CNT History

Drama of the Croatian National Theatre in Zagreb

The historical date marking the foundation of the Croatian National Theatre in Zagreb is 24 November 1860, when a performance by a German touring company was interrupted and the actor Vilim Lesić announced to the audience that henceforth performances would be given exclusively in the Croatian language. This event is also regarded as the founding moment of the Drama ensemble of the central national theatre.

The preceding thirty years, within the broader cultural endeavours of the Croatian National Revival, reveal the outlines of the future profile of national drama, most notably in the short-lived activities of the Domorodno teatralno društvo (1840–1841). After its departure, German companies once again dominated the stage, although local theatrical life was occasionally revived through the efforts of Dimitrije Demeter and a group of Zagreb citizens. As a dramaturge, the writer and Illyrian Demeter invited actor, director and playwright Josip Freudenreich from Vienna to Zagreb. The world premiere of Freudenreich’s folk play Graničari ili proštenje na Ilijevu (Border Guards, or the Parish Fair at Ilijevo) on 7 February 1857 marked a significant moment in the formation of a national repertoire, as did the overall contribution of this versatile artist and his family to Zagreb theatre in the nineteenth century. With the performance of Freudenreich’s Black Queen on 29 September 1860, uninterrupted performances in the Croatian language began in the 1860/61 season. Although this period was still marked by linguistic plurality, a modest ensemble of Croatian actors—forming the core of a future professional Drama ensemble—performed works by Croatian authors as well as translations of foreign dramatists. In general, the connection between Croatian theatre and national literature grew ever stronger, resulting in the fruitful and continuous development of Croatian dramatic writing.

The 1860/61 season saw the formal establishment of the Drama ensemble under the leadership of Dimitrije Demeter and Josip Freudenreich. At the same time, the young writer August Šenoa voiced strong criticism of the dominance of German drama in the repertoire, advocating instead for Slavic, French and Italian works. In 1868, Šenoa assumed the position of Artistic Director, though he remained in office only briefly (until 1870), as he was unable to realise his programme in full. In the early period, Freudenreich led the Drama as actor, director and pedagogue, while Adam Mandrović increasingly distinguished himself alongside him as an actor and director, heading the Drama for a full twenty years from 1874. In the mid-1870s, Andrija Fijan appeared on stage as a contemporary interpreter of heroes from classical and later modern literature. He directed around one hundred productions and served as Director of Drama (1898–1907) and General Manager (1907–1908), becoming a legendary figure of nineteenth-century theatrical pathos. His stage partner, Marija Ružička Strozzi, who interpreted hundreds of roles across a remarkably broad repertoire bridging the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, became both a symbol and a legend of Croatian acting.

From Šenoa’s time onwards, the Drama repertoire of the national theatre was clearly profiled, dominated by Shakespeare, Molière, Goldoni, the Russian realists and contemporary salon drama. Numerous national dramatists were staged (M. Bogović, J. E. Tomić, E. Kumičić, A. Tresić Pavičić), alongside works of national heritage, such as Gundulić’s Dubravka (1888), which from the tenure of Miletić onwards became a regular part of the repertoire.

As the end of the century approached, the realistic, naturalistic and modern impulses of European literature resonated ever more strongly. The path towards modern Croatian theatre was opened by General Manager Stjepan Miletić (1894–1898). The world premiere of Vojnović’s Equinox on the stage of the new theatre building in 1895, followed by Tucić’s Return in 1898, announced new currents in Croatian drama and theatre. Drawing on the principles of the Meiningen tradition of historical realism, Miletić became a pioneer of modern stage direction in Croatia, particularly noted for his productions of Shakespeare. He expanded the Drama ensemble to around fifty members, engaging Slovenian artists Ignjat and Sofija Borštnik, as well as Mila Dimitrijević, Borivoj Rašković and Arnošt Grund. In the new repertoire, Miša Dimitrijević, Dragutin Freudenreich, Milica Mihičić and Ljerka Šram stood out for their interpretations, later joined by students of Miletić’s drama school—Nina Vavra, Josip Bach and Ivo Raić—as representatives of a new acting style.

In the early years of the twentieth century, the characteristics of the Miletić period still prevailed. Following the abolition of the Opera, the Drama ensemble was required to produce more than 150 premieres, sixty of them Croatian works. During the tenure of General Manager Vladimir Treščec Branjski (1909–1914), Josip Bach gained prominence as a director, Ivo Raić returned from abroad as Director of Drama (1908–1919), and Branko Gavella entered stage practice from the field of theatre criticism. Veristic and symbolist approaches in acting, direction and scenography developed within the stylistic pluralism of Bach’s modern repertoire, dominated by Ibsen, Hauptmann, Sudermann, Schnitzler, Strindberg and Maeterlinck, alongside Croatian dramatists I. Vojnović, F. Galović, S. Tucić, M. Jurić Zagorka, J. Kosor, M. Ogrizović and M. Begović.

Following the collapse of the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy after the First World War, the drama repertoire initially favoured texts celebrating the spirit of Yugoslav unification. Soon thereafter, during the tenure of General Manager Julije Benešić (1921–1926), the Drama experienced a significant artistic ascent. Its Director and leading stage director Branko Gavella staged plays by Miroslav Krleža, from Golgotha (1922) and Vučjak (1923) to Michelangelo Buonarroti and Adam and Eve (1925), collaborating closely with set designer Ljubo Babić, who helped establish scenography as an autonomous artistic discipline aligned with European standards. Together they created productions of Shakespeare’s Richard III and Twelfth Night, as well as Diogenes by Tituš Brezovački, regarded as a major stage revelation. Alongside these works, expressionist texts by younger authors—Josip Kulundžić, Kalman Mesarić, Ahmed Muradbegović and Tito Strozzi—were also premiered. In addition to Gavella, Ivo Raić and Tito Strozzi emerged as leading directors (while also remaining active as actors). Alongside Marija Ružička Strozzi, the dynamic repertoire was carried by Dragutin Freudenreich, Milica Mihičić, Nina Vavra, August Cilić, Hinko Nučić and Josip Pavić. The ensemble was further renewed by graduates of the State Acting School (1920–1929), including Nada Babić, Ervina Dragman, Dubravko Dujšin, Božena Kraljeva, Vjekoslav Afrić, Jozo Laurenčić and Nikša Stefanini.

In the historically turbulent period of the neo-realist 1930s and during the wartime 1940s, despite various forms of censorship, numerous new dramatic texts emerged, including Krleža’s Glembay cycle, in which Bela Krleža made her debut as Baroness Castelli. Significant rediscoveries of theatrical heritage also occurred, such as Fotez’s adaptation of Uncle Maroje (1938), Gavella’s and Kombol’s adaptations of Lucić’s The Female Slave and Držić’s Tirena, as well as The Feast of the Young Derenčin (1939), alongside the emergence of new dramatists (G. Senečić, M. Matković, M. Feldman and R. Marinković). In addition to Strozzi and Mesarić, Alfons Verli gained recognition as a director. Between 1931 and 1935, a Drama Studio operated within the national theatre, and in 1943 Mato Grković launched a short-lived chamber stage devoted primarily to French authors. In 1942, Vjekoslav Afrić and Joža Rutić led a group of actors to join the Partisans. After the war, the stages of the Croatian National Theatre—both the main and the small stage—hosted the Partisan Theatre of the National Liberation of Croatia, which merged with the Drama ensemble as early as July 1945.

Following the Second World War, significant artistic and repertoire changes occurred during the 1950s, particularly in the era of Matković (1949–1953). Works by younger dramatists (S. Kolar, M. Božić, R. Marinković) were staged, Gavella returned in 1949, followed by Strozzi, while Kosta Spaić and Mladen Škiljan established themselves as prominent directors. Vlado Habunek was affirmed, and new set designers gained recognition (Kamilo Tompa, Zvonimir Agbaba, Aleksandar Augustinčić). At the same time, a group of younger actors left the ensemble and, under the leadership of Branko Gavella, founded the Zagreb Drama Theatre in 1953, seeking a new acting style rooted in contemporary literature. Meanwhile, the Drama engaged director Bojan Stupica, who created large-scale ensemble productions between 1955 and 1957. In the same period, the rejuvenated ensemble on the newly opened chamber stage presented works by J. P. Sartre, T. Williams, A. Miller, J. Anouilh, S. Beckett and E. Ionesco, as well as productions on the permanent stage in Sisak in 1958. On the main stage, major works were premiered, including Marinković’s Gloria, Matković’s Heracles, Krleža’s Aretaeus and Božić’s The Righteous Man. The ensemble encompassed a wide generational spectrum, from established actors such as Emil Kutijaro to younger performers like Vanja Drach, alongside August Cilić, Božena Kraljeva, Ervina Dragman, Tito Strozzi, Ljudevit Galica, Mira Župan, Eliza Gerner, Miroslava Nikolić and Marija Paro.

Throughout its history, the Drama ensemble—shaped by generations of outstanding actors—has also maintained a rich tradition of guest performances and tours, both in Croatia and abroad.