HISTORY OF THE CROATIAN NATIONAL THEATRE IN ZAGREB

The Croatian National Theatre in Zagreb is the oldest national theatre institution that officially commenced its work on November 24, 1860. The theatre was legally founded on August 24, 1861, when the Parliament of the Triune Kingdom of Dalmatia, Croatia and Slavonia passed Article LXXVII on theatre and secured permanent administrative and financial support. However, the theatre is at least two decades older, albeit only as a concept, with the intention to realise this idea. The founding of the theatre was one of the most significant tasks of the Illyrian cultural programme.

It was upon the invitation of the Illyrian Library, and especially Dimitrije Demeter, that actors from Novi Sad came to Zagreb in 1840 and were joined by Croatian actors. Within the Domorodno teatralno društvo, on June 10, 1840, they staged the historical drama Juran and Sophia, or The Turks at Sisak by Ivan Kukuljević Sakcinski. They remained in Croatia until 1841 and presented at least 45 premieres, proving that Zagreb was capable of gathering actors able to perform one new title per week, that it had dramatists, dramaturges and translators who provided sufficient texts in the Croatian language, and finally, that it had an audience willing to follow these performances.

After their departure, and during the period of intensified Germanisation under Bach’s absolutism, audiences were mostly presented with German works, but could also see Croatian performances, such as Leaven without Bread by Nemčić or The Border Guards by Freudenreich. In 1846, the world premiere of the opera Love and Malice by Vatroslav Lisinski took place, keeping the idea of a national theatre alive. On November 24, 1860, a performance in the German language was interrupted by demonstrations, marking the beginning of institutional and uninterrupted theatre work.

In the early years, the repertoire and style were predominantly shaped by Demeter and Freudenreich. For a short time, the artistic director was August Šenoa, but with the arrival of Ivan noble Zajc in 1870, a permanent Opera ensemble was established. The year marking the beginning of Croatian ballet, the third artistic segment equal to Drama and Opera, is considered to be 1876, with the world premiere of the opera Nikola Šubić Zrinjski. This period also marked the rise of the first Drama and Opera stars: Marija Ružika Strozzi and Andrija Fijan, Milka Trnina and Josip Kašman.

The early 1920s, when the theatre was run by Julije Benešić, with Branko Gavella as Director of Drama and Petar Konjović as Director of Opera, were marked by high artistic achievements across all three ensembles. Dramas by the then unaccepted Miroslav Krleža were premiered, as well as works by Begović and Tito Strozzi, who both acted and directed, Josip Kulundžić and Kalman Mesarić. Croatian theatre was among the first in Europe to recognise the distinctiveness of Pirandello’s theatre.

Alongside outstanding works of European music, operas by Croatian composers such as Antun Dobronić, Krsto Odak and Krešimir Baranović were staged. Baranović composed the ballet The Gingerbread Heart, choreographed by Margareta Froman. Set designers Ljubo Babić and Vasilij Uljaniščev introduced fine-art expressionism to the Zagreb stage, while actors were educated at the State School for Acting. The 1930s brought reduced financial support and increased political control, yet the theatre succeeded in maintaining its artistic standards.

Alongside already acclaimed dramatists, the works of Miroslav Feldman, Marijan Matković and Ranko Marinković were among the first to be presented, while folk plays by Mesarić and Senečić enjoyed the greatest popularity. There were also dramatizations of historical novels by Zagorka and Šenoa, as well as comedies by Branislav Nušić. A turning point was the premiere of Držić’s Uncle Maroje, adapted and directed by Marko Fotez.

The Opera reached its peak with the world premieres of two unsurpassed works in their genre: the operetta Little Floramye by Ivo Tijardović and the national opera Ero the Joker by Jakov Gotovac. Ballet was led by Ana Roje and Oskar Harmoš, reaching its height with the ballet The Devil in the Village, composed by Fran Lhotka and choreographed by Pia and Pino Mlakar.

In the interwar period, acting couples Vika Podgorska and Dubravko Dujšin, as well as Nada Babić and August Cilić, attracted special attention from audiences and critics. Dancer Mia Čorak Slavenska and singer Zinka Kunc left the Croatian National Theatre in Zagreb for international stages. At that time, the theatre also operated a second stage, first in Tuškanac and later in Frankopanska Street.

The war and the immediate post-war years brought a series of changes to all theatre ensembles, primarily political ones. In 1953, the theatre faced the departure of several actors and directors to the newly founded Zagreb Drama Theatre, leaving the main institution without a second stage. Responses to the challenges of this period came through productions by Bojan Stupica, Vladimir Habunek and later Kosta Spaić, Georgij Paro, Božidar Violić and Joško Juvančić.

Further developments included the founding of a Chamber Stage in 1957; the fine-art neomodernism of set designers Božidar Rašica, Kamilo Tompa and Aleksandar Augustinčić; costume designers Inga Kostinčer and Vanda Pavelić; outstanding actors such as Ervina Dragman, Mira Župan and Emil Kutijar; vocal achievements by Marijana Radev, Josip Gostič, Nada Puttar Gold, Vladimir Ruždjak and Tomislav Neralić; and dance performances by Sonja Kastl, Vesna Butorac, Milko Šparemblek and Damir Novak.

This period also saw world premieres of Marinković’s Glorija and Matković’s Heracles, operas Equinox by Ivo Brkanović, The Witch from Labin by Natko Devčić and Coriolanus by Stjepan Šulek, as well as ballets A Man in Front of the Mirror by Milko Kelemen. Drama opened its repertoire to works by Arthur Miller, Tennessee Williams, Jean Anouilh and Jean-Paul Sartre, while Opera introduced works by Benjamin Britten and Dmitri Shostakovich.

The continuity of performances on the main stage was interrupted between 1967 and 1969, when the theatre underwent a thorough reconstruction during the mandate of General Manager Mirko Božić. Performances were held at other venues throughout the city, but the ensembles remained united. Upon returning to the main stage, the theatre continued to pursue the repertoire policy of a national institution.

On the one hand, audiences were offered new interpretations of world classics and Croatian canonical works such as Uncle Maroje, the Dubrovnik Trilogy and the Glembay Trilogy, as well as major works of opera and ballet literature. On the other hand, Drama presented world premieres of Antun Šoljan’s The Bard, Resignation by Čedo Prica and Kamov by Slobodan Šnajder, along with dramatizations of novels by Marinković and Krleža.

Opera productions included The Storm by Stjepan Šulek, State of Siege by Milko Kelemen and Richard III by Igor Kuljerić, while Ballet staged Three Cavaliers of Miss Melanija and Kraljevo by Boris Papandopulo, as well as Songs of Love and Death, choreographed by Milko Šparemblek to the music of Gustav Mahler. The theatre continues to develop in this direction in the 21st century.