to a lighter entertainment productions. In 2004 the theatre became a co-organizer of the Rijeka Summer Festival.
Croatian National Theatre in Osijek.
The Croatian National Theatre in Osijek was designed by Karl Krausner and built in 1866 in a in historic style with elements of Moorish architecture. The building originally also housed a casino and ballroom on the first floor. With the establishment of a professional theatrical ensemble in 1907, there were plans for a new building to accommodate their needs. This never happened, and despite several attempts at reconstruction, it was only in 1945 when the casino and a wing of the neighbouring hotel became available that the existing venue was able to support their needs. Following severe damage in the homeland war of 1992–1994, the building was again completely reconstructed. Today, the horse-shoe shaped auditorium contains a parterre and three tiers of boxes and provides seating for 420 patrons.
Since its founding in 1907, the theatrical company has maintained diverse drama and music repertoires, which they often take on tour. They are the second largest national theatre ensemble, and as of 2005, the theatre also houses a permanent dance group.
Croatian National Theatre in Varaždin.
The Croatian National Theatre in Varaždin was built in 1873 by Zagreb-based builder Janko Jambrišak according to the awarded design by Viennese architect, Hermann Helmer, who also personally supervised the construction. This was his first theatre project, and together with Ferdinand Fellner, he would go on to build fifty theatres across Europe between 1873 and 1916. With its harmonious neo-renaissance façade, the building was designed to serve as both a theatre and concert hall. The central theatre hall has a 370-seat auditorium with a parterre, two tiers of boxes and a balcony. The building also houses a separate concert hall and a small chamber hall in the basement, which was added in 1956. The Varaždin theatre housed its first theatre company in 1915–1923, and the Croatian National Theatre was established in 1945. The theatre maintains a diverse repertoire with a special focus on premieres of new pieces written by Croatian playwrights, as well as pieces written by authors from Central Europe. A specialty of the theatre is its adaptations of classical pieces in the local dialect and at times experimental theatre. On top of maintaining a standard repertoire, the Croatian National Theatre also permanently produces puppet and children's theatre pieces
Croatian National Theatre in Šibenik.
The Croatian National Theatre in Šibenik was opened in 1870, financed and built by local citizens through the Šibenik Theatre Society, which was set up for the purpose in 1864. The auditorium follows the plan of the Teatro Fenice in Venice, while the architectural style is an eclectic mix of renaissance, romanic and gothic features as designed by Josip Slade from Trogir. Decorative elements in the main hall include allegoric scenes and figures of prominent citizens of Šibenik at the time.In the mid-20th century a long stone balcony was added to the eastern facade. Following severe damage in the homeland war in 1991, the theatre had to undergo a major reconstruction. The theatre hall presently has a parterre and three tiers of boxes with a 310-seat capacity. From 1945 to 1964, the Šibenik Theatre was home to an ensemble of the National Theatre Company which produced both drama and operetta repertoire. The venue has now a semi-professional ensemble, and serves as host for visiting performances.
Croatian National Theatre in Zadar.
The Croatian National Theatre in Zadar was initially built in 1783 as the Teatro Nobile (Nobleman's Theatre). It was outfitted finely with an orchestra pit, parterre and four tiers of boxes. However, it was closed down in 1882, as it did not have an adequate fire system. The run-down building was later purchased by entrepreneur Aldo Meštović, who opened up a 1000-seat movie and variety theatre in 1924. Damaged by an air-strikes during the second world war, it underwent a major re-construction with a completely new theatre space, with its first professional drama ensemble. After further renovations over the years, the large hall now seats 650 patrons. The theatre has served mainly as a host venue for visiting drama and opera groups, but is gradually once again building up its own professional drama company.
Puppet theatres.
The first public puppetry performances in Zagreb in the Croatian language were held from 1916 onwards. The Teatar marioneta (Marionette Theatre) was founded in 1920 by the writer Velimir Deželić, the composer Božidar Širola, the painter and scenographer Ljubo Babić, and the poet Dragutin Domjanić, with the performance of the first Croatian puppet play, "Petrica Kerempuh i spametni osel" (Petrica Kerempuh and the Clever Donkey).
Between the two world wars, puppetry appeared as a feature within the Sokol (Falcon) movement that had originated in Bohemia. There were some fifteen amateur Sokol theatres in Croatia at that time and all of them used the marionette (string puppet) exclusively. After the Second World War, a network of professional puppet theatres was set up.
From the beginning, the puppet theatres devoted special attention to staging Croatian literature, particularly works by the “Croatian Andersen”, Ivana Brlić-Mažuranić. National puppetry drama is based on plays by authors such as Vladimir Nazor, Radovan Ivšić, Vojmil Rabadan, Milan Čečuk, Borislav Mrkšić, Luko Paljetak, Ivan Bakmaz, and Zlatko Krilić, and is mainly imbued with the spirit and idiom of folk tales
Theatre of the Blind.
"New Life" () founded in 1948, is the oldest theatre company of blind and visually impaired people in the world. Until 1986, they were the only blind theatrical company in Europe.
The theatrical company of the blind and visually impaired New life gave its first performance on 21 March 1948. The audience showed such appreciation for the performers, that the group decided to continue, forming the first blind theatrical company in Europe. Their mission is to break down prejudices and to raise public awareness about the possibilities and artistic creations of blind and visually impaired people. This includes active participation in the public and cultural life of Croatia through involvement in theatrical arts.
New Life has staged plays by many famous national and foreign playwrights. In the last five years, they have focused their attention on the Theatre of the Absurd and surrealism. By giving about 60 performances a year, in addition to opening nights, New Life has become one of the top amateur theatrical groups in Croatia. In addition to performing nationally, they have also toured within Europe, the United States of America and Australia.
Since 1999, the Blind in Theatre (BIT) Festival has been held every two years in Zagreb, attracting blind and visually impaired artists and theatrical groups from all over the world.
Academy of Drama.
 The Academy of Dramatic Art ( or ADU) was founded in 1896, growing in prominence resulting in its successful affiliation with the University of Zagreb in 1979. The Academy serves as the country's premier drama school, providing education for all types of professions related to theatre, radio, television and film production, including actors, directors, cinematographers and editors.
The need for an academy of drama in Zagreb was first mentioned in the Croatian parliament's 1861 theatre legislation which stipulated that a "school for theatre personnel should be formed in Zagreb". However, the modern-day academy traces its roots to the Croatian Drama School ("") which was established by Stjepan Miletić in 1896, more than 30 years after the 1861 law. The school was housed in a building at Republic of Croatia Square, which it still occupies today.
Up until mid-20th century, its primary role was vocational training of theatre actors. Later, departments for film and television were added. In 1979, it officially became part of the University of Zagreb.
Croatian Association of Drama Artists.
The Croatian Association of Drama Artists () is an artistic, non-governmental, non-partisan and non-profit organization that acts as an umbrella association for expert artistic associations. HDDU has about 1,000 members who are professionally involved in the dramatic arts, life and audiovisual performing. The majority of members (about 75%) are actors, while the rest are stage directors, playwrights, drama writers and scriptwriters, costume designers, stage designers, puppet designers, score composers, light designers and theatre producers. These artists are members of 32 professional theatres throughout Croatia as well as in many private theatres and artistic organizations.
Awards.
The Vladimir Nazor Award () arts and culture was established in 1959 and awarded every year by the Ministry of Culture. The prize is awarded to Croatian artists for achievements in six different fields of art and culture, and in each category every year two separate prizes are awarded - one for life achievement (for overall contributions to their respective field), and an annual award for outstanding work in the field created over the previous 12 months. The winners for the preceding year are usually announced around 19 June, the anniversary of Nazor's death, with the official award ceremony usually in July.
The Marin Držić Award () has been granted by Ministry of Culture of Croatia since 1991. Its goal is to stimulate dramatic and theatrical work. Traditionally, the award ceremony is held in Split on the opening day of Marulić Days. The prize includes a fee and a bronze sculpture by Damir Matušić.