Baku hosts "Our Theater" festival

By Nigar Orujova

An international theater festival opened in Baku on March 27.

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

The three-day festival is organized by Azerbaijani Union of Theater Workers with the support of the Baku Children Theater.

Opening the festival, Deputy chairman of the union, People's Artist Rafig Aliyev and Children Theater's head Intiqam Sultan congratulated the participants on the occasion of the international theater day, celebrated on March 27.

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.

The Baku Children Theater will showcase nine performances, and outstanding theaters will be awarded.

Employee of the Turkish Culture and Tourism Ministry Levend Aydin and Georgian Khelvachauri Theatre director Rezo Beynazvishvili wished success for the festival.

Earlier in March, Azerbaijani national theatre celebrated its 141st anniversary.

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.

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.