NOVI SAD YOUTH THEATRE – Novi Sad

NOVI SAD YOUTH THEATRE – Novi Sad

One of the oldest children’s theaters, the Puppet Theatre in Novi Sad, was founded spontaneously. A chance encounter with “puppets” in Prague in 1926 left a deep impression on a group of Novi Sad Sokol members, inspiring them to bring the art of puppetry to life in their own community. It was necessary to acquire basic knowledge of puppetry, so several puppeteers attended seminars in Ljubljana (1930), as well as in Novi Sad and Belgrade (1931), to master the fundamentals of the craft.

The theatre was founded by amateur actors: Lazar Dragić, Živko, Mira and Branka Štrboja, Anđa Kujević, Živko Predin, Branka Češljar, Radmila Sabljar, Ilija Vojnović, and others.

It is very likely that a closed-type performance was held as early as 1930.

During World War II, the Puppet Theatre was not active. After the war, it resumed operations immediately under the name Vojvodina Puppet Theatre, but under difficult conditions, as many puppets and inventory had been stolen or destroyed. Support during that period was provided by Žarko Vasiljević, director of the Serbian National Theatre, then known as the Vojvodina National Theatre.

In the meantime, the theatre changed its name several times: first to City Puppet Theatre, then to Puppet Theatre (1952–1968), and on November 23, 1968, it received its current name – Youth Theatre.

Over time, thanks to the dedication of puppetry enthusiasts, the popularity of this art form in Novi Sad steadily grew. The internal organization of the theatre also developed. As theatre art sought new content and new forms of expression, puppetry evolved as well. In the 1960s, in addition to marionettes, glove puppets (Guignol) and rod puppets (javajka) were introduced. The theatre also increasingly experimented with so-called “live” performances, which entered the repertoire in 1968.

In addition to performances in Serbian, the theatre also staged productions in Hungarian, Slovak, Rusyn, and Albanian.

In 1991, a new stage was established – the Drama Stage of the Youth Theatre. Over 70 years of existence, more than 300 titles have been staged, over 20,000 performances have been played, and they have been seen by around 2,500,000 viewers. For its artistic, social, and cultural work, the theatre has received numerous awards and recognitions, including the Silver Medal “Jovan Đorđević” and the Silver Plaque of the Serbian National Theatre (1972); the October Award of the City of Novi Sad (1975); the Spark of Culture of Vojvodina (1978); the Liberation Award of the City of Priština (1974); the Grand Charter and Golden Badge of the Yugoslav Children’s Festival in Šibenik (1976); as well as dozens of individual awards from international and national puppetry and children’s festivals.

Today, the Youth Theatre is a professionally developed, modern, and well-established theatre.

It consists of two stages: the Children’s Stage and the Drama Stage.

Alongside experienced veterans, as its name suggests, the ensemble has in recent years been rejuvenated with a large number of talented young actors. The tradition and potential of the Youth Theatre are in equal measure, making its future certain and bright.

4 Ignjata Pavlasa Street, Novi Sad
+381 (0)21 521 826
[email protected]
www.pozoristemladih.co.rs

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