Baku to enjoy theater festival

By Nigar Orujova

Baku will host an international theater festival on March 27-29.

"Our Theater" will bring together theatre troupes from Azerbaijan, Turkey, Georgia, and Iran.

The festival aims to expand festival traditions in the country and create a space for every actor to show his or her talents.

All the performances will be shown at the Union of Theatre Workers, the festival's organizer.

The development of theatrical art in Azerbaijani culture has a long history, starting with theatrical elements of open-air folk performances, religious ceremonies, ashugs - Caucasian folk poets and singers - playing national instruments and narrating folk epics, traditional Islamic mystery plays, mythology, and dervish dances.

Azerbaijani national theatre celebrated its 141st anniversary in March.

On the occasion of Novruz bayram on 22 March, 1873, the drama "The Adventures of the Vizier of the Lenkoran Khan" by proclaimed Azerbaijani author Mirza Fatali Akhundov was staged in Azerbaijan with the help of Hasan bay Zardabi and Najaf bay Vezirov.

Thus, the foundation of professional theatre in Azerbaijan and the Muslim world was laid.

At present, there are 26 state theatres in Azerbaijan, performing plays, opera, musical comedies, puppet shows, and mimes. There are also two municipal and four private theatres.

There is also the Russian Drama theater company in Baku, performing in Russian, and the Young Spectators' and Musical Theater, which has its own Russian company of actors.