Theater
Origins of the Belarusian theater lie in popular rites and games, in creations of wanderer actor-skomorokhs. In the 16th century the "Batleika" puppet theater appeared. In the 16th–18th centuries school theaters and in the 16th–20th centuries popular drama became widespread. In the 18th–first half of the 19th centuries private theaters worked in cities and estates.
The most famous of them are Radzivill theaters in Nesvizh and Slutsk, Zorich theater in Shklov, Tisengaus theater in Grodno, Sapega theater in Ruzhany, Oginsky theater in Slonim, etc. The majority of theaters had ballet, opera and drama troupes, orchestras, quires, theater buildings with well-equipped stages, as well as schools for future actors (Tisengaus music and theater school in Grodno, ballet schools in Slonim, Nesvizh and Slutsk).
Since 1840's the playwright, actor and producer Vintsent Dunin-Martsinkevich (1808–1884) began to create Belarusian professional theater. He wrote the libretto of the operetta "Magic Water", "Musicians Contest", "Jewish Recruitment" In 1852 he organized the Dunin-Martsinkevich Theater, which was the first Belarusian national theater of the modern type. The theater opened on February 9, 1852 with the play "The Sielanka" (staged by V. Dunin-Martsinkevich, music by S. Moniuszko, K. Kzhizhanovsky, etc.). The performance was solved in the genre of opera: arias, duets, choral numbers and dances were performed.
The early 20th century witnessed a revival of the Belarusian scenic art. The most popular performances were based on works by Kastus Kaganets (1868–1918), Yanka Kupala (1882–1942), Yakub Kolas (1882–1956), Konstantsiya Builo (1893–1986), Leopold Rodzevich (1895–1938) and others. In 1920 F. Zhdanovich (1884–1937) opened the first Belarusian State Theater (the Yanka Kupala National Academic Theater at present). V. Golubok (1882–1937) opened the Golubok Troupe (late: the Third Belarusian State Theater).
In 1926 the second Belarusian State Theater (Nacional'ny'j akademicheskij dramaticheskij teatr im. Ya. Kolasa (the Yakub Kolas National Academic Drama Theater at present) opened its doors in Vitebsk. A significant contribution to the development of scenic art was made by playwright and director E. Mirovich (1878–1952). In 1930s the most successful stage productions touched on the themes of Belarusian folklore and classic drama. Among them the production of satirical comedy “He Who Laughs Last” by Kondrat Krapiva (1896-1991) staged in the present day National Academic Theater named after Yanka Kupala. In 1944, the premiere of the play “Pavlinka” written by Y. Kupala took place there and is successfully performed in our days.
Today there are 28 professional theaters in Belarus, 27 of them are subjects of the Ministry of Culture (2 musical, 18 drama and 7 puppet theaters), 1 is the subject of the Ministry of Defense (Dramatic Theater of the Belarusian Army). There are 4 “National” theaters and 10 theaters awarded the honorary title "Honored Ensemble of the Republic of Belarus".
In the state theaters of the country, performances are staged based on the works of classical and modern Belarusian, Russian, foreign authors, including: operas "The Wild Hunt of King Stakh" («Dikaya okhota korolya Stakha») by V. Soltan, "Aida" and "Rigoletto" by G. Verdi, ballets "Swan Lake" by P. Tchaikovsky, "Creation of the World" by A. Petrov, "Anastasia" and "Vitovt" by V. Kuznetsov at the National Academic Bolshoi Opera and Ballet Theater; " operettas by I. Kalman, I. Strauss, F. Lehar, at the Belarusian State Academic Musical Theater and other.
Among contemporary Belarusian playwrights the most famous are A. Makajonak, A. Dudarev, A. Petrashkevich, N. Matukovsky, E. Popova, A. Delendik, P. Pryazhko, D. Balyko, D. Bogoslavsky.
The "Vitovt" ballet based on the A. Dudarev's work at the National Academic Bolshoi Opera and Ballet Theater, the music for which was written by modern Belarusian composer V. Kuznetsov, was awarded the prize of the President of the Republic of Belarus A. Lukashenko “For Spiritual Revival”.
Belarus regularly hosts various theater festivals and contests. The most remarkable of them include the festival “Slavonic Theater Meetings” in Gomel, “Belaya Vezha” in Brest, “М@art.contact” in Mogilev, the Belarusian International Puppet Theater Festival in Minsk and others. Since 2011, the republican competition "National Theater Prize" of Belarus has been held.
The activity of country’s theaters is aimed at preservation of the best national scenic art traditions, popularization of world classical and modern theatrical culture.
Links to Internet resources:
Belarusian International Puppet Theater Festival
Belarusian State Academic Theater for Young Audience
Belarusian State Puppet Theater
The Belarusian State Youth Theater
Belorusskij teatr «Lyalka» (Belarusian Theater «Lyalka»), Vitebsk
Belaya Vezha, theater festival, Brest
The Dramatic Theater of the Belarusian Army
Gomelskij gorodskoj molodezhnyj teatr (Gomel city youth theater)
Gomelskij oblastnoj dramaticheskij teatr (Gomel Regional Drama Theater)
Gomelskij teatr kukol (Gomel Puppet Theater)
Grodno Regional Puppet Theater
Minsk International Christmas Opera Forum
Minsk Regional Drama Theater, Molodechno
Mogilevskij oblastnoj dramaticheskij teatr (Mogilev Regional Drama Theater)
Mogilevskij oblastnoj teatr kukol (Mogilev Regional Puppet Theater)
Nacionalnyj akademicheskij dramaticheskij teatr im. M. Gorkogo (National Academic Drama Theater named after M. Gorky)
Novyj dramaticheskij teatr (New Drama Theater)
The Republican Theatre of Belarusian Drama
Republican Festival of National Drama named after V.I. Dunin-Martsinkevich, Bobruisk
Slavyanskiye teatral'nyye vstrechi, festival, Gomel
M@rt.kontakt, international youth theater forum (Mogilev)