{"id":114,"date":"2018-10-13T08:08:51","date_gmt":"2018-10-13T08:08:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.critical-stages.org\/18\/?p=114"},"modified":"2022-02-06T20:50:46","modified_gmt":"2022-02-06T20:50:46","slug":"reviewing-bulgarian-theatre-of-today","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.critical-stages.org\/18\/reviewing-bulgarian-theatre-of-today\/","title":{"rendered":"(Re)Viewing Bulgarian Theatre of Today"},"content":{"rendered":"

Kamelia Nikolova<\/strong>*<\/a><\/p>\n

In the last couple of years, Bulgarian theatre has been characterized by a particular emphasis on the visual aspect of a performance, interest in new dramatic texts and inventive new readings of national and world classical plays. Most of the productions played to full houses and theatre critics enjoyed an increasing influence within the national theatre culture.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Delhi Dance<\/em> by Ivan Viripaev, directed by Galin Stoev, set designer: Nikola Toromanov, National Theatre, Sofia.
Photo: Gergana Damjanova<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Traditionally, theatre plays a significant role in Bulgaria\u2019s cultural life. Each city and large town has at least one playhouse and a theatre company which receives funding from either the government or the municipality. In addition to box office takings, theatres also receive grants from various funds and foundations which support the arts.<\/p>\n

For the time being, Bulgaria, with its population of seven or so million people, has 37 subsidized theatres. Of them, eight are in Sofia (four are state-run and four are supported by the municipality), with the other 29 being spread across the country (22 state-run, 7 municipal). The total of state funds earmarked for theatre was increased between 2016 and 2017 by about 2.5 million Bulgarian leva (approximately 1.28 million Euro).<\/p>\n

In the three decades after the democratic changes of 1989, the network of publicly subsidized theatres has been joined by a significant private and independent theatre sector. The productions of some of the new private companies have been traditionally commercial, but most of them work in the fields of experimental theatre, contemporary theatre forms and contemporary dance. Individual actors and independent companies staging not-for-profit productions are eligible to apply for funding to several national and European funds and programmes. This system of organization and funding of the performing arts periodically undergoes reforms, for reasons which are variously political, economic and aesthetic.<\/p>\n

Generally speaking, the results of these reforms leave much to be desired. The system has been designed to sustain and promote the development of theatre across the country and keep the balance between commercial and not-for-profit productions.<\/p>\n

Video<\/h6>\n